Terrorism, regardless of any judgment or perspective from which we try to find its roots and conceptions, has become a serious threat to the world security and peace. Terrorism acts to achieve any goals, demands or specifically – political ends, have a long historical background. What have changed are the new methods and mechanisms being used for executing such violent acts. Terrorism, in our contemporary time, may have been successful in achieving some political achievements but comparing with the costs it has imposed, the achievements are not so significant. Today, the international consensus is stressing that the terrorizing and violent methods are not inherently capable of achieving such goals as democracy and justice in societies. Terrorist groups, as is widely accepted by all, are themselves a product of unjust relations and interactions. During some periods of history violent acts may have been the inevitable solution for resolving the ruling political parties’ stalemates, and in a broader scale in the international affairs. The increase in the number of armed groups during the 19th century was mostly the result of Marxism movements or as a response to this cause (the political stalemates). However, the relative change in the international structures and in-compensable costs, from one hand, and the use of violent acts by opportunist groups and anarchists, on the other hand, ultimately are some proofs for their ineffectiveness. Why, in fact, have the terrorism and violent methods been so greatly challenged, criticized and hated in our time? It seems that the main problem of these methods, regardless of their dangers for the general public and innocent lives, lies within that part of society that under the effect of such acts reach a self-alienating state. Terrorism converts its victims into people who are unable to see their surrounding world in no other way than wrath and violence. In fact, terrorism acts are not just used as a means for attaining their rightful rights or their political party’s demands, but becomes an ideology. The real threat of terrorism rests in the application of this ideology over all social interactions and its introduction to the spiritual life of the society. To better understand the depth of the problem, we first need to arrive at a more realistic understanding of the terrorism, and the knowledge of the mechanisms, interactions, and pedagogies used among the terrorist groups. What are the moral bases and principles among the terrorist groups? And finally, to what extent those who join such groups have a clear idea and understanding of the goals and strategies of terrorism? There is no doubt that those who are drawn into the terrorist groups based on even some legitimate grounds, do this originally because of being endowed with some adventure-seeking spirit. This mechanism, through some internal group interactions, turns a person into such being that is not even slightly comparable to the one who first joined the group. By calling the person a revolutionist, after a period of training for terrorist operations, they turn the person into a compulsive and in some cases into an ideologist person. He practically becomes a new person by joining a terrorist group; a new person who can now do things he could not do before. He not only morally and mentally but also psychologically becomes a different person. Terrorism ideologists and theorists, as part of their social revolution doctrine, assess their success in terms of the level of the violence and expansion of it over all social realms. According to these ideologists, the more widespread the violence is the more successful are the revolutionary groups. To them, the human creativity and talents must be put into work to create political stalemate. They use this method to tie the society’s destiny to those of theirs and turn the whole society into militarized and security factions. In such conditions, the passive substances in society will also be forced to join one of these fighting fronts, political parties or terrorist groups. A. Kavehpur-February 14, 2008
In a series of articles entitled”The Role of Strategic Stalemates in MKO ideological Shift”, mechanisms of the ideological revolution, its effects and consequences were studied according to the statements made by Bijan Niyabati and some former MKO members. It was concluded that the ideological revolution was the leadership’s sole solution for numerous political, military, and strategic failures of armed phase adopted by the organization in order to save it from the danger of split and even disintegration. It is worth mentioning that Bijan Niyabati made his utmost effort to imply the meaning that the ideological revolution was an inevitable reaction to Mojahedin impasses. He considers it as a reasonable answer to the challenges Mojahedin had encountered and the sole resolution for the dilemma to survive; the organization had to either follow the past route or suffer another schism. However, trying to underline the role of Rajavi in internal revolution, he regards the survival and improvements of Mojahedin indebted to Rajavi and his talents. Also, he refers to the potentiality of Mojahedin to overthrow the Iranian regime under the leadership of Rajavi. As such, reviewing