Iran: December 20, 2003

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members are in Iran and not completely under government control.

The government wants to swap al Qaeda suspects for leaders of the Iranian rebel organization (Mujahadin-e-Khalq) being held in Iraq. The Mujahadin-e-Khalq are a secular, and mainly communist, group that participated in the revolution that overthrew the monarchy in 1979. Mujahadin-e-Khalq  wanted a secular government for Iran, but were outnumbered by the Islamic radicals (who wanted, and got, an Islamic republic) and were driven underground. Saddam Hussein gave Mujahadin-e-Khalq  refuge in Iraq, where the groups used their bases to launch attacks into Iran. The Mujahadin-e-Khalq also provided manpower to fight Kurdish and Shia rebels, which has made them very unpopular in Iraq. US troops arrested thousands of Mujahadin-e-Khalq members, disarmed them and has them confined to their camps. If any Mujahadin-e-Khalq  are sent back to Iran, they will probably be tried and executed by the courts (controlled by Islamic radicals, who consider Mujahadin-e-Khalq traitors and

 

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