Press Release
Subject: Announcing the Coalition of Iranian Opposition Groups.
July 1, 2018
On June 30, 2018 Iranians from across the world, free from the yoke of the mullahs, joined in Paris, in an annual event “Free Iran; The Alternative” hosted by the National Council of Resistance of Iran. A bomb threat occurred at the event seemingly planned by a regime diplomat from Austria. US Representatives were Rudi Giuliani, Newt Gingrich and John Bolton who spoke in support of the Iranian Opposition Movement.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran is an Iranian political organization based in France and chaired by Maryam Rajavi, the widow of Masoud Rajavi, the founder of the NCRI. The organization has appearance of a broad-based coalition, however many analysts consider NCRI and Islamic Marxist People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) to be synonymous and an umbrella organization for Iranian opposition groups. The NCRI represents a very small group/percentage of Iranian dissidents and appears to lack very little support inside Iran. NCRI presents itself is an umbrella organization of Iranian dissident groups that shared a common opposition to the Ayatollah Khomeini and the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was founded in Paris in 1981 by Masoud Rajavi, the leader of the MEK/PMOI/MKO, and Abol-Hassan Banisadr. Since 1983, it has been exclusively controlled by the MEK… The NCRI’s United States operation was listed previously as a foreign terrorist organization but was removed from that list by the State Department four years ago.
The purpose of this press release is to redirect the focus and attention of the US Representatives and the State Department to the new broader Coalition of Iranian Opposition Groups that conducted their first meeting on June 9th that convened at George Washington University. The Coalition represented the many and varied cultural groups that comprise the Iranian population such as representatives of Iranian Kurds, Azeris, Baluchies and Arabs. The conference attracted a significant number of highly regarded former US officials and former senior military personnel. Dr Alireza Nourizadeh, the director of Centre for Iran and Arab Studies and Executive Director of Iran Farda TV opened the conference stating the primary goal of this first meeting of Iran’s opposition group would be to unite all opposition parties against the Islamic Republic under the overarching framework of One Flag, One Nation, One Iran. “The conference in its essence was the first stepping stone to demonstrate the unity and solidarity of different Iranian opposition groups against the Islamic Republic. All participants stressed the shared values of unity and equality and joining forces to protect Iran’s territorial as well as national integrity and dignity”, emphasized Dr Nourizadeh. Dr Shahrokh Mireskandari, a co-organizer of the conference, also addressed the gathering by stressing that the conference would be a focal point in realizing the fragile situation that the Islamic Republic is gripped with and pointed out the importance of improving human rights in Iran, mending bridges between Iranian people and the US as well as furthering efforts aimed at positive role of Iran in the region. For many decades, the quest for democracy in Iran has been overshadowed by the perceived notion of Iran’s potential disintegration should all citizens’ fully exercise their socio-political and cultural rights.
The other main message of the conference was to ensure that all ethnic Iranian opposition groups agreed to pursue the common goal of removing the current discriminatory constitution and replace it with a free and fair national constitution guaranteeing every Iranian citizens’ right regardless of their ethnicity, religion or orientation under one umbrella. President Trump’s pulling out from Iran’s nuclear deal dubbed as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions (JCPOA), along with Iran’s increasing regional interferences and support of terrorist groups, has brought the US administration to a realization that the Islamic Republic in its current form and shape has two options, only: Either to fundamentally change behavior on a verifiable basis or be removed from power so an inclusive and national transitional government could be introduced by all Iranians ending the tyranny of the Islamic Republic. The conference also recognized the legitimacy of working with powerful international partners to build up a global consensus against the Islamic Republic while safeguarding that such collaboration would ensure Iran’s national integrity and dignity. It is recommended that President Trump and Secretary Pompeo focus its support for the new Coalition as it represents a very broad support of the multiple Iranian Opposition groups and not just the NCRI.
Contact: Paul E Vallely MG, US Army (Ret) Chairman, Stand Up America US Foundation Chairman – Legacy National Security Advisory Group Co – Trustee , Soldiers Memorial Fund Foundation
E-Mail: standupamericausa1@gmail.com
Web/Blog: www.standupamericaus.org
Phone (c): 406 890-4201
Skype: paulvallely
a
