EU excludes MKO from terrorist list to mount political pressure on Iran

Tehran, March 7, IRNA - Majlis Research Center said in a report on Saturday that the reason why the Europe excluded MKO from the terrorist list is that it wanted to exert political pressure on Iran and help the opposition continue its activities.

The center added that one of the reasons behind the exclusion of MKO from the list of terrorist groups was to get it out of Iraq’s deadlock and set up new bases for it in Europe.

Following collapse of Saddam’s regime and coming to power of another administration in the country, MKO lost its main stronghold in the region and their expulsion from Iraq was always underlined by Iraqi officials.

Therefore, there was no chance for them to continue their activities in the country.

Under such conditions, inclusion of MKO on the list was a legal barrier for it to continue its activities outside Iraq. Henceforth, removing its name from the EU’s terrorist list was aimed at providing a new opportunity for it to get rid of current situation.

The second reason was to mount further political pressure on Iran, the Majlis Research Center said.

The measure was, in a pragmatic approach, a suitable tool for the EU to exert pressure on Iran over nuclear case and human rights issues.

Maintaining the political structure and its current establishment was the third reason why the EU took such a move.

Preventing its disintegration and its re-establishment in a European state, especially France, could keep the group in place and enhance their clout./end