The name ‘Persian Gulf’ symbolizes Iranian glory and history: PGSC researcher

TEHRAN - Seyyed Abbas Mojtahedi, a researcher and senior advisor to the head of the Persian Gulf Studies Center, explains about the activities of his center in an exclusive interview with the Tehran Times.

According to him, the Tehran-based think tank is trying, through scientific and historical proofs, to indicate to those who knowingly or unknowingly use fake names of “Gulf” or “Arab Gulf” in lieu of its real historical name of “Persian Gulf”. In an editorial directive released on August 18, 1994 by the United Nations it is explicitly stated that the full term of “Persian Gulf” should be used and not the short term.
The following is the full text of the Tehran Times interview with the researcher:

Q: Why is the name “Persian Gulf” so important to Iranians?
A: It is not only important but it is the matter of our national interest. The Persian Gulf is not just a name, it is much more than that. The name symbolizes Iran’s glory and history.
Q: Mr. Mojtahedi, as an Iranian researcher what have you done to provide authentic sources to prove your idea through mass media?
A: Good question! As a researcher as well as senior advisor to the managing director, I am working with the Persian Gulf Studies Centre (PGSC), Iran’s leading non-governmental organization on Persian Gulf and Middle East topics, for the past seven years. You can check out our site address at: www.persiangulfstudies.com I have three books on this topic, one in Farsi and two in English. Last year we made a PDF file by the name “Why Persian Gulf”. In this unique file we explained, according to the facts and documents, that the correct and standard geographical name of this waterway is Persian Gulf. The file is accessible to everyone and can be shared easily via email. “Why Persian Gulf” has been welcomed by Iranians and even non-Iranians throughout the world, because it is a fact-based document. I believe all the eighty million population of Iran should keep this PDF file handy. Many people are emotionally involved in this case, the name issue, but there is no need, because we have a very strong case; we have the upper hand. I am ready for any debate concerning this issue, anytime, anywhere.
Q: You have been active to introduce the realities and documents to the world about the name Persian Gulf for many years. Do you believe you have done enough?

A: Of course not! Persian Gulf Studies Centre needs more budget! I will promise you here that if the government or private sectors solve our budget problem, we will fight the incorrect and fake names of “Gulf” and “Arab Gulf” that Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) are trying hard to coin it with their petro-dollars in the world. They are going to have a tough time though.

