Tracking Number: 148002
Title: "US Members of Congress Rebuke Iran on Terrorism." (900719)
Date: 19900719
Text:
*NXE403
07/19/90 *
U.S. MEMBERS OF CONGRESS REBUKE IRAN ON TERRORISM (Texts of Rep. Dymally press release/letter) (910)
Washington -- One hundred sixty-two members of Congress have accused the government of Iran of continuing to use "terrorism as the principal and indispensable pillar of its foreign policy."
The accusation, contained in a letter to an Iranian opposition leader, was sponsored by Representative Mervyn M. Dymally (Democrat from California).
The letter, dated July 17, was sent to Massoud Rajavi, head of the Iraq-based National Council of Resistance and his organization, the People's Mojahedin. Rajavi's brother, Kazem Rajavi, 56, was assassinated April 24 by a four-man assassination squad that stopped his car near his home in a Geneva suburb where he was a Mojahedin human rights lobbyist, according to a Washington Post report.
One hundred Democrats and 62 Republicans in the House of Representatives signed the letter and expressed their support for the resistance's "peaceful and democratic aims."
The United States Congress shares the resistance's view "that decisiveness is required to confront Tehran's medieval dictatorship because any negligence or flexibility vis-a-vis the crimes of this regime only encourages it to export terrorism," the letter states.
The following are texts of a press release issued by Representative Dymally's office and the letter to Massoud Rajavi:
(BEGIN TEXT OF PRESS RELEASE)
Washington, D.C. -- Congressman Mervyn M. Dymally, (D- Compton, CA) announced that he and 161 of his colleagues have written to the president of Iran's National Council of Resistance, Mr. Massoud Rajavi, extending their "profound sympathies" to him about the assassination of his brother, Dr. Kazem Rajavi, noting that they share his view that "decisiveness is required to confront Tehran's medieval dictatorship."
The 162 Representatives cited the Tehran-sponsored terrorist assassination on April 24, 1990, of Dr. Kazem Rajavi, whom they called "a great advocate of human rights, who had dedicated his life to the establishment of democracy in his homeland." The Congressmen expressed their support for the democratic resistance in Iran saying,
GE 2 nxe403 "We ask you, as the Leader of the Iranian Resistance, to assure your countrymen that we support their peaceful and democratic aims."
The letter signed by 100 Democrats and 62 Republicans, says that "Dr. Rajavi's assassination is but-more proof of Tehran's continuing insistence to use terrorism as the principal and indispensable pillar of its foreign policy," and emphasizes that the Representatives share Mr. Rajavi's view that "any negligence or flexibility vis-a-vis the crimes of this regime only encourages it to export terrorism."
"One year after the death of Khomeini, the Iranian president Hashemi Rafsanjani has proven that he is as immoderate as Khomeini, by continuing the repressive and terrorist policies of his mentor," said Congressman Dymally.
"The internal oppression also has continued despite the visit to Tehran by the United Nations' Special Representative," Reynaldo Galindo Pohl stated the letter. Congressman Dymally described Galindo Pohl's report, as "whitewash and a disgrace for the United Nations" and considered it "a green light" to the Iran regime to carry out such crimes as the one in Geneva.
On June 22, 1990, the Swiss Police issued a report saying that Iranian government agencies had directly planned and carried out the murder of Dr. Kazem Rajavi. The report stated that the assassination team carried Iranian government service passports -- "all issued on the same date" -- and flew between Tehran and Geneva on Iran Air.
(END TEXT OF PRESS RELEASE)
(START OF TEXT OF LETTER)
Mr. Massoud Rajavi President, The National Council of Resistance of Iran
Dear Mr. Rajavi:
With deep regret, we were informed of the terrorist assassination of your brother, Dr. Kazem Rajavi, in Geneva on April 24, 1990. Your brother was a great advocate of human rights who had dedicated his life to the establishment of democracy in his homeland, and he will never be forgotten.
Dr. Rajavi's assassination is but more proof of Tehran's continuing insistence to use terrorism as the principal and indispensable pillar of its foreign policy. Recently, Tehran's press wrote that, "If western governments want to
GE 3 nxe403 protect their security, they had better prevent the activities of the Mojahedin." Thereby, warning of the Khomeini regime's intentions to expand its terrorist activities outside Iran. Therefore, we endorse your call on all governments to protect the lives and security of the Iranian Resistance activists and political refugees facing the Khomeini regime's terrorist threats.
The latest report on terrorism by the United States Department of State also confirms that during the past year, Iran was the most active sponsor of state terrorism, a policy which has persisted since Khomeini's death. The internal oppression also has continued despite the visit to Tehran by the United Nations' Special Representative, and the State Department's annual report on human rights lists Iran as "a major violator." We in the United States Congress are following these developments closely, and condemn such terrorist assassinations by the mullahs ruling Iran.
We share your view that decisiveness is required to confront Tehran's medieval dictatorship because any negligence or flexibility vis-a-vis the crimes of this regime only encourages it to export terrorism.
We extend our profound sympathies to you on the death of your brother, and ask you, as the Leader of the Iranian Resistance, to assure your countrymen that we support their peaceful and democratic aims.
Sincerely,
N M. DYMALLY HELEN DELICH BENTLEY
r of Congress Member of Congress
(END TEXT OF LETTER) NNNN
File Identification: 07/19/90, NX-403; 07/19/90, NE-U10; 07/20/90, NA-505
Product Name: Wireless File; USINFO
Product Code: WF; US
Languages: Arabic
Keywords: IRAN/Politics & Government; TERRORISM; CONGRESS, US-FOREIGN AFFAIRS; DYMALLY, MERVYN; RAJAVI, MASSOUD; HUMAN RIGHTS; MUJAHIDIN (FREEDOM FIGHTERS)
Document Type: TXT
Thematic
Codes: 160; 2TE; 2HA
Target Areas: NE
PDQ Text Link: 148002
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