General James Jones delivered a speech at the Iran Uprising Summit, held on September 22^nd at the Sheraton Hotel in New York, calling for a tougher stance towards the clerical regime. The event, which took place at the end of September, was organized by the Iranian opposition and featured speakers from around the world.

Jones was President Barack Obama’s National Security Adviser between 2009 and 2010 and helped form foreign policy under the Obama administration.

An “Existential Threat to Peace and Stability”

Jones began his speech with a damning assessment of the Iranian regime. He told the crowd that he believes the Iranian regime remains the globes biggest “existential threat to peace and stability”.

He described the regime’s behavior as “unrelenting” in its quest to “undermine our values, our freedom, and our prosperity”.

He criticized the regime’s human rights abuses and the manner in which it flaunts international law. Jones specifically referred to the regime’s attempts to undermine the Middle East peace process and its financing of terror and militia groups in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.

The regime actively promotes Sharia-Sunni conflict in the Middle East, with the goal of “establishing a land bridge from Tehran to Beirut via Iraq and Syria”.

Jones asserted that the United States, along with its allies, “must do everything necessary to prevent these territorial ambitions from being realized”. He went on to warn of “grave” implications if the regime succeeds in its ambitions.

“The result will be more death and suffering, more destruction [of] the kind that the regime and its proxies have been inflicting across the region”, he said.

The MEK’s Sacrifices

Jones also referred to the heavy losses inflicted on the Iranian opposition, including the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK). He mentioned the attacks on Camp Liberty and Camp Ashraf which left 140 dead, 7 abducted, and more than 1300 wounded refugees.

“We must no longer accept passivity and weakness in the face of this tyrannical regime,” he said, adding that one of his greatest regrets was that the United States did not act faster or more decisively in the wake of the regime attacks on Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty.

“The outrageous delay in coming to their aid resulted in an innocent loss of life”, he said, “frankly I regard that chapter as a glaring, and I hope atypical, failure in America’s leadership of the international human rights movement.”

Today’s Challenges

Jones was adamant that the challenges he describes are not things of the past. 1,900 MEK members are living in exile in Albania, but the Iranian regime still pursues them.

Jones described the arrest of regime agents in Albania this summer, who had nefarious designs against the MEK. “We must do what’s necessary to ensure the dissidents… are not made to become the subjects of the Iranian regime’s plots in Albania.”

The General also drew attention to the foiled terror plot in June, where the regime orchestrated an explosive attack against the MEK in Paris. It was foiled by Belgian authorities in the late stages.

A Bipartisan Issue

General Jones also alluded to the fact that there was general bipartisan support for a tougher stance against the Iranian regime. He cited the current National Security Adviser under President Trump, John Bolton, who, Jones said, “has remained steadfast in his support” for the Iranian opposition.

Bolton later thanked the General over Twitter for his “kind words and leadership on Iran”. Bolton, a staunch Republican, and Jones, a Democrat, personify the bipartisan agreement on the Iran issue in the US.

Protests in the Street

As evidence for a tougher Iran policy in the US, Jones went on the describe the domestic situation within Iran. He echoed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s comments, who described the protests as “the most enduring and forceful protests since 1979”.

Jones told the audience that the regime has imprisoned thousands of its own citizens, but he celebrated the “courage and passions” of the people who continued to demand their right to liberty.

He described the economic climate of rising inflation and a collapsing rial. “Some will point to the sanctions, old and new, as the culprit. But ladies and gentlemen the true culprit is the regime that rejects the international norms of behavior on which orderly relations, global trade, and economic engagement are based,” he said.

Jones defended Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. “Could Tehran really have been surprised given the lack of trust produced by its relentless reception, history of non-compliance and deadly support of terrorism?”, Jones asked.

In another gesture of bipartisan cooperation on Iran, Jones also praised Mike Pompeo’s economic sanctions.

Ten Point Plan

Finally, Jones drew attention to the MEK and Maryam Rajavi’s Ten Point Plan, describing them as “Jeffersonian principles that every freedom-loving member of the human race can embrace and every form of tyranny fears”.

