U.S. CITIZEN?: Yes
INFORMANT: Two, unnamed
CHARGE: Offering "support" for Iranian cultlike guerrilla group MEK: herself
TWIST: Neocons love the MEK because it hates Iran; the group's base in Iraq is under the protection of the U.S. military.
OUTCOME: Out on bail, living in a homeless shelter in NYC
The Mujahedin-e Khalq, or MEK, is one of the world's odder guerrilla groups. Espousing a mix of Marxist and Islamic rhetoric, members take vows of chastity and engage in "weekly ideological cleansings." The New York Times has called the significantly female MEK an "army of Stepford wives." In March 2006, one member, Zeinab Taleb-Jedi, was arrested at JFK airport as she returned to the U.S. for medical treatment. Based on testimony of two informants, the government alleges that she provided the MEK "support," i.e., herself.
The case is bizarre on several levels. First, though the MEK did target Americans back in the 1970s, it hasn't attacked anybody in more than seven years and was classified as a terrorist group in 1997 as part of a rapprochement effort with Iran. Second, the MEK is dedicated to regime change in Iran—just like the Bush administration. Third, Camp Ashraf, the group's Iraqi base, where Taleb-Jedi lived and taught English, has since 2003 been under the control of U.S. forces, which have allowed the MEK to continue training (albeit without arms) and broadcasting propaganda into Iran. An American commander in the area called for "a review of whether they are still a terrorist organization" as has Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and administration neocons.
Meanwhile, the 52-year-old Taleb-Jedi—this supposed threat to America—is out on bail, living in a homeless shelter in New York City.