the course of events of Mojahedin in the past and their split in 1975 in particular, he considers reorganization of MKO under the leadership of Rajavi a great success that was fulfilled with the development of the ideological revolution. What is worth thinking is his insistence to prove that Mojahedin in either phases were radically leftist. In this regard he writes: While in prison, Masoud Rajavi issued a message entitled”Islam, Left Marxism to initiates an all-out struggle against the coup d’état within the organization. His brilliant 12-clause declaration message not only determines the identity of Mojahed-e Khalq and draws the borders between left and right, but also stabilizes the element of anti-Imperialism, i.e. the main element of the ideological revolution of Hanif, and creates a new Khalq. [1] He insists on saying that at the peak of these events is Rajavi’s full leftist orientation as a factor of revolutionary, Islamic, and anti-imperialism nature of MKO. As such, he does his best in order to make a left assessment of the 1984 ideological revolution: The year 1984 was the decisive year in all political, military, strategic, and ideological stages. The encountered cul-de-sac in political, military, and armed resistance as well as the proven inability to overthrow the regime in short-term … forced two options on Mojahedin. It had to either submit to the existing conditions or resort to politics or, by embracing all internal, external, and international consequences of resorting to armed warfare and violent overthrow of the regime, lean to the left and yield to radicalism. [2] Then, he refers to the equal role of Rajavi in both phenomena and regards it as a key factor and writes: Following the internal coup d’atat within MKO and Masoud Rajavi’s unbeaten political-ideological victory in keeping the plotters in isolation and continuing to safeguard the ideology of Hanif that resulted in reorganization of Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization stabilized his already unrivaled status among Mojahedin. [3] Rajavi’s reorganization required the essential prerequisite of purging already joined members and enhance a new round of recruitment: Masoud Rajavi, disregarding the existing reactionary potentials, restructures the organization through purging the forces with any reactionary orientations and resorts to the incomplete plan of Hanif in training”versatile cadre”. All the prior recruitments were cancelled and new recruitments were made among the imprisoned Mojahedin. [4] Both Rajavi and Niyabati focus on two key points necessitating ideological revolution as a lever against the crises imposed on Mojahedin. 1. Rajavi’s revolution has been developed for the qualitative progress of Mojahedin aiming at fulfilling the promise of overthrow. In this regard, Rajavi points to the power of Mojahedin being hundredfold. 2. Though they were under the pressure to lean towards the right, the ideological revolution made them bend to extreme left and, even in Niyabati’s words, radicalized and vaccinated them: In order to safeguard the revolution against the social and imperialist offenses, there is no way but immunizing and vaccinating the organization against any split and total breakup. [5] It is worthwhile to investigate to what extent Mojahedin succeeded to gain desirable results with regard to the present status of the organization on the one hand and their distance to their main strategic objective, i.e. overthrowing the Iranian government on the other hand. Besides, the study of the political and ideological orientation of Mojahedin may clarify the extent to which their radicalized position toward left is pragmatically guaranteed. Although in order to get a true understanding of Mojahedin it is necessary to review cultist factors, we try to evaluate their ideological revolution on the basis of their own claims. As such, we have to review their position in relation to the past. Here, some questions are raised to compare the present situation of Mojahedin with that of critical phases before the development of the ideological revolution: *What is the present status of Mojahedin to fulfill the strategic promise of overthrowing Iranian regime? **Compared with their position in past, to what extent Mojahedin have been succeeded in winning the support of internal social factor, opposition groups, and international support. With regard to destructive impacts of the ideological revolution on the internal relations of Mojahedin, the external relations are also subsequent of adverse internal impacts. Their most important challenge now, as the after-effect of the ideological revolution, is the lack of legitimacy among opposition groups and also international institutions as well as Western and European countries. Now Mojahedin are accused of a variety of charges and human rights violations they have failed to give any explanation. 1. Terrorist charges mentioned in the reports released by the US State Department, E.U., and other European countries and Canada. 2. Violation of human rights in their intra-organizational relations as publicized by the Human Rights Watch. 3. The accusation of establishing a cult of personality in the latest report released by the US State Department in April 2007. 