[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 161 (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2082-E2083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HELPING THE IRANIAN OPPOSITION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 8, 2010

  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, on November 16th, 2010 I held a briefing 
on my bill H. Res. 1431, which urges the Obama administration to remove 
the main Iranian opposition group, the People's Mojahedin Organization 
of Iran (PMOI/MEK) from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. 
This bill has been co-sponsored by 109 Members of the House of 
Representatives.
  In a letter to the Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on that 
same day, I was joined by my colleagues and brought the resolution to 
the attention of the Secretary and urged her to delist the PMOI. Below 
are the remarks that I made to the Members and Staff gathered at the 
briefing:

       We have introduced Resolution 1431, which calls upon the 
     U.S. government, the President, the Secretary of State to 
     remove the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran . . . from 
     the State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations 
     . . . Like other parliaments around the world, we in the 
     United States Congress believe that this organization does 
     not qualify to be on the FTO list both on legal and political 
     grounds. Removing the MEK from the FTO list is not only the 
     right thing to do but sends the right message to Iran.
       I would like to thank the President-elect of the National 
     Council of Resistance of Iran,

[[Page E2083]]

     Mrs. Rajavi, who has not only led this fight, but has also 
     offered all kinds of assistance to the residents of Camp 
     Ashraf.

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