He acknowledged the role of the United States and its allies in bringing Maryam Rajavi’s ten principles to fruition. He suggested that the US monitor the regime’s nuclear development program and prevent it from realizing its nuclear goals.

He also urged the United States to make progress on bringing peace to Syria to prevent Iran from using it as a proxy.

But the first step, Jones acknowledged, is to “support the Iranian people who hunger for democracy and a government worthy of their hopes and dreams.”

 

Staff Writer

 

 

 

On Saturday, September 22nd, the Organization of Iranian-American Communities (OIAC) held a summit in New York City. Titled “Iran Uprising: The Path to Freedom,” the event was attended by more than 1,500 leaders and delegates from the Iranian American community supporter of the MEK and featured a lineup of distinguished speakers, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, and former Italian Ambassador to the U.S. Giulio Terzi, along with others.

Former French Foreign Minister and founder of Médecins Sans Frontières Dr. Bernard Kouchner was among the speakers at the summit. In his speech, Dr. Kouchner described the terrorist actions of the Iranian regime and emphasized the need for the United States and Europe to come together to support the Iranian people in their goal of a free Iran. He also praised the MEK for their work in the Iranian Opposition movement and pointed out that a democratic alternative exists to replace the regime.

Dr. Kouchner called for unity in opposing the repressive Iranian regime saying: “[W]e are dealing with a brutal regime—a theocracy, a religious dictatorship which suppresses its own people. Indeed, the prime victims of this regime are the Iranian people themselves. We in democratic countries cannot ignore such atrocities as a matter of human rights and pure national security interest. We are on the same side.”

The regime’s behavior, according to Kouchner is unacceptable to both Americans and Europeans. “There is hardly any problem in the region that the Iranian regime is not playing a very malignant role in,” Kouchner said. “In Syria, they join Assad in the mass killings of hundreds of thousands of Syrian people. In Lebanon, they created Hezbollah, which has divided the country. They were sending, and are still sending thousands and thousands of missiles to Hezbollah…[I]n Lebanon, in violation of the U.N. Security Council resolution, they are arming the Houthis in Yemen. They are playing a destructive role in Iraq itself.  They are also in violation of Security Council,” he added.

Kouchner also discussed the regime’s terrorist activities in Europe, detailing the foiled terrorist plot last June against the NCRI annual gathering in Paris. Kouchner mentioned that he was one of the speakers at the gathering that was targeted and noted that “an Iranian diplomat personally provided the bomb to the agent to carry the terrorist attack.” Belgian authorities, working with the French police and the German judiciary, discovered and foiled the plot before the terrorists were able to reach the convention. Kouchner said that a similar plot against the MEK was thwarted in March in Albania.

Kouchner stressed that the people of Iran have been very clear about their desires: “[T]he people of Iran have expressed their desire that they want a republic based on separation of religion and state. They do not want this regime in its entirety.  They said the game of the so-called moderate versus hardliner is over. They want no more theocratic regime.”

Kouchner emphasized that Iran has another choice: “a democratic alternative which is struggling for a secular Iran.” Iran’s clerical regime, said Kouchner, is unacceptable for normal people.

Gender balance and separation of religion and government are what make the NCRI  “through Madame Rajavi, the fantastic agent of the necessity of having a gender balance,” said Kouchner. “The women are the future of Iran.”

Kouchner ended his speech with a call for Europe to take a firm stance toward the Iranian regime “for its own principle and for its own security.”

Staff Writer

General James Jones, former National Security Adviser under President Obama, and the interim Chairman of the Atlantic Council addressed the Iranian opposition movement at its 2018 Iran Uprising Summit. He was greeted to the stage by a standing ovation amid cheers and applause from all in attendance.

Jones has been outspoken in his disdain for the Iranian regime. He recently told The National that he has little hope of the regime abandoning its export of state-sponsored terrorism and called the regime, “an existential threat to the region”.

A “Threat to Peace and Stability”

Jones began his speech by echoing these comments. He said that today, “the Iranian regime remains mankind’s most existential threat to peace and stability”.

In support of his statement, he referred to the regime’s systematic violation of human rights and interference in regional affairs.