4. Collaborating with Saddam in ethnic cleansing of Iraqi people. Besides, there are other met crises including internal split, expulsion from Iraq, and the case of 17 June self-immolations and more. Such consequences resulted from the internal activities of Mojahedin themselves but it suffered a lot of external problems at the expense of their deceptive bend towards right to take advantage of the strategic lever of the U.S to confront Iran. However, the U.S. is enough aware of the cultist and opportunistic nature of Mojahedin not to be duped by their tricks. It has to be pointed out that after the ideological revolution, MKO turned into an anti-democratic cult of personality with a strategic and ideological leadership of its own. The internal shift has intensified although Mojahedin make great attempts to deny the charge in their media in order to win the support of western politicians. Offering a third solution, suggesting formation of solidarity front, pseudo-democratic activities in the Europe and the west, disavowing terrorism, supporting the human rights resolutions and opposing nuclear activities of Iran, … are instances of activities done in order to win the support of the West and the U.S in particular. That is all resulting from Mojahedin’s extreme hypocritical entity and Machiavellianism requiring them to adopt paradoxical approaches in internal and external relations. In fact, the Mojahedin after the ideological revolution are a by-product of strategic hypocrisy. The interesting point is that Niyabati believes hypocrisy is byproduct of a closed society:
Hypocrisy is the inevitable product of the paradox between mental values and the objective realities of a closed society. [6] Is it possible to consider the ideological revolution with such challenging achievements as the sole solution for Mojahedin’s crises? And is the insistence on highlighting the role of Rajavi to the point to regard him as a demigod and celestial creature anything but a process to hide the incompetence and flaws of Mojahedin leadership? A suggestion is to investigate the supposed achievements of the ideological revolution of Mojahedin from their own viewpoint, i.e. the inevitable reaction to strategic failures, impasses and radicalization and also the so-called genuine role of Rajavi. It has to be investigated to what the extent the ideological revolution has succeeded to enhance Mojahedin and help them achieve their strategic objective of destabilizing and undermining the Iranian regime to cause its collapse. Has the organization ever been successful in implementing and practicing the chanted slogans of man’s freedom and emancipation of women who are claimed to have been suffering historical exploitation and slavery? No doubt, numerous evidences and testimonies made public by ex-members and victims of Mojahedin who found the opportunity to escape the cult can help better to fathom the threatening, malicious nature of Mojahedin cult masquerading as a pro-democratic political group.
References: 1. Niyabati, B. A different look at the ideological revolution within MKO, p. 3. 2. ibid, p.16.
3. ibid, p.7
4. ibid.
5. ibid, p.20.
6. ibid, p.35.
On Sunday, February 3rd, 2008, a number of family members and relatives of MEK members residing in Camp Ashraf as a delegate of a large number of such families visited Mr. Nazar Muhammad Saieed, the administrative director of Mr. Jalal Talibani’s office. These individuals, who were hosted warmly by Mr. Saieed, explained their problems for meeting their beloved ones.
During the meeting, the visitors, describing the troubles and obstacles MKO created against those who want to meet their family members in Camp Ashraf, stressed that they are willing to meet them in Bagdad ,out of the organizational atmosphere of MKO, without any intermediate ,for at least three days. The other problem presented in the meeting was that of defectors who left the organization or will leave it in the future. The representatives describing the funny tricks and futile efforts of MKO to represent them as terrorists, asked Iraqi President and government to protect their lives and provide required cooperation in order to help these defectors leave the camp and reach a safe place. They also presented a number of documents proving MKO’s terrorist operations in Iranian cities, violation of members’ human rights, cooperation with Saddam Hussein to oppress Iraqi people and submitted a complaint letter signed by 350 former members of MKO for Iraqi President. In Addition, they submitted a version of Arrest Warrant for Mojgan Parsaee, Sediqeh Husseinie and Abbas Davari, in order to reinforce the execution of the ruling .
They confirmed that their objective is totally to make sure of the condition of their beloved ones that if they are in a healthy physical and mental condition having the free will to choose and act. They also asked that their concerns on the destination of their children who are under the brainwashing and manipulating inspirations and terrorist trainings, would be brought to Iraqi President and state and authorities,
Mr., Nazar Saieed promising to do anything the presidential office is capable of and stressing the terrorist nature of MKO stated that the case is completely related to human rights.
