zimv20
Feb 3, 2004, 06:18 PM
link (http://www.chillicothegazette.com/news/stories/20040131/localnews/327329.html)
Ohio Rep. Bob Ney says an expert on the Middle East who appears regularly on the Fox News Channel has ties to an Iranian terrorist organization.
Alireza Jafarzadeh said Friday his group's opposition to Iran's fundamentalist Muslim government doesn't make it a terrorist group.
The State Department added the National Council of Resistance of Iran to its terrorist list in 2002 because it had ties to Mujahedin-e Khalq, a terrorist organization that seeks to overthrow Iran's government.
Jafarzadeh was the Washington-based council's congressional representative until the State Department closed its offices in August 2002.
"Absolutely not -- that is ridiculous," Jafarzadeh said when asked if his organization was a terrorist group.
Jafarzadeh, who runs his own consulting firm, claims the Bush administration put his group on the terrorist list because the White House wants to improve ties with Iran.
"Now he's simply not telling the truth," Ney, R-St. Clairsville, said in a telephone interview late Thursday.
Fox News officials refused to comment. Jafarzadeh said he would continue to appear on the 24-hour cable news network.
(more)
Ohio Rep. Bob Ney says an expert on the Middle East who appears regularly on the Fox News Channel has ties to an Iranian terrorist organization.
Alireza Jafarzadeh said Friday his group's opposition to Iran's fundamentalist Muslim government doesn't make it a terrorist group.
The State Department added the National Council of Resistance of Iran to its terrorist list in 2002 because it had ties to Mujahedin-e Khalq, a terrorist organization that seeks to overthrow Iran's government.
Jafarzadeh was the Washington-based council's congressional representative until the State Department closed its offices in August 2002.
"Absolutely not -- that is ridiculous," Jafarzadeh said when asked if his organization was a terrorist group.
Jafarzadeh, who runs his own consulting firm, claims the Bush administration put his group on the terrorist list because the White House wants to improve ties with Iran.
"Now he's simply not telling the truth," Ney, R-St. Clairsville, said in a telephone interview late Thursday.
Fox News officials refused to comment. Jafarzadeh said he would continue to appear on the 24-hour cable news network.
(more)
