++ Reuters published a sceptical report on the MEK’s claim to have information that Iran is building secret nuclear tunnels linked to its nuclear programme. The article refers to the MEK’s track record with these kind of revelations pointing out that they have often been wrong and that the MEK has a clear political agenda – this coming a month after the election of Rohani. Satellite pictures from the MEK don’t appear to link to any nuclear activity. An MEK spokesman who claimed to know all the names of those involved [a phone listing maybe?] admitted that he couldn’t say what nuclear activity there was at the site.

++ Radio Voice of America also covered the MEK claim but said the American government has previously warned about the MEK telling lies and making unsubstantiated claims.

++ Some Farsi writers have reminded us that these periodic claims by the MEK usually coincide with a crisis. In this case, now that Rohani has been elected in Iran, both the MEK and Israel are afraid of a negotiated settlement of the differences between Iran and America.

++ Nasrin Ebrahimi’s article is titled ‘The relation between the elected president of Iran, Maryam Rajavi’s shiver and the sudden discovery of yet another nuclear site’. She reminds us that the same thing happened when Khatami was elected; the MEK went into a panic and started finding secret nuclear activity. Ebrahimi says the reaction of the international community to this sort of revelation is so negligible that you can see “even the roast chickens on the table are laughing”. Rajavi used to call this kind of revelation ‘raising the elephant’ to create a distraction. Apparently, she says, this time the elephant was punctured and didn’t even lift off the ground.

++ Ghorban Ali Hossein Nejat comments in his weblog on the MEK’s show in Villepinte He refers to Rajavi’s pretended subservience to the paid speakers but how at the same time the MEK hung ‘wanted’ posters of their ex-members on the wall of the salon along with a mobile phone number with the instruction ‘these are agents of the regime, if anyone sees them let us know’. He goes on to say, when you see these pictures and what they get away with in Paris, you can’t help remembering what they would do to disaffected members in Saddam’s Iraq. No wonder Iranians don’t go, even when they could get paid to attend. They don’t trust you (Rajavi) because these ex members have been with you for years and no one can say if any of your current members are also ‘agents of the regime’.

++ Nim Negah site published a letter from Ehsan Ghoreshi to his father Karim Ghoreshi under the title ‘To the father I have not seen for 26 years’. The article was accompanied with family pictures and explains the difficulties he has faced in trying to see his father and how his mother and the wider family have suffered because of missing his love and affection.

++ Mehrdad Sagharchi from Farnoos Association published an article which examines another fifty page document from the NCRI against Rowhani and Ghassem who resigned. The document lists the names every active ex-member or other critic of the cult and claims they are all paid by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry.

++ Irandidban website has begun a series of articles about Massoud Rajavi’s personality as seen through his actions. The first article, ‘Rajavi the retarded, sexual deviant’, describes why he is sexually deviant while at the same time his actions show he is somehow retarded. The second article is called ‘The Rude, Jealous Envier’, and goes through his life showing how base he is, but also how if anyone gets an advantage he doesn’t have he gets jealous and angry.

++ There have been several articles again about ‘sister’ Farzaneh Meidan Shahi (who was sent to Albania to monitor the new arrivals) written by various ex-members and others who know her. They recount how she was involved in the torture and mistreatment of members during the time they were in Ashraf or Liberty.

++ A lot of articles have been written about Maryam Rajavi suddenly changing sides over Egypt. Some weeks ago she invited people close to President Morsi and made some large financial payments to see if they could be useful to her. Now suddenly she has changed her tune and stood in favour of groups against Morsi. Ironically, she claims this is a big blow for Iran, while Iran and Syria have both welcomed the event.

++ Mohammad Karami writes in his weblog expanding on a few more mysterious deaths he witnessed in the camps.

++ Ghader Rahmani has said more about Javad Khorrasan, the torturer who has been sent to Albania with the last group. He describes the bullying way he used to treat people in Iraq and says it is clear why Rajavi has sent someone like that, because everyone is afraid of him.

++ Batoul Soltani and Zahra Mirbagheri – both former members of the MEK’s Leadership Council – were guests on this week’s Mardom TV.

++ Michael Rubin writing for COMMENTARY, America’s premier monthly magazine of opinion and a pivotal voice in American intellectual life, points out that “No longer being considered a terrorist group does not make the MKO democratic… as anyone who has ever studied their internal workers can attest”. The article titled, ‘Yes, Mujahedin al-Khalq Is a Dishonest Cult’ concludes, “The MKO is not only a creepy cult, and willing to say anything to buy support regardless of the group’s record, but an empty shell as well. Let us hope that one day their remaining congressional supporters will recognize that if they truly want to bring change to Iran’s odious regime, they would best reach out to the Iranian people and not associate with groups which repel them.”

++ Iraqi newspapers report that some of the authorities in Diyala Province have asked for a thorough investigation and documentation of all the MEK’s activities during the time of Saddam Hussein.

++ This week Iraqi MP Karim Alivi, talking with radio Navva, said there is documented evidence that general Casey was paid to tell the lies about Iraq which Maliki rejected. He says this is a very dangerous act which the American government should investigate if they want to keep their credibility with other countries.

++ Mohammad Razaghi writes in his weblog about Ali Khalkhaal. He is known as a torturer in the MEK who spent a lot of time alongside others like Hassan Ezzati, Bahram Jannat Sarra, Majid Alemian, Nader Raffi’inejad and Hassan Mo’asel. He therefore has a lot of information about them, but has been sent to Norway because he is not in a good mental state. Razaghi asks the authorities in Norway to find this man and enquire about the missing people and hidden bodies and human rights abuses in the camps.

++ Homayoun Kohzadi from Yaraan Association in Paris writes an article about Maryam Rajavi with the title, ‘Why is it this cult throws the bones to the donkey and grass to the dog?’ He points out that Rajavi pays out lots of money but does it wrongly and therefore pays a high price.

++ Iraj Shokri has published the first article of a series about the fifty page NCRI document ranting against everyone. He has begun to analyse the document and its contents in detail.

++ In his weblog Mohammad B. congratulates the seven arrivals in Germany but explains how Rajavi although he is incapable of preventing people from leaving Iraq, his next effort is to stop them coming together so they only come in dribs and drabs.

++Nim Negah published a lengthy interview with Mrs Soraya Abdullahi, mother of Amir Aslan. She explains how she has struggled to find her son after he travelled to Turkey for work and was trapped by the MEK and taken to Iraq.

++ An article in Jeune Afrique on the Villepinte show is titled, ‘What are the MEK up to in Paris?’. The article talks to many experts who report that the MEK will say something but they clearly don’t believe in it. For example, they have killed Americans, they sided with Saddam and are now hiring ex officials from the American establishment. It is interesting, the article says, that the monarchists and many other oppositionists prefer the current regime to the MEK. As nationalistic people they see the MEK as traitors.

++ A few articles have been written in response to the MEK saying that all their problems were because of Martin Kobler. They describe it as a kind of déjà vu that Kobler is moving on but the MEK’s problems are still there, and now they will have to find another person to bark at.

 July 12, 2013