Richard “The 21st Century’s Tricky Dick” Perle is in the news again:

Pentagon adviser Richard N. Perle, a strong advocate of war against Iraq, spoke last weekend at a charity event that U.S. officials say may have had ties to an alleged terrorist group seeking to topple the Iranian government and backed by Saddam Hussein. […]

FBI agents attended [the event] and, as part of a continuing investigation, the Treasury Department on Monday froze the assets of the event’s prime organizer, the Iranian-American Community of Northern Virginia. […]

“All of the proceeds will go to the Red Cross,” Perle said. Informed that the Red Cross had announced before the event it would refuse any monies because of the event’s “political nature,” Perle said: “I was unaware of that.” Perle declined to say how much he received. […]

The MEK, though listed on the State Department list of foreign terrorist
organizations since 1997, in the past year has been the subject of an administration tug of war over its status. The group maintained for the past decade thousands of fighters armed with tanks, armored vehicles and artillery in three camps northeast of Baghdad along the Iraq-Iran border. U.S. analysts concluded its primary support came from Hussein’s government, despite some financial backing from Iranian expatriates.

Nevertheless, some Pentagon officials considered the MEK as a possible vanguard against the Iranian government, [gee, one wonders which ones!] which they viewed as a threat in the region. But in May President Bush ordered the group surrounded and disarmed. Even then, reports persisted of an easy-going relationship between the military and the MEK forces, leading the White House to clarify late last year that the MEK is “part of the global war on terrorism” and its members “are being screened for possible involvement in war crimes, terrorism and other criminal activities.” [Emphasis added]

Thanks to Blair for the link.

Update: Jo Fish shares his thoughts.