Q: Could you please name some of the reliable authentic sources on the name of Persian Gulf?
A: First, you can check out the name of Persian Gulf on tens of thousands of historical maps, or just simply log into our online museum at:www.persiangulfstudies.com/museum for a complete list of the maps.
Second, you can also refer to the highest legal source of the world namely United Nations Organization and UNGEGN (United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names).
Third, refer to the famous and reputable sources like Oxford School Atlas, National Geographic Society, Royal Geographical Society, Encyclopedia Britannica, Rand-McNally and many more. Would you like more?
Q: Please tell us more about your activities.
A: As a researcher, 14 years ago I began concentrating on the Persian Gulf’s name issue and also seven years ago with my very good friends and Persian Gulf experts Mr. Parsapour and Mr. Rezaee we established an NGO by the name: Persian Gulf Studies Centre with one main purpose: Defending the name “Persian Gulf” and our beloved leader “Imam Khamenei” internationally. Now that we have formed a team, we are stronger. I have a small collection of atlases including school atlases from around the world. I spent 10 years of my life in the UK and India. Normally everywhere the name of the waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula is Persian Gulf, but in case we find it otherwise, we will convince them and they will correct it. Usually they are friendly, because we present them with valid and reliable sources on the basis of geography and history which has nothing to do with our patriotism, politics or voting system on the internet!
For instance, almost four years ago, we found a school atlas in India by the name OBS school atlas that was using the term “The Gulf” for this waterway! So we started to contact them and I sent them the documents through the post. The senior cartographer of the school atlas, a gentleman by the name “Srinivas”, accepted the mistake and promised me that the new version of OBS school atlas (2015) will have the correct name of the “Persian Gulf” on it. Then in the beginning of the year 2015, the new version of the OBS school atlas with name “Persian Gulf” came out. Mr. Srinivas was the first person to inform me about the new version of the map via email. In addition, Iranian consulate in Hyderabad (India) sent me the new version of the OBS school atlas by the post. All the documents of this almost three-year rally, which included emails, regular mails, etc., is available in our archives.
The point is that the OBS school atlas is one of the best quality atlases of India, covering almost 1.3 billion people. It also reaches to millions of other people in the Indian subcontinent, including those in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. I think now you can imagine how important this work was and what Persian Gulf Studies Center has done for Iran. I have to say here that Iran and India are historical friends and we should never forget our historical friendship with India and Pakistan. The other country is Turkey. I have been five times to Turkey. In all their English newspapers they normally use the term “Persian Gulf” but in Turkish media they mostly use the term “Basra Korfezi (Gulf of Basra)” for this waterway! I have to tell you that Gulf of Basra is a small part of the Persian Gulf just like Gulf of Bushehr or Gulf of Bahrain and it’s wrong to refer to it as the entire Persian Gulf.
In fact the roots of this case go back to the Ottoman era. On the other hand, Turkey’s most famous and number one atlas is called “Buyuk Atlas” by Professor Sabri Duran who uses the name Iran Korfezi (Gulf of Iran, that is same to the Persian Gulf) for this waterway. Turkey’s second famous atlases and school atlases are published by “inkilap” publications and by Prof. Ibrahim Atalay that uses both names of Basra Korfezi and Iran Korfezi for this waterway. I contacted Prof. Ibrahim Atalay and he confirmed that the correct geographical name of the waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula is “Iran Korfezi (Persian Gulf)”. FYI, proof of contact is also available. Eliminating the name Basra Korfezi from Turkish atlases and media is difficult but not impossible. In order to do more research, the Persian Gulf Studies Center is ready to do so, but unfortunately we are currently facing with insufficient budget. If government or private sectors solve our budget problem, I promise that in the near future you will hear the name “Iran Korfezi” more than “Basra Korfezi” in the Turkish media, and that you will not find any atlas or school atlas in Turkey with the name “Basra Korfezi” inside.
I have to add here that despite some disagreements, Iran and Turkey are natural allies in the region. We are two strong countries with a combined population of almost 160 million (80 million Iran and 80 million Turkey). Just like Iran, India and Turkey have a rich culture and history and more than that they are our friends. Always remember that India is our historical friend and Turkey is our natural ally.
Q: Finally, you know that the UAE is claiming the three islands of Tunbs and Abu Musa in the Persian Gulf, what is PGSC’s viewpoint on this issue?
A: I’m sorry for saying it so bluntly. The UAE’s existence goes back to 1971 and Iran’s history and existence goes back to 2,600 years; but the UAE have claims ownership over Iranian islands). If it is just the matter of claims, let us reclaim the island of Bahrain! Does our claim sound cool to (P)GCC? Furthermore, the country called the UAE today was not there before 1971; it was a part of Oman. We have some old maps in our archives that proves this; plus we have hundreds of documents that shows all of these three islands of Tunbs and Abu Musa belong to Iran. We are not against the talks at all. Dialogue is for civilized people but also civilized people should respect the law and obey the regulations made by the highest legal source of the world that is the United Nations Organization about the name “Persian Gulf”. Before any talks, the UAE should officially accept the name “Persian Gulf” for this body of water and then the talks will be possible, and of course, it will be based on facts and that is through documents. Honestly speaking, I think the UAE’s problem is not Iran or the islands because with these so-called claims they go nowhere. I think their problem is their consulting team and they have to change it. There is an idiom that says “problem recognized is a problem half solved”.

