CPA Infrastructure Reconstruction doc 60

MEK Question: Why did the MEK- which is a designated FrO- sign a cease-fire agreeme t with the Coalition forces, and was treated differently from other terrorist groups? Answer: • Initially, the MEK signed a cease-fire agreement to allow the combatant command r time to assess the situation while keeping MEK under control and surveillance, d await policy guidance for this large and diverse group. Policy Guidance Message 7 changed the status of the group to surrender, and thus placed them under US contro . • The status of all the members of the group is not known. Some have be n supporting the Fedayeen of Saddam as well as the acting as a security arm of e Iraqi Regime, and would thus be treated as enemy combatants. Some are fami y members and civilians. Each has to be processed under Geneva Convention Artie e 5 to determine their status and maintain under US control. Once the status of ea h has been determined, and determined to be a member of MEK, they will be treat d as terrorists like other terrorist organizations. So we have been treating all terrori t organizations consistently. Question: There are reports that this group is not really a terrorist organization and that they have been trying to overthrow the Iranian regime and claim are democrati in nature. Answer: • The MEK is responsible for killing Americans in 1978 (although there are no outstanding US indictments against them). • They have also worked with Saddam's regime and security forces in squashing the 1992 Shi' a uprising in the South as well as the Kurds, and have thus been responsible for the killing of many Iraqi Shi' as and Kurds. · • The MEK (and its military arm the NLA, its political arm the National Council of Resistance of Iran- NCRI) was a charter member of the first US list of forei terrorist organizations in 1997 and have remained on that list since.