Explaining that MKO’s leadership has also bloody hands of Iraqi people’s blood as well as Iranians, he noted that MKO is one of the problems that former dictator left for our nation. He pointed that Iraqi state and people won’t tolerate the presence of MKO, a foreign terrorist organization.
Finally, the mujahedin’s family members appreciated the hospitality of the director of presidential office.
Patience, the dawn is near The Sahar (Dawn) Family Foundation is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profitable organisation which has been established to provide humanitarian
aid to the families of members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MKO) who are based in Camp Ashraf in Iraq. This foundation is solely focused on charitable and human rights issues regardless of political or group considerations and geographical boundaries and only aims to help the suffering families. The Sahar Family Foundation covers a great number of families as well as former members of the MKO who seek help. This foundation enjoys good support amongst the local and international bodies in Iraq which is the base of the foundation. The MKO has been based in Iraq, precisely in Camp Ashraf, for more than two decades. This organisation is run as a classic cult and therefore would not give its members the chance of free association with the outside world or with their families. Therefore the families of these members are suffering severely and seek assistance from humanitarian organisations. When the former regime of Iraq was toppled, a small light of hope lit the hearts of the families and they thought that, in the new situation in Iraq, they would be able to visit their beloved ones freely and adequately without the presence of a third party. Some of these families have not heard from their relatives for more than 20 years and some even don’t know if their beloved ones are still safe and sound. According to these families those who are residing in Camp Ashraf – as is the case with many cults throughout the world “ are considered to be captives both mentally and physically and therefore are assumed as hostages. The Sahar Family Foundation is striving to reunite the members of these families again using every possible means. Camp Ashraf is the base of the MKO members which is guarded by US forces in Iraq. On the other hand the present Iraqi government insists that Camp Ashraf must be dismantled. Iraqi constitutional law does not permit any foreign terrorist organisations to remain in that country. The US State Department as well as that of Canada, along with the European Union and the British parliament and many other governmental and international bodies have officially designated the MKO as a destructive and terrorist cult. Obviously the members of a cult and their families are considered to be the prime victims whom must be helped. In May 2005 Human Rights Watch published a report called ‘No Exit’ which details human rights abuses meted out by the MKO against its own members. At the present time Baghdad is the central meeting point for the misfortunate families and the former members, as well as concerned entities which are all waiting for the crack of dawn. They seek help from all the humanitarian bodies throughout the world. Anyone can help a little. On the other hand, of course, Camp Ashraf, according to many international security professionals, is a centre for training terrorists. The families are concerned about the fate of their children who are subjected to brainwashing and terrorist training. Please contact us. We would be more than pleased to have your comments and ideas. Help us in any way you can. The members of Sahar Family Foundation are all volunteers who have moved to Iraq to work in the difficult situation of that country merely to gain family reunions. Contact (Iraq): saharfamily@yahoo.com Tel: +964 – 7808481650 (Arabic and Farsi) Contact (outside Iraq): Sahar BM 2632 London WC1N 3XX U.K. Tel: +44 – 2076935044 (English only) SAHAR Family Foundation, February 15, 2008
Honorable Modhat Al-Mahmood Chief Justice of Federal Supreme Court President of Higher Judicial Council Baghdad, Iraq Your Excellency! We the signatories of the present text would wish to draw your good attention to the subject described below and request you to add this document to the case dealing with the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organisation (MKO) in Iraqi judiciary system. We do appreciate and thank you for your sincere cooperation beforehand. Initially we must introduce ourselves as former members of the MKO who have been active in this organisation in Iraq for some periods. This organisation was officially and practically involved in terrorist and suppressing activities from Iraq as well as inside Iraq in different forms from June 1986 (when Massoud Rajavi and other MKO leaders moved from Paris to Baghdad) to April 2003 (when Saddam Hussein was toppled after the invasion of Iraq); although the relationship between this organisation and the former dictator of Iraq and their covert relations goes back to many years before that. We believe, as we would explain below, that the alliance between the leadership of the MKO and Saddam Hussein and their cooperation in many crimes they committed during many years should have been included in the trial of Iraqi former dictator and dealt with by the