Universities should play their part in shaping the new Islamic civilization

Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic 

Revolution, met Wednesday morning with 

heads of universities, higher education 

organizations, science and technology parks 

and research centers. Speaking at the meeting, 

His Eminence highlighted the scientific history, 

legacy and experience of the country before and 

after the emergence of Islam and pointed to the 

role of universities in contemporary history 

particularly during revolutionary activities and 

after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed the necessity of planning in universities and scientific centers for benefiting from scientific legacies and experiences, reiterating: “Measuring our scientific need for the present time and the future, preventing the rate of our scientific progress from slowing down, implementing the comprehensive scientific plan in a thorough way, paying attention to quality in higher education, pursuing the issue of the relationship between universities and industries in a serious way, encouraging universities to play their part in the economy of resistance, expanding the environment of religious and Islamic culture, deepening religious and political insight and providing opportunities for students and ideological, revolutionary and pious professors are the requirements that help universities play a role in shaping the new Islamic civilization.”  

Ayatollah Khamenei said: “During the time of Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties, the scientific movement of the country was unfortunately stopped because of certain reasons. At a time when science blossomed in Europe, we could not benefit from our talents, our scientific opportunities and our scientific disposition. This was why we fell behind the scientific movement in the world.”

Pointing to the westerners’ planning for training managers – in so-called third-world countries - on the basis of western thinking and lifestyle and with the help of universities, His Eminence stated: “In implementing their plan in Iran, they faced certain problems because of the Iranian identity and because of the development and depth of Islamic and religious thinking among students and academic personalities. And after the Islamic movement in the year 1341, a great and growing religious movement began in universities.”

He added: “The victory of the Islamic Revolution – which was like an earthquake for the western and eastern world of those days – exerted significant influence on universities and many of the most self-sacrificing and sincere companions of the Revolution emerged from universities.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described channeling scientific articles and PhD theses in line with the current and future needs of the country as an important issue and added: “Nuclear science is one of the needs of the country which has been invested in since many years ago because if the possibility of using oil is eliminated or if oil reserves come to an end, we will definitely need alternative sources of energy.”

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the attainment of 20-percent uranium by young Iranian scientists, saying: “At a certain point in time, the fuel for Tehran research reactor – which had been designed for making pharmaceuticals – was running out and westerners had set humiliating terms for delivering this fuel, but our talented and religious youth satisfied the need of the country for 20-percent uranium with their round-the-clock efforts.”

His Eminence mentioned that the most difficult stage in uranium enrichment is obtaining the 20-percent uranium and that obtaining higher levels up to 90-percent is very easy, adding: “The reason behind westerners’ nervousness on the nuclear issue was this. Of course, if they had delivered the fuel for Tehran research reactor, we would never have gone after 20-percent enrichment.”

He described the rate of Iran’s scientific progress and the continuation of the scientific movement as very necessary and fundamental as it makes up for the country’s backwardness, further reiterating: “Unfortunately, some people who are academics themselves say to students in universities that our scientific achievements are a lie! If they are a lie, then why does a Zionist research center express its concern about Iran’s scientific progress?”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also warned that if the rate of Iran’s scientific progress slows downs, this will be to the disadvantage of the country, stressing: “If the rate of the scientific progress of the country goes down, the gap between us and the scientific movement of the world will widen. Therefore, we should preserve our rate of scientific progress.”

He stressed the necessity of universities’ role in the economy of resistance with the cooperation of knowledge-based companies and stated: “On the issue of implementing the economy of resistance, what should have happened has not happened yet. Executive officials have just delivered a report to me about the plans that have been formulated for implementing the economy of resistance.”

Elsewhere in his statements, Ayatollah Khamenei touched on cultural issues in universities. Criticizing some of the measures that have been adopted, he said: “Some people confuse cultural work with sexually integrated concerts and camps. In order to justify their wrong measure, they say, ‘Students should be happy.’ Being happy is good for any environment, but at what price? At the price of holding mixed ceremonies and camps? Have westerners reaped any benefit – other than the current [sexual] crimes – from allowing men and women to socialize with one another so much so that we follow the same methods?”