“Tehran remains a chief antagonist of democracy and liberalization across the Middle East”, he continued. “We see the regime’s aspirations of regional hegemony graphically on display in countries like Syria, Yemen, and Iraq”.

He condemned the regime’s spread of “radical ideology” through “force and intimidation” across the Middle East. He also decried its financial support of militant and terrorist groups, including Hezbollah.

The US “Must do Everything Necessary” to Curb Tehran’s Territorial Ambitions

Jones was unequivocal in his belief that the US must check Tehran’s ambitions. “If the regime succeeds, the strategic implications will be grave”, he said. “The result will be more death and suffering”, he explained. He urged the United States government to remove “passivity and weakness” from its Iran policy.

Jones spoke about his time in government as the National Security Adviser. He lamented that despite his best efforts, the US government did not act quicker in coming to rescue of the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) when the regime committed crimes against its membership.

“Frankly, I regard that chapter as a glaring, and I hope atypical, failure in America’s leadership of the international human rights movement”, he said.

“New Challenges”

James Jones stressed the importance of responding to today’s challenges. He described “new obstacles”, referring to the regime’s terrorist plots against the MEK in Europe. “The regime is keeping up its efforts to silence dissidents”, he said.

Jones took the opportunity to praise those in the US government who are working to support the Iranian people. He named the current National Security Adviser to President Trump, John Bolton, and praised him for remaining “steadfast in his support” of the Iranian opposition.

He praised Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, calling it the “correct measure”, which prompted applause from those in attendance.

“The Most Enduring and Forceful Protest Since 1979”

Jones went on the praise the brave people of Iran, that have taken to the streets to express their frustration at the Iranian regime.

“We know that Iran is suffering deep economic pain… some will point to the sanctions, old and new, as the culprit but ladies and gentlemen, the true culprit is the regime”.

He also went on the describe the similarities between President-elect of the MEK, Maryam Rajavi’s ten-point plan, and the principles that America was founded on. “These are Jeffersonian principles”, he said, “that every form of tyranny fears.”

“This is what the regime fears the most and we look forward with great anticipation to the day when its fears are realized”. He acknowledged the role of the US and its allies in bringing to fruition “the kind of future that the ten-point plan promises”.

It was in this context that Jones laid out his own five strategic imperatives. The first imperative, he said, is to extensively monitor the Iranian regime’s nuclear missile program.

The second imperative is to bring an end to the conflict in Syria and end the ongoing human rights crisis that has engulfed that part of the Middle East. “Nothing would strengthen Tehran more than to maintain Syria as a proxy”, he warned.

The third strategic imperative, Jones said, is to support the Gulf community in its creation of an alliance against the Iranian regime. The fourth is to “reinvigorate the Middle East peace process”.

Jones’ final imperative is to “support the Iranian people who hunger for democracy and a government worthy of their hopes and dreams”. “That is the future we are entering”, he said, the regime’s days are numbered because the Iranian people “will not stop in their demand for a government that reflects their hopes, their dreams, and their aspirations… That is a future worth creating”.

Staff Writer

 

 

 

U.S. President Donald Trump’s attorney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was one of the speakers last Saturday at the Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC) summit. The summit had the goal of recognizing the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) as the democratic alternative to the current regime in Iran and supporting the ongoing uprising in Iran that began last December, thereby honoring the people of Iran’s call for regime change.

President-elect of NCRI, the primary resistance to the murderous regime in Iran. pic.twitter.com/dTfEYCbfc5

— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) September 22, 2018

The event, held in New York City in advance of the U.N. General Assembly, was entitled “The Path to Freedom-The Alternative” and also featured speeches from former National Security Advisor General James Jones, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, former French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, and former Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi. More than 1,700 people were in attendance at the summit, including supporters of the NCRI and the MEK.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani
The people of Iran have had enough with this regime.
This regime will be overthrown.
We have no doubt the #PMOI/#MEK coalition can stand up to this regime.#Iran#FreeIran2018#FreeIranSummit pic.twitter.com/bi5l57Jr5x

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 22, 2018

In his speech, Giuliani referred to the two Iranian intelligence agents who were arrested last month in the United States for spying on MEK members. Giuliani spoke directly to the corrupt ruling regime in Iran, saying, “So I say to the Iranian government, you must truly be afraid of being overthrown. We will not forget that you wanted to commit murder on our soil.”