relevant judges. As you may know the leaders of the MKO moved to France when they started their armed struggle against the Islamic Republic of Iran on June 1981, and they started controlling and leading their activities inside Iran from that country. Once the French government imposed some limitations on their activities including leading terrorism in Iran from Paris, they moved their headquarters to Iraq. The grounds for this move had been prepared previously and the MKO armed forces were already present in Iraq and they were involved in military activities against Iran. The presence of Massoud Rajavi in Iraq did lead to a close relationship between the MKO and the Iraqi former government and in particular with the ministry of defence and the security services of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Then the Iraqi officers started training the MKO personnel who were recruited from inside and outside Iran and then fully armed them. One year later, which is in June 1988, the formation of National Liberation Army (NLA) was officially announced in Iraq. This army stood alongside the Saddam Hussein’s armed forces to fight against the Iranian army openly and actively. After the 598 Resolution of the UN Security Council was accepted by Iran on July 1988, this army made its last vast military assault against Iranian soil with the backing and cooperation of Iraqi armed forces which lead to thousands of losses on both sides. When Saddam Hussein’s army occupied Kuwait in August 1990 and consequently the US and its allies made a war against Iraq, there occurred the uprisings of the Kurds in the north and the Shiites in the south who were always under repression. In this incident the NLA officially entered this conflict as part of Iraqi army and suppressed the Iraqi people’s movement. But this organisation beyond all atrocities that has committed against the civilians in Kurdistan and in the south inside Iraq in cooperation with the Saddam Hussein’s regime, has even suppressed its own members with the aid of the former Iraqi security services and tortured them in Iraqi prisons. Besides, the NLA which Massoud Rajavi was its commander in chief and Mehdi Abrishamchi and Abbas Davari have been its contacts with the notorious security services of Saddam Hussein has launched terrorist attacks against Iranian cities from Iraq and with the arms and facilities of Saddam Hussein with his direct orders. Regarding the three points mentioned above, i.e. suppressing the people of Iraq, repressing the discontented members, and getting involved in terrorist activities inside Iranian cities, it is worth mentioning that some of the signatories of this letter have directly or indirectly been aware of this close cooperation of Saddam Hussein’s military and security forces with the MKO and they are ready to be a witness in any court. They believe that in an Iraqi court today the case of Massoud Rajavi and other leading members of the MKO and the NLA, as the close aides of Saddam Hussein, must be dealt with like all criminals of the former Iraqi Ba’th party and they must be prosecuted and judged in an Iraqi court. You surely agree that putting a person like Saddam Hussein on trial in Iraq had a great impact both socially and historically and the international and domestic public opinion were carefully following its process. Primarily in such trials it is more important to reveal the truth to the people than to require mere justice for both the defenders and the complainers. The fact that the regime of Saddam Hussein offered the last safe heaven to the MKO which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the international community and as a body which does not even have mercy for its own members cannot be ignored by the present Iraqi judiciary system. Every crime committed by the MKO leaders have been done with the direct cooperation of the Iraqi former dictator and also MKO was directly involved in atrocities done by Saddam Hussein. This fact should be revealed for the people of Iraq as well as the people of Iran. Therefore MKO and Massoud Rajavi must face trial the same way that Saddam Hussein did, since the two were close allies for many years. Surely one crime committed by Saddam Hussein which has international aspects is that he helped a known terrorist organisation to carry out terrorist operation against its own people as well as the people of Iraq and even its own members. We believe that the MKO members are all prime victims of a terrorist cult who must be helped and freed and brought to normal life. Those who are in Ashraf Camp have gone through fierce brainwashing processes and therefore must be de-briefing. Best regards
Copy to: – UN Commission for Human Rights – International Committee of the Red Cross – Amnesty International – Human Rights Watch – Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affaires – US Embassy in Iraq – Press and Media List of the Signatories
On Monday 5 February 2008, a delegation consisting of representatives of different Moslem organisations and societies in Britain, who were busy visiting Iran, paid a visit to the Nejat (rescue) Society in Tehran. They met with Ms. Hura Shalchi, Ms. Marjan Malek, Mr. Ebrahim Khodabandeh and Mr. Jamil Bassam while some representatives from the British Embassy in Tehran as well as families of the MKO members in Ashraf Camp were present.