His Eminence stated that religious and political insight is very important for youth as it prevents them from making grave mistakes. He reiterated: “The reason why many individuals – who were not bad people - slipped up in the fitna of the year 1388 was lack of insight. When the other side says, ‘Elections are just an excuse and the essence of the system is the main target’ what should a person who believes in the system do? If there is no insight, one cannot fulfill one’s duties at the time of need.”

He described lack of self-confidence as the gravest danger that exists for a people, stressing: “Lack of self-confidence and underestimating the capabilities and power of the people and the country make some people inside the country say, ‘We are nobodies and we are isolated.’ This is while everyone is acknowledging the power and influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the region.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated that educating youth who believe in intellectual, political and economic independence is an essential cultural task in universities. He added: “The news that I receive about certain universities and that I hope is not true shows something else as [I have been told that] religious, revolutionary and broad-minded groups are pressured in universities.”

Referring to his deep and long-standing interest in universities and academic societies, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Today, universities and students are the target of the greatest plots. The enemies of the country are intimidated by the presence of academic personalities with a revolutionary and offensive spirit in the arena because they can eliminate their red lines, raise the flag of knowledge and highlight revolutionary slogans. This is why they plan for and invest heavily in confronting this movement.”

His Eminence stressed the necessity of promoting values in academic environments, saying: “We should pay attention to the concerns that ideological and revolutionary students and also thousands of pious and revolutionary university professors have in universities and we should thank and appreciate the value of such university professors.”

MEK: When terrorists are armed, funded and respected

MEK terrorist group killed more than 17,000 Iranians during their terrorist activities inside Iran and in their war effort against Iran alongside Saddam. This makes Iran, one of the major victims of terrorism in the world.

By Mohsen Hosseini*

Assassinating Americans in Iran

The Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (People's Mujahedin of Iran also known as MEK, MKO or PMOI) was formed on the basis of Marxism and Islam; later Islam was removed from MEK’s doctrine (1). This group, established in 1965 in a bid to overthrow the Shah, harbored an anti-Western and anti-U.S. ideology (2). They also formed alliances with other Iranian Marxist groups such as the Organization of Iranian People's Fedai Guerrillas.

But both of them had a marginal role in the Shah’s overthrow during the Islamic Revolution which was mainly fought by the supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini. MEK leaders were mostly imprisoned by the Shah’s security apparatus and couldn’t play a direct role in the 1979 Revolution (3).

MEK terrorist group killed more than 17,000 Iranians during their terrorist activities inside Iran and in their war effort against Iran alongside Saddam. This makes Iran, one of the major victims of terrorism in the world.

Due to their intense anti-American approach, MEK killed many US officials, including three officers who had been military advisors under the Shah and three civilian contractors working in Iran (4). They also kidnapped the US Ambassador to Iran (5). They were the main elements for occupying the US embassy in Tehran, and when the embassy staff were released they called it a “surrender” (6).

Killing Iranian officials for losing elections

Although supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini had never sympathized with MEK elements, MEK’s enmity became acute when the head of this group was banned from running for presidential elections, which was followed by a heavy MEK loss at parliamentary elections in 1981. It was then that MEK started its terrorist activitites in Iran; they bombed the headquarters of the Islamic Republic Party, which had won both the presidency and the parliament in landslide victories. The bomb killed Mohammad Beheshti, Head of Iran’s Judicial System who was also the party leader, as well as four cabinet ministers, plus 24 members of Parliament along with 43 other government officials and party members.

.The headquarters of the Islamic Republic Party after the MEK-led explosion

Two months after this bombing, another major attack shook the Iranian capital; a bomb was embedded in the room where government cabinet meeting was held, killing the newly elected President Rajai and Prime Minister Bahonar. One of the members of MEK staff later confessed to the assassination campaign by MEK that killed up to ten thousand innocent civilians in a span of six months (7).

.The table at which president Rajai and Prime Minister Bahonar were sitting

Cooperation with Saddam against Iran

After these deadly attacks, MEK moved to Iraq in 1986 and allied with Saddam in his offensive against Iran. With this act of treason, they lost all favor in Iran (8) and became a subject of hate among all Iranians (9). This feeling of hate was to such a degree that around this same time, the group developed the undesirable nickname of Munafiqeen or Hypocrites.

