The war on terror, French style:

French authorities arrested on Tuesday more than 150 members of a long- established armed Iranian opposition group, accused them of organizing terrorist acts, and seized $1.3 million in $100 bills.

The move against the Mujahedeen Khalq, or People's Mujahedeen, as the group is known, effectively shut its operations in France, while the timing of the action sent conciliatory signals to Iran.

Most of the detainees were released almost immediately, an interesting contrast to events here in the States -- not that it prevented extreme forms of protest, including self-immolation.

Things would be different here in the States, of course. After all, this group is officially classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, and has an ideology based on an odd mix of Marxism and Islam. But that wouldn't necessarily get its members Ashcroft Justice. In fact, some folks in Washington from suggesting them as allies. I guess these are good terrorists.

As to the French, harboring Iranian dissidents is nothing new for them -- they harbored Khomeini for years. And now they're going after protestors -- against his heirs. Maybe they've learned something; maybe not...