Court Gives Clinton 4 Months to Rule on Mujahedeen Terror Status

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Department of State have four months to release a ruling as to whether or not a group should be removed from the terror list.

The group, an Iranian group named the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, was placed on the list of terror organizations fifteen years ago, for its role in the assassination of citizens and for its alliance with Saddam Hussein. Since then, the organization has turned a new leaf, providing inside information to the United States on Iran's nuclear program.

As a terrorist organization, the organization's assets are frozen inside the U.S. This prevents the group from raising funds or conducting activities. The group has been fighting the terror designation since 2008 to no avail, despite its roster of supporters from prominent U.S. agencies, including former FBI Director Louis Freeh.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has stepped in on the matter before. Earlier in 2012, the court ordered the State Department to review the group's status. But to date, there has been no review.

The three-judge panel said that Secretary Clinton has been slow on rendering the decision and in providing the organization with the material it needs to defend itself.

If the Department of State won't take action within the next four months, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said that it will take the action on the Department's behalf.

The three-judge panel consisted of Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, Judge David Tatel, and Judge Stephen Williams.

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