After these deadly attacks, MEK moved to Iraq in 1986 and allied with Saddam in his offensive against Iran. With this act of treason, they lost all favor in Iran (8) and became a subject of hate among all Iranians.

In Saddam’s war against Iran, the Munafiqeen provided Iraq with intelligence and even attacked Iran militarily by an army of MEK members. They were also an asset for the Iraqi dictator when the time came for the bloody crackdown of the Iraqi Shia and Kurdish populations (10). Press reports cite MEK leader Maryam Rajavi encouraging MEK members to ‘take the Kurds under your tanks'(11). This terrorist organization was backed by Saddam until 2003.

 .Masoud Rajavi, former head of MEK terrorist group, is shaking hands with Saddam

U.S. recognized MEK as a terrorist group but trained them as well

Based on these facts, US State Department put the MEK on their list of international terrorist organizations on October 8, 1997. Since 2010, this terrorist group’s henchmen have assassinated four senior nuclear scientists in Iran.

Later, it was revealed by a 2012 NBC News report that MEK’s brutal assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists has been committed via “training and arming by Israel’s secret service” (12). The report also conveyed that what was being said by US officials confirmed the same “charges leveled by Iran’s leaders”(13) about the Israeli involvement in the killings in Iran.

Iranian nuclear scientists who were assassinated by US-Israeli backed MEK terrorists in Iran

Later it was revealed that the US was also behind these terrorist assassinations by provided intelligence to the MEK (14). Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh revealed in an interview with Democracy Now that the Bush administration secretly trained the Mujahedin-e Khalq terrorist group when it was still included on the State Department’s list of foreign terrorists. Writing for The New Yorker magazine, Hersh reported that:

“The US Joint Special Operations Command trained operatives from Mujahideen-e-Khalq, or MEK, at a secret site in Nevada beginning in 2005.” (15)

Later it was revealed that this training was held at Department of Energy’s Nevada National Security Site, located about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas (16).

Maryam Rajavi, the current head of MEK terrorist group 

Apart from its terrorist credentials, MEK has also developed cult-like characteristics. Far from being democratic, it is run in an autocratic style by a husband and wife who have fostered a cult personality. The MEK leader claims to emulate the Prophet Mohamad. Some of its members left the group and returned to Iran based on an amnesty offered to the group members by Iranian officials. These former members talked about torture and long periods of confinement for disloyalty.

This terrorist group’s henchmen have assassinated four senior nuclear scientists in Iran. Later, it was revealed by a 2012 NBC News report that MEK’s brutal assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists has been committed via “training and arming by Israel’s secret service.”

Human rights abuses (17) in MEK camps also included physical abuse, lack of exit options, forced celibacy, emotional isolation, extremely degrading peer pressure, forced labor, sleep deprivation, intense ideological exploitation and isolation (18).

MEK Bribed Congress and US officials for being delisted

Besides these killings and MEK’s recent terrorist activities (19) in Europe, the US (20) and Asia (21), there are many other proofs (22) that point to the terrorist nature of this group confirming that MEK has not abandoned violence. US Department of State, in its 2008 report (23) mentions MEK as a terrorist organization and this is contrary to the claim made by MEK members at the time that they had renounced violence.

But in the end, the United States terror delisted this group, despite recognizing their history of terrorist activities and allegations of abuse against its own members (24). This move unfroze MEK’s millions of dollars of blocked assets, which were used by the group to further lobby the US Congress (25).

It is quite noteworthy that US officials (26) received funds to support MEK even while this group was still on the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (27). According to internal reports, the list of names of such officials makes a long list to ponder (28). Those members of Congress who received money were the ones who also pushed for the terror delisting of the MEK (29).

From right to left: Judge Ted Poe (R-TX), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Brian Higgins (D-NY), and far left Paul cook (R-CA) and Maryam Rajavi is in the middle

American politicians were paid to deliver speeches in support for the MEK terrorist group and to claim that this group was actually an opposition to the ruling elected government of the Islamic Republic of Iran rather than a terrorist group with a record of assassinating almost 17,000 innocent Iranians (30). This number makes Iran on of the biggest victims of terrorism in the world.