The seven members of the delegation each represented a British Moslem establishment which totally covers a good deal of Moslem community in Britain. After the members of delegation heard the report of the MKO activities they emphasised that they are aware of the ideas and actions of the MKO and their so-called "Ideological Revolution" and find them contrary to the Islamic teachings. A lady lawyer from the delegation pointed out that the way the MKO treats the issue of family values is exactly the same way as deviated cults in the west do which has nothing to do with Islamic teachings.
The families present at the meeting described their accounts and that of their children and explained how it is for many years that they are unaware of the situation of their beloved ones and have no contact with them. The members of the delegation were overcome by emotions when they heard of the families’ stories so that some of them practically started crying. The members of the delegation admired the humanitarian activities of Nejat Society and wished endurance and success for the suffering families of the MKO members in Ashraf Camp. They pointed out that the MKO like all other terrorist organisations such as Al-Qaeda have no place amongst the British Moslem community and are designated as a diverted cult which is a threat for the security of the society and the family structure. Nejat Society
According to reports ,Akbari Nasab family are trying in Baghdad to return the body of their son Yaser who last year died in Ashraf prison and his death was announced as self- immolation.
Reza Akbari Nasab the oldest brother who is now in Baghdad ,went to Ashraf yesterday asked for visiting his other brother “ Morteza” and his other son” Musa”. The visit was arranged with the presence of some authorities of MKO without Musa.
According to Reza Akbari, his brother who couldn’t talk in a free atmosphere due to the presence of his commandants started to insult his older brother. “I didn’t receive the medical documents of my nephew’s death so I suspend his death” Reza Akbari Nasab told the reporters. He also asked the Iraqi authorities to assist him to transfer his nephew’s body to Iran.
The following is piece written by Mr. Reza Akbari Nasab:
The function of “brainwashing “in a meeting with an “element” not a “brother”
First of all I have to explain that: My brother “Morteza” left Tehran in 1985, to join the MEK in Iraq. We had no
news from them for years. In 1990 we found out that his wife has died in “Eternal Light” operation. Their three children “Fatemeh”, ”Yaser” and “Musa” were separated from father following the strange “Ideological Revolution” and were sent to Germany where they were held in a camp.
Unfortunately the misfortunes didn’t end with our family and due to the manipulations, Morteza called his sons to come to the desert (Ashraf) and the consequence was the death of Yaser last summer.
Apparently he killed himself in a suicide but the bizarre thing is that the organization kept everything silent with no news of such an event. Just after the defectors published the news on their websites, the MKO became forced to confirm the news and contrary to their usual process, they didn’t hold any ceremony for his death and tried to make every thing forgotten. A dear friend from America sent me an email and asked forget the issue and look for consoling my family.
Time passed and we were going to forget Yaser until my mother asked me to go to Iraq and try to get news of Morteza and Musa. Finally I could come to Iraq in Feb 3rd, 2008 and I went to American Camp in Ashraf and asked for meeting my brother and his son, I also asked them to let me go to my nephew’s tomb and see the documents of his death. The American officials told me to tell my request to MEK authorities. During the hours I was waiting for my beloved ones the American soldiers and officials hosted me in a courteous manner.
I was enjoying the friendly atmosphere of American camp which had decreased the pressure on me when a man carrying a file came over shouting at me: “why have you come here?” He was speaking Persian angrily so I didn’t recognize him. But he was no one except my kind and lovely brother, Morteza! He was carrying a file that he said that they were my writings on the death of Yaser. He actually threatened me that he would hand them to the Americans since I had written some polite critics against the American officials. I told him sympathetically: “you may be right but let‘s have a short talk which is something normal in any political organization’’.
