Radio RFI, 28 Sep 2012
Interview with Afshin Alavi, Spokesman of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran is a member of the NCRI.
Afshin Alavi: “It was in 1997 when the US government placed the PMOI in the State Department’s List of Foreign Terrorist Organizations after Khatami became president in Iran. This was a gesture in favor of the regime which it thought had become moderate, while Khatami deceived all Western countries for years and went on to transfer power to Ahmadinejad. The PMOI have always rejected terrorism. They are a widespread opposition party. By placing them in terrorist lists and by pointing fingers at them an unbelievable gift was given to the mullahs’ regime because by demonizing this opposition, they deprived them of many of their assets and capabilities. For many years we have supported an initiative we call the third option, meaning democratic change by the Iranian people and resistance, rejecting the two other options of appeasement vis-à-vis the mullahs and war.”