 A shot across Gingrich's bow to Maryam Rajavi, the head of MEK terrorist cult responsible for the killing of 17,000 iranian citizens

Former Democratic National Committee chairman, Ed Rendell has openly declared that he has given about eight speeches in support of delisting MEK and has been paid a total of $150,000 or $160,000 for it (31). In an article mentioning the names of American officials guilty of taking a pro-MEK stance, Aljazeera reports (32):

“George W. Bush's Attorney General Michael Mukasey has described MEK members as ‘courageous freedom fighters". President Barack Obama's former national security advisor, General James L. Jones, gave a speech at an MEK conference dominated by non-Iranians. Their events have also been attended by former Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge, former NATO supreme commander Wesley Clark and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.”

The US support for this hated group added to a more feeling of distrust among Iranians toward the U.S. government.

*Mohsen Hosseini has a Masters degree in North American Studies (Tehran University). He was also an editor at Mehr News Agency.

References

1. MEK leaders also forthrightly declared that Muslims should learn from such countries as Russia, and should be generous enough to grant revolutionary Marxists the 'respect they deserve'. See Abrahamian, Ervand. 1989. The Iranian Mujahedin. New Haven: Yale University Press. P. 125. https://books.google.com/books?id=jqTzo8N-dyEC&pg=PT125&lpg.

2. Masters, Jonathan. Mujahadeen-e-Khalq (MEK). Council On Foreign Relations. (Online) July 28, 2014. http://www.cfr.org/iran/mujahadeen-e-khalq-mek/p9158.

3. Mousavian, Seyed Hossein and Shahidsaless, Shahir. Iran and the United States: An Insider s View on the Failed Past and the Road to Peace. New York, London, New Delhi, Sydney : Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2014. p. 77: https://books.google.com/books?id=ppe9AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA77&lpg.

4. Slavin, Barbara. Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to Confrontation. New York : St. Martin's Press, 2009. p. 168: https://books.google.com/books?id=Mc-oRlP6_fEC&pg=PA168&lpg.

5. Kendall, Wesley, Siracusa, Joseph M. and Noguchi, Kevin. Language of Terror: How Neuroscience Influences Political Speech in the United States. Lanham, Boulder, New York, London : Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. p. 92: https://books.google.com/books?id=yD19CAAAQBAJ&pg=PA92&lpg. and also see:  US War on Iran Takes Bizarre Turn. US Covert Support to Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK). Global Research. (Online) October 26, 2014. (Cited: 09 15, 2015.) http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-war-on-iran-takes-bizarre-turn-us-covert-support-to-mujahedeen-e-khalq-mek/5410006

6. McGreal, Chris. Q&A: what is the MEK and why did the US call it a terrorist organisation? The Guardian. (Online) 09 21, 2012. (Cited: 10 10, 2015.) http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/sep/21/qanda-mek-us-terrorist-organisation.

7. Mosavian, Op. Cit., p. 78

8. Amoei, Shawn. Silencing the Moderate Middle. The Huffington Post. (Online) 03 08, 2011. (Cited: 10 10, 2015.) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shawn-amoei/silencing-the-moderate-mi_b_917309.html.

9. Rezaian, Jason. Washington’s dangerous (and deluded) support for the MEK. Foreign Policy. (Online) 03 02, 2011. (Cited: 10 10, 2015.) http://foreignpolicy.com/2011/03/02/washingtons-dangerous-and-deluded-support-for-the-mek.

10. Rubin, Elizabeth. The Cult of Rajavi. New York Times. (Online) 07 13, 2003. (Cited: 10 10, 2015.) http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/13/magazine/the-cult-of-rajavi.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm.

11. Rubin, Elizabeth. An Iranian Cult and Its American Friends. The New York Times. (Online) 08 13, 2011. (Cited: 10 10, 2015.) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/opinion/sunday/an-iranian-cult-and-its-american-friends.html.

