[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 149 (Thursday, October 6, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    URGING THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO REMOVE THE PEOPLE'S MOJAHEDIN 
    ORGANIZATION OF IRAN FROM DEPARTMENT OF STATE'S LIST OF FOREIGN 
                        TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE COFFMAN

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 2011

  Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, perhaps the most important 
element of our democracy is the reverence our people and government 
have for the rule of law. I stand here today because I am dismayed at 
the State Department's inaction in response to a Federal court ruling 
stating the DoS was incorrect in placing the MEK on the terrorist watch 
list. This inaction damages the credibility of our executive branch as 
well its ability to faithfully execute the laws of this land.
  More than 10 years ago, the State Department put Iran's most 
organized opposition on the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, 
FTO, in order to get the Iranian mullahs to cooperate with us. Not only 
has this policy failed to temper Iran's aggressive behavior, it has 
actually emboldened them. More importantly, the terror listing of the 
Iranian opposition has robbed people of Iran of the political space 
needed to effectively oppose the regime within Iran and in the global 
arena.
  Our allies in the UK and EU have removed the MEK from their banned 
organizations list. The DC Circuit Federal Appeals Court has also 
ordered our government to reexamine its evidence on the MEK and 
undertake a fresh review of their case. The 10th Circuit stated that 
the State Department had not shown that the MEK had been engaged or had 
the intent to engage in terrorist activities which is a requirement to 
being designated as an FTO. Ninety-five Members of Congress and I have 
agreed with the court decision and co-sponsored H. Res. 60 to urge the 
Secretary of State to remove the MEK as an FTO and lift all 
restrictions.
  As such, I would therefore like to ask the folks in State Department 
a simple question: Why has the department, after more than 500 days of 
deliberation failed to faithfully comply with the Federal court order?

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