Sitting Down with the MEK | Uncensored with Michael Ware

MICHAEL WARE: For the people who don't know, what's the goal of your movement?

MOHAMMAD: The goal of-- [laughing] [all laughing] It's obvious that the goal of our movement is to overthrow the regime and bring about a democratic, pluralistic, secular, uh--

MICHAEL WARE: Right. Regime change.

MOHAMMAD: Regime change inside Iran. But by what method?

MOHAMMAD: We pray God that we can change the regime absolutely peacefully, because we have enough martyrs. 120,000 of our members and supporters have been killed by the regime, and we don't want to add to this list. We are trying to increase the support of Iranian people inside Iran. Mm-hm. Very much depends on what will happen in Iran.

When I first met you in Ashraf, I mean, you had entire tank battalions and brigades. You had a fervent belief that through military action you could spark the fire of revolution. Have you abandoned that now, the prospect of armed resistance, armed revolution?

It's many years that we have not been engaged in any military activities--

MOHAMMAD: Yes.

--and that has been publicly announced.

MICHAEL WARE: OK. So why does a political organization still need to have a paramilitary organization, then? I mean-- it has never been a paramilitary--

MICHAEL WARE: Paramilitary--

• But--

MICHAEL WARE: Well, you've had a political-- Well, that--

MICHAEL WARE: --face, and you've had a military face.

• There was [inaudible].

• Yes. You were very well armed. You were very well trained. As a fighting force, you were a very impressive organization.

Exactly. You have, what, 3,800 members still in uniform, so to speak. I mean--

MICHAEL WARE: Right? Because they're in uniform. No.

MICHAEL WARE: Basically.

• No.

• Not really. This is not really--

MICHAEL WARE: What, not today?

• No, no. Actually--

• No, no.

• No, they're not in uniform.

• Because once upon a-- I mean--

• There was a time that there--

• There was.

• There were. But not anymore.

• No.

• No, no. It's now a few years.

MICHAEL WARE: Nonetheless, you still have not abandoned the notion of armed resistance. Should the moment arise, should the opportunity present itself--

If you ask me as a matter of principle, I believe the people's right to resistance. [inaudible] But that's in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That's in the American independence. You can see it everywhere.

• American Constitution.

Exactly. Now he's gone all the way to the American Constitution. (LAUGHING) So that's a matter of principle.