12. Richard Engel and Robert Windrem, “Israel Teams with Terror Group to Kill Iran’s Nuclear Scientists, US Officials Tell NBC News,” NBC News, February 6, 2012, http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/02/09/10354553-israel-teams-with-terror-group-tokill-irans-nuclear-scientists-us-officials-tell-nbc-news

13. Ibid.

14. Kelley, Michael B. US Special Forces Trained Foreign Terrorists In Nevada To Fight Iran. Buisness Insider. (Online) 04 09, 2012. (Cited: 10 10, 2015.) http://www.businessinsider.com/iran-terrorist-organization-trained-by-us-in-nevada-2012-4.

15. Hersh, Seymour. Training Terrorists in Nevada: Seymour Hersh on U.S. Aid to Iranian Group Tied to Scientist Killings. Story. New york; http://www.democracynow.org/2012/4/10/training_terrorists_in_nevada_seymour_hersh: Democracynow.org, 04 10, 2012.

16. Kelley, Op. Cit.

17. Human Rights Watch, No Exit: Human Rights Abuses Inside the Mojahedin Khalq Camps, 18 May 2005, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/45d085002.html (Cited: 10 10, 2015.)

18. Goulka, Jeremiah, et al. The Mujahedin-e Khalq in Iraq; A Policy Conundrum. Santa Monica, CA : Rand Corporation, 2009. ISBN 978-0-8330-4701-4 http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2009/RAND_MG871.pdf

19. Ibid.

20. U.S. Depatment of Justice. Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) Criminal Investigation. Los Angeles : FBI, 2004. 90024: Avalaible at: http://www.niacouncil.org/site/DocServer/FBI_Report.pdf.

21. Bomb suspects 'were anti-Iran exiles'. Bangkok Post. (Online) 02 19, 2012. (Cited: 10 18, 2015.) http://www.bangkokpost.com/lite/breakingnews/280604/bomb-suspects-were-anti-iran-exiles.

22. Horton, Scott. MEK Threatens Antiwar Radio Guest for Calling Them Terrorists. 08 07, 2011. (Cite: 09 20, 2015.) http://antiwar.com/blog/2011/08/07/mek-threatens-antiwar-radio-guest-for-calling-them-terrorists/

23. Country Reports on Terrorism. Washington : US Department of State, Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, 2008. Available at: https://goo.gl/8ceNGF.  

24. Delisting of the Mujahedin-e Khalq. U.S. Depratment of State. (Online) September 28, 2012. (Cited: September 15, 2015.) Available at: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/09/198443.htm.

25. WikiLeaks. Iran: Despite UK Court Ruling, Hmg Will Keep Its Distance From MEK. The Telegraph. (Online) 02 04, 2011. (Cited: 10 18, 2015.) Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wikileaks-files/london-wikileaks/8305046/IRAN-DESPITE-UK-COURT-RULING-HMG-WILL-KEEP-ITS-DISTANCE-FROM-MEK.html.

26. McGreal, Chris. Iranian exiles, DC lobbyists and the campaign to delist the MEK. The Guardian. (Online) 09 21, 2012. (Cited: 10 18, 2015.) Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/21/iranian-exiles-lobbyists-delist-mek.

27. Greenwald, Glenn. Five lessons from the de-listing of MEK as a terrorist group. The Guardian. (Online) 09 22, 2012. (Cited: 10 18, 2015.) Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/sep/23/iran-usa.

28. Peterson, Scott. Iranian group's big-money push to get off US terrorist list. The Christian Science Monitor. (Online) 08 08, 2011. (Cited: 10 18, 2015.) http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/0808/Iranian-group-s-big-money-push-to-get-off-US-terrorist-list.

29. Schulberg, Jessica and Ahmed, Akbar Shahid. Why Congress Is Embracing Former Iranian Terrorists. The Huffington Post. (Online) 04 30, 2015. (Cited: 10 18, 2015.) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/30/congress-mek-maryam-rajavi_n_7182400.html.