Giuliani said that the NCRI is the democratic alternative to “a group of outlaws and murderers and people who pretend to be religious people and they have so much blood on their hands it’s almost unthinkable,” adding that, “Iran is entitled to freedom and democracy.”

Giuliani went on to express his confidence that the mullahs would be removed from power. “I don’t know when we’re going to overthrow them,” he said. “It could be in a few days, months, a couple of years. But it’s going to happen.”.

Giuliani said he believed that the sanctions that have been newly reimposed by the Trump administration will lead an economic crisis that could bring on a “successful revolution” by the Iranian people.

The renewed sanctions are a result of U.S. President Donald Trump’s sudden decision in May to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Sanctions against Iran have caused the already struggling rial to plummet in value, and additional sanctions affecting the country’s petroleum and financial sectors will take effect on November 4th, causing more economic crises. The Iranian regime was already faltering as a result of its own mismanagement, as well as a cascade of economic and social crises, most notably the ongoing anti-regime uprising that has been taking place across the country since last December. The U.S. sanctions may well be the last nail in the coffin of a dying theocracy.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the NCRI, said that the rial has lost two-thirds of its value over the past year due to economic unrest. “The regime is surrounded, politically and internationally,” she said. “In economic terms, it is on the brink of collapse.”

Staff Writer

The leader of the Iranian opposition, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) urged European leaders to end their financial support for the Iranian regime.

Maryam Rajavi, the charismatic and influential leader of the Iranian opposition movement, addressed the Iran Uprising Summit in New York via a video link. The summit attracted more than 1,700 activists and MEK-supporters, eager to hear Maryam Rajavi and other prominent speakers including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

“testing Western governments”

Ms. Rajavi took the opportunity to condemn recent human rights abuses from the Iranian regime. She said, “in committing these crimes, the mullahs are testing Western governments”. She went on to assert that should Western leaders respond to these tests with inaction, it will embolden the regime and “intensify the regime’s terrorist actions”.

She then urged governments in Europe to close their Iranian embassies. The failed terror attack in Paris this summer exposed an elaborate network of Iranian embassies secretly involved in the planning and execution of terror plots.

9- “In the Iran of tomorrow, the regime’s policy of exporting terrorism will be replaced by peace &peaceful co-existence. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) &all of the suppressive, espionage &inquisition-like institutions will be disbanded.”#FreeIranSummit #Alternativ pic.twitter.com/3Gxdac0F5M

— NCRI-U.S. Rep Office (@NCRIUS) September 25, 2018

She also had a message for the United Nations Security Council, which will meet on September 26^th to discuss the Iranian regime. Rajavi said, “I must recall the demands of the Iranian Resistance underscored many years ago. It is an urgent imperative that the Security Council addresses the flagrant violations of human rights in Iran, especially the torture and massacre of political prisoners, and the regime’s export of terrorism and warmongering in the Middle East region”.

Ending the Financial Flow

For Maryam Rajavi, the best way to end the regime’s torture and massacre is by cutting its financial lifelines.

The regular financial assistance from the West is funneled into the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and the Quds Forces. It enables these military groups to play an active role in Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon, fuelling unrest and violence in the Middle East.

A Message of Hope

The event opened with a tribute to John McCain. McCain was actively involved in rescuing the MEK members during the time they were in Camp Liberty in Iraq. Rudy Giuliani, in a heartfelt message, recounted a time when McCain admitted that he would not live to see a free Iran, but urged Giuliani to continue the fight and take his place.

In his speech, Giuliani also challenged the regime’s assertion that the MEK was an ineffective and feeble force in Iran. He asked the audience gathered in New York, “if you are so weak and ineffective, why are they constantly trying to kill you?”

The event brought Iranians and MEK supporters together from across the US and beyond. There were uplifting messages of hope, particularly from the young people in attendance.

A highlight of the summit was a 15-year-old girl who told the crowd, “I have never been to Iran, where my parents met. But one day I will visit a free Iran.” But first, Europe must cut the regime off.

Staff Writer