So, are MeK actually freedom fighters? The Iranian community doesn't seem to think so. Repeated polling shows unfavorables comparable to the existing regime.
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And for good reason - a RAND Corporation study documented them as Islamist extremists qualifying as cult. MeK was invited by Saddam Hussein to fight on his behalf against US enemies. The list goes on and on.
What changed about MeK? Not their leadership or ideology. Money.
What changed about MeK? Not their leadership or ideology. Money.
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How the denial works: a three-entity structure.
NCRI-US (the DC office Jafarzadeh runs) -- FARA registered. The filing reports $0 in speaker fees and $0 in payments to individuals.
NCRI Paris/Albania (the foreign principal) -- this is what's listed on Pence's financial disclosure as the source of the $190,000. This entity pays the speakers directly.
OIAC (domestic 501(c)(4)) -- organizes U.S. events. No FARA registration was identified for OIAC in the DOJ FARA database. As a 501(c)(4), OIAC is not required to publicly disclose donors. Paid Pence separately.
Each entity can deny what the others do. That's how "absolutely not" works.
NCRI-US (the DC office Jafarzadeh runs) -- FARA registered. The filing reports $0 in speaker fees and $0 in payments to individuals.
NCRI Paris/Albania (the foreign principal) -- this is what's listed on Pence's financial disclosure as the source of the $190,000. This entity pays the speakers directly.
OIAC (domestic 501(c)(4)) -- organizes U.S. events. No FARA registration was identified for OIAC in the DOJ FARA database. As a 501(c)(4), OIAC is not required to publicly disclose donors. Paid Pence separately.
Each entity can deny what the others do. That's how "absolutely not" works.
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MEK's entire value proposition is regime change. They're selling themselves as "the democratic alternative"; Rajavi is "president-elect" of a government-in-waiting.
Trump's current Iran posture is negotiation, not regime change. (Side note - IMO, true regime change is probably impossible without a land war, which is a nonstarter.)
That'd explain why Pence, Pompeo, Short, and that entire crew are counter-signaling a peace deal.
Trump's current Iran posture is negotiation, not regime change. (Side note - IMO, true regime change is probably impossible without a land war, which is a nonstarter.)
That'd explain why Pence, Pompeo, Short, and that entire crew are counter-signaling a peace deal.
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Will the Iranian deal work? I don't know yet if it will, and nobody does. I pray it will.
But when Pompeo, Pence, and other Never-Trumpers start prematurely poo-poohing the deal - now you know to check and see if money is involved here.
THREAD END.
But when Pompeo, Pence, and other Never-Trumpers start prematurely poo-poohing the deal - now you know to check and see if money is involved here.
THREAD END.
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One thing I learned while researching this report is that proponents of regime change over negotiation need an honest reckoning with the fact that the MEK has spent years cultivating support in Congress.
If a regime-change scenario were to unfold, it would be difficult to prevent the MEK from positioning itself as the interim government.
If a regime-change scenario were to unfold, it would be difficult to prevent the MEK from positioning itself as the interim government.
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🚨🧵 BREAKING - The "conservative" protest against AI data centers has an anti-ICE NGO organizer, a DSA member, Facebook money.
Other than that, totally grassroots.
Axios ran an "exclusive" Wednesday about a "conservative group" called Humans First planning a nationwide day of protest against AI data centers on July 18. Amy Kremer is chairing it and invoking the Tea Party.
Axios didn't mention that Humans First was incubated by the Center for AI Safety, an organization funded with millions from Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz. Or that its original staff included a Sunrise Movement organizer who sat in at Pelosi's office with AOC and a DSA member who organized for Kamala Harris.
NBC News described CAIS as having founded Humans First "to be a sort of Trojan horse to make AI safety issues more palatable to a conservative political audience."
@ParkerThayer exposed the Action Network backend.
As always, patience as I pull together the thread. 👇
Other than that, totally grassroots.
Axios ran an "exclusive" Wednesday about a "conservative group" called Humans First planning a nationwide day of protest against AI data centers on July 18. Amy Kremer is chairing it and invoking the Tea Party.
Axios didn't mention that Humans First was incubated by the Center for AI Safety, an organization funded with millions from Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz. Or that its original staff included a Sunrise Movement organizer who sat in at Pelosi's office with AOC and a DSA member who organized for Kamala Harris.
NBC News described CAIS as having founded Humans First "to be a sort of Trojan horse to make AI safety issues more palatable to a conservative political audience."
@ParkerThayer exposed the Action Network backend.
As always, patience as I pull together the thread. 👇
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The money trail starts at Good Ventures Foundation, the private foundation of Dustin Moskovitz, Facebook co-founder.
Good Ventures is the giving vehicle for Open Philanthropy, an "effective altruism" grantmaker.
Good Ventures is the giving vehicle for Open Philanthropy, an "effective altruism" grantmaker.
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CAIS also received $6.5 million from Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX Foundation before it collapsed. Skype founding engineer Jaan Tallinn is on the board.
OpenAI itself gave CAIS a third of a million dollars in 2023. The AI company funding its own safety regulator (and protests).
OpenAI itself gave CAIS a third of a million dollars in 2023. The AI company funding its own safety regulator (and protests).
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CAIS then incubated Humans First.... provided the startup loan, registered it at the same address (555 Montgomery St, San Francisco), and staffed it.
Yep, a Facebook co-founder's money flows to a "conservative" "grassroots" network.
Yep, a Facebook co-founder's money flows to a "conservative" "grassroots" network.
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The original Humans First staff. Jeremy Ornstein, "movement strategist" worked with the Sunrise Movement, a major anti-ICE NGO.