But he didn’t accept and he even didn’t let me get closer than 3 meters. My former kind brother insulted me in front of American soldiers. My nephew Musa didn’t get the permission to visit me since he is a German citizen and Mujahedin were afraid.
The Americans didn’t answer my questions simply and to answer my claim that the MKO members are manipulated they just said that it’s not their responsibility! They didn’t let me visit the tomb of Yaser either. I expected more of the American democracy. While leaving, I told the American lieutenant: ‘’you are developing a new Al-Qaida.” Recently I have received important news: that the members of Ashraf are not allowed to visit Yaser’s tomb.
Here’s a question: if Yaser has self-immolated, because the Americans treated him badly! Why is his tomb forbidden? Maybe the real thing is that our young boy was killed and then burned! There is also other news on the assassination of Yaser which will be proved by the struggle of benevolent people. Bagdad- Winter 2008.
BAGHDAD – Iraqi police arrested 31 Shiite activists Saturday in early morning raids south of Baghdad, and five American soldiers were killed in two roadside bombings, officials said. 
The U.S. troops were killed Friday – four in Baghdad and one in the northern Tamim province, the military said. At least 3,958 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. Saturday marked a third day of U.S. and Iraqi operations in an area that includes several Shiite holy cities – raising tension with some Shiite tribesmen and fighters who have pledged to halt attacks. Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered a six-month cease-fire for his Mahdi Army militia, but some members have broken away and violated the pledge, which expires later this month. U.S. and Iraqi forces say they are targeting rogue, criminal elements of his and other militias. But several Shiite imams, during Friday prayers, suggested Iraqi forces were taking advantage of the cease-fire to crack down on rival groups. Al-Sadr has threatened not to extend his cease-fire unless the government purges rival Shiite militiamen he alleges have infiltrated the security forces and are targeting his followers. Fifteen of Saturday’s arrests took place in Karbala, a Shiite holy city 50 miles south of Baghdad, where Shiite Islam’s two most revered saints are buried. Another 16 men were arrested in a Sadrist area of Nasiriyah, about 200 miles southeast of the capital, police said. Rahman Mshawi, spokesman for Karbala police, said four of the Karbala suspects are members of the Iraq-based People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, or Mujahedeen Khalq. The group was founded in the late 1960s and fled to Iraq in the early 1980s after it fell out with the clerical regime of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. During Saddam Hussein’s rule, the movement used Iraq as a base for operations against Iran’s government. Thousands of its members remain in Iraq, and both the U.S. and Iraq consider the Khalq a terrorist organization. In addition to the Khalq members, Mshawi said five others detained Saturday belong to a Shiite cult group. He did not elaborate or give details about the group. The remaining six suspects were "wanted men," Mshawi said. Meanwhile north of Baghdad, Iraqi police said a local al-Qaida in Iraq leader was killed in his home, and 12 decomposed bodies were discovered in a mass grave. Abu Omar al-Dori resisted police for about an hour before he was killed around 4 a.m. in his house in downtown Samarra, a police officer said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media. Samarra is a mostly Sunni town about 60 miles north of the Iraqi capital. According to Iraqi police, al-Dori had been assigned to lead al-Qaida in Iraq operations in Samarra just one week ago. It was unclear whether his predecessor was killed or captured. Farther east near Baqouba, a joint patrol of Iraqi police and soldiers found a mass grave with 12 bodies, including three of women, according to police and morgue officials. The bodies were found in the al-Ehaimer area on the outskirts of Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of the capital. The U.S. military had no immediate comment on either incident. Meanwhile, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani traveled Saturday to Najaf, another Shiite holy city south of Baghdad, to meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s most prominent cleric. It was unclear whether the meeting was scheduled in light of the recent Shiite arrests. Talabani was expected to hold a news conference later Saturday By SINAN SALAHEDDIN, The Associated Press -2008-02-09
