ABSTRACT
The shah continued to use the excuse of a Soviet takeover to crush opposition, much like other US-backed anti-communist regimes throughout the region. The shah used anti-communism as the excuse for brutal repression to keep himself in power, along with US and British oil interests. The city is home to a bevy of monarchists intent on reclaiming the glory days of the shah. The State Department listed the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) as a terrorist organization. Mohsen Sazegara has the kind of pedigree treasured in Washington. He was an aide to Ayatollah Khomeini and helped found the Revolutionary Guard in the early years of the revolution. Nevertheless, prominent American conservatives such as Florida Republican Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen have long supported the MEK as a legitimate alternative to the current government. In the spring of 2006, owners of the major Tehrangeles stations met individually with representatives of the US State Department.
