The Enemy of My Enemy
The behavior of Iran?s government during the recent months in connection with its nuclear policy has moved European governments to the point of complete distrust of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This change even led Europeans to interpret Iran?s announcement of its readiness to look into the Russian enrichment proposal as a tactic to kill time. The consequences of this change materialized in the decision of the three European governments negotiating with Iran as well as the United States, Russia, and China to refer Iran to the UN Security Council.
But this negative view of Iran has not affected only its nuclear issues. Other aspects of Iran?s relations too have been affected and should not be overlooked.
For example, one of the parties of the Dutch coalition government (the liberal party) recently asked the Dutch foreign minister to investigate the role of Iran?s opposition groups - an in particular the Mojahedin Khalq Organization - in the future of Iran. The minister is thus committed to report his findings to the Parliament. In another related incident, last Wednesday a representative of the National Resistance Council of Iran paid a visit to the chairman of the Dutch parliament?s committee on foreign affairs, while a group of demonstrators belonging to the group were protesting outside the building.
The importance of these events is that Mohajedin Khalq has been listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union, and any contacts with it have been banned. But the new situation that has developed because of the new view on Iran has pushed European parties to search for other eventualities as a response to the policies of the Islamic Republic, and even put issues on their agendas that would have been unthinkable until now. Otherwise, contacting the Mojahedin for negotiations was never an option for parliaments such as the Dutch. In fact, the Mojahedin have never been a representative of the democratic forces or pro-human rights groups in Iran, and its record and performance have no relevance to respect for human rights or democracy. But through its extensive network, discipline and effective lobbying, and in response to the confrontational behavior of the Iranian government and on the basis of accepting the motto that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"? among Western governments, this group is again presenting itself to the world community as a negotiating party on Iranian issues and Iran?s future.
This contrasts with the voice of the large democratic forces and advocates of human rights that with a positive reputation and a popular legitimacy inside Iran. Their voice is not heard outside Iran and that it because they lack the channels to communicate with the outside world.
The new circumstance created for the Mojahedin are foremost a warning to the democratic and pro-change forces inside and outside Iran of their lower impact on the world scene because of their lack of discipline, organization and, weak communications and links in comparison to the undemocratic forces.
The new circumstances are also a warning to the rulers of Iran of how their confrontational policies bring greater international acceptability for extremist forces such as the Mojahedin on the basis of the idea that ?the enemy of my enemy is my friend??