The ruling of the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission (POAC) to remove the ban on MKO’s activities remains a serious challenge failing to convince the UK government that the organisation has really foresworn the terrorist tactics which continue to be a potential threat to civilians. Far beyond being an internal threat, terrorism stages a global threat that has to be fought by all the means. A globally proscribed terrorist organization, MKO may appeal to a variety of lawful judiciary bodies and take advantage of proficient lawyers and proponent parliamentarians to divert governments and international bodies from the potential terrorist threat of the organization. The advocates of MKO should be notified that to win a judicial decision in appeals process to de-proscribe a terrorist organization never implies that its terrorist threats have ever been curbed. It has to be noted that it is a tactic commonly exploited by MKO to alter its serious ideological and cultic challenges from an internal issue to a globally concerned judicial case, a ploy manipulated by majority of cults. A comparative study of some current cults reveals amazing results that never excludes MKO as an exception. The tactics employed by cults and a number of political groups to influence public perception and debate are considerable. I spite of countless suppressive measures to extend their hegemonic domination over the insiders, they escape any scrutiny and controls from the outside world. As Margaret Thaler Singer discusses in her Cults in Our Midst, “Despite a rather grim record of atrocious behavior, time and again cults escape the scrutiny and controls bestowed upon other organizations and activities”. To find out how cults benefit from legal leverages and influential individuals and authorities to circumvent law enforcement is possible only through a careful study of the approaches utilized by certain cults and groups. For instance, involving in lawsuits against respondents are generally costly affairs and time consuming but cults utilize a variety of approaches to overcome the problem. Explained by Thaler Singer, “Legal suits are costly affairs. But some cults have developed large in-house legal staffs, including huge numbers of paralegals to help the resident lawyers. Thus legal actions are not very costly for the cults to pursue, whereas the people who must defend themselves can easily go broke battling against such tactics”. It has also to be pointed out that not all advocates and supporters of a cult and political group are in total agreement with ideological tenets and objectives of the target group. A variety of factors like political and party interests as well as personal interests and financial concerns may involve. Brought to attention by Thaler Singer, “Some people committed to cultic groups become downright illogical in their support. For example, there is a small claque of social scientists who have become procult apologists. Some have been given trips to exotic places by large, wealthy cults; some fear revealing critical findings because certain cults have paid for research and underwritten trips to professional meetings”. As noted, in some cases, the laws not only fail to deter the threat of cults but also work as legal buffers defending them against opponents. The question is, are the learned Westerners who support MKO really unacquainted with the tactics employed by the cults? As many of them assert, they have been well acquainted with MKO activities since long and besides, English intelligence systems have long been monitoring the terrorist activities of the group and have already filled exactly recorded details which can help reaching a logical resolution about MKO. There are suppositions why the English fail to reach a consensus about MKO. A doubtful inference is that the group’s English advocates are initially kept in dark about the real nature and the past history of MKO. As mentioned, British intelligence bureaus as well as news agencies, BBC in particular, have a valuable record of MKO’s terrorist operations and atrocities perpetrated inside Iran against American personnel, British interests, regime’s authorities and innocent civilians since its formation. Then, it is doubtful that they have been uninformed of vital facts concerning the national security as people’s representatives. Looking it from a different angle, the English might be dealing with MKO as a psychotherapy case. That is to say, regarding the organization as a destructive cult that has enforced a variety of cult and mind control techniques on the members, they have to be treated with outmost care and caution. That is much because the English have learned any suppressive measure to repel cults may backfire seriously and cause irreparable social damages; they may be in some way following American’s paradoxical approach in dealing with MKO since they have once paid the price of MKO’s ideological hostility against the imperialism. Finally, the English may have concluded that MKO, as a political organization with a military infrastructure, has reached the end of its political life and must run a peaceful life of retirement. For sure, it takes time to instil the truth into old veterans, a responsibility some British factions have assumed on themselves. However, precautionary measures deem necessary concerning MKO; as a globally proscribed terrorist organization and a destructive cult, it has to be under constant, strict surveillance. Bahar Irani,Mojahedin.ws-February 11, 2008
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