30. Newton, Michael. Famous Assassinations in World History: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Denver, Oxford : ABC-CLIO, 2014. p. 27. Available at: https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=F4-dAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA27&lpg.

31. SHANE, SCOTT. U.S. Supporters of Iranian Group Face Scrutiny. New York Times. (Online) March 13, 2012. (Cited: September 15, 2015.) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/us/us-supporters-of-iranian-group-mek-face-scrutiny.html?_r=0.

32. Ramsey, Jasmin. Iranian terrorist group has close US allies. AlJazeera. (Online) Agust 04, 2011. (Cited: September 15, 2015.) http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/08/201184132732146192.html.

55-year-old U.S. embargo on Cuba upheld by U.S. and Israel in U.N.

BY AHT STAFF

Although Obama has symbolically thawed relations, a restrictive blockade by the U.S. remains in place

Despite the Obama administration's reentry to diplomatic relations with Cuba on 17 December, 2014, a U.S. blockade on Cuba remains in place.

In a U.N. vote on 27 October, a record number of countries in the UN General Assembly voted against the blockade of Cuba. Every year since 1992, UNGA member countries have passed a resolution condemning the harsh embargo, declaring it to be in violation of international law. Human rights groups Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights condemns the blockade as well.

Only two countries supported the blockade in the U.N. vote last week, America and Israel. There was an initial discussion by the U.S. to abstain from the vote, but the call was muted.

191 U.N. member states voted against the blockade in the most recent vote.

The resolution was introduced by Cuba first in 1992 and every year since, which the U.S. sees as counter-productive. U.S. delegate Ronald Godard said, “we find it unfortunate that despite our bilateral progress, Cuba introduced a resolution nearly identical to those in years past."

But bilateral progress is an exceptional overstatement. The U.S. and Cuba have been negotiating terms for revision of the countries' economic relationship, but the Obama administration remains stoic. Godard reasoned, “the text falls short of reflecting the significant steps that have been taken and the spirit of engagement President [Barack] Obama has championed.”

Relaxing rules on travel, that Obama used executive authority to pass because Republicans in Congress remain firmly against even talks with Cuba, the current policy still bans free import and export of goods to and from Cuba to the U.S. Cuba is restricted from the largest market in the world, and is forced to incur much higher prices for shipping goods to foreign markets.

The U.N. Secretary General released a report on Cuba that calculates an estimated $833.75 billion in damages imposed on Cuba by the U.S.’s refusal to do business, since President Kennedy first imposed the embargo in 1960.

When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, Cuba lost a large benefactor and trade partner. The communist countries--to varying degrees--maintained a positive and lucrative relationship. Today, the majority of Cubans work for the government on less than $300 a year.

The U.S., somewhat insidiously, last year approved the sale of licenses to Cuba for $300 million in medical supplies and $3 billion in agricultural exports, according to a Senior Commerce Department official. But actual trade requires Cuba to pay in cash, a severely limiting restriction which renders the licenses nearly useless.

Cuba today is a shell of the revolutionary communist state of previous decades, owing to both corruption of state officials, a worldwide policy of neoliberalism and the U.S. blockade.

Initially setup to tamp down the perceived communist threat from the south, the embargo was a means to weaken Cuba’s government. But the policy has spurned the Cuban people with high unemployment and lack of resources, while the government of Fidel Castro stayed in place for decades, finally abdicated to his brother Raul in 2008.

The people of Cuba are suffering. The American Association for World Health found that doctors in Cuba have access to less than %50 of the world market’s drugs. Food shortages have lead to a 33% drop in caloric intake between 1989 and 1993. The AAWH report found, "it is our expert medical opinion that the US embargo has caused a significant rise in suffering-and even deaths-in Cuba."

Meanwhile, American big business keeps an eye toward the developments, seeing Cuba as fertile offshore ground to build industry, employ cheap labor and use the abundant natural resources. A strong U.S. government policy of openness is the only effective means to keep unregulated corporations from destroying Cuba at their first chance.

 US blockade on Cuba