the eyeranian

Double Standards

U.S. troops occupying Iraq recently signed a cease-fire agreement with the exiled Iranian organization People’s Mojahedin (MKO). The agreement reportedly allows MKO to maintain their bases inside Iraq and keep their artillery and other weapons to continue their campaign against the Iranian government. MKO is on U.S. department’s list of terrorist organizations. EU also classifies the group as “terrorist”.

This is not a commentary to argue for or against that position or MKO’s legitimacy, ideology or integrity. I have addressed those points extensively in the past and will continue to do so in it’s proper place in the future.

However, what this IS about is the legitimacy and credibility of those in charge of the world’s only superpower. If you believe and have classified this or any other organization as a “terrorist organization” and are deeply involved in what you have labeled the “war on terror”, what message does allowing MKO to operate under your control send to the rest of the world? To me the message is clear; there’s an obvious double-standard. Terror as an act is not condemned or is fought against. Terror and terrorists are evil only if they are aimed at us and our citizens. As long as there are terrorist acts around the world but they are fighting one another or better yet our foes, it is perfectly fine.

In my opinion, the U.S, government can not continue this campaign of two-facedness. They should either remove MKO from their list of terrorist organizations and acknowledge them as a proper resistance movement battling to free their homeland or don’t allow terrorists to operate and carry out terror operations in their territory or territories currently under their control.

One can not have it both ways. That’s what hypocrisy is all about.

Posted by Pedram at May 1, 2003 06:21 PM