[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 18, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1923]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REMOVING THE PEOPLE'S MUJAHEDIN ORGANIZATION OF IRAN FROM THE FOREIGN 
                      TERRORIST ORGANIZATION LIST

  (Mr. SIRES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge that the MEK be removed 
from the U.S. Department of State's list of Foreign Terrorist 
Organizations. Since its listing in 1997, the MEK has denounced 
violence and provided valuable intelligence on the Iranian regime, yet 
they remain on our terrorist list.
  Even important allies acknowledge that the MEK no longer poses a 
terrorist threat. In 2009, the United Kingdom and the European Union 
removed the group from their lists. The unjust listing has been 
considered by the U.S. courts, but the Department of State continues to 
drag its feet regarding the delisting.
  In July 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia 
Circuit criticized the Department of State's designation of the MEK as 
a terrorist organization since the group's due process rights had been 
violated, and the Department of State has yet to provide specific 
information demonstrating why the group is a terrorist threat today.
  The battle over delisting the MEK has gone on far too long with far 
too little evidence. I urge my colleagues to follow me in calling for 
the immediate delisting of the MEK by the Department of State.

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