Page 916 – Nejat Society

Mujahedin Khalq Organization as a terrorist group

Tension in Conference on MKO-Saddam Ties

A number of former members of Mojahedin-e khalq organization, who’ve formed the “Iran-Interlink” group and act to save MKO remnants in Iraq and to reveal what they call inhumane activities of the MKO leaders, held a press conference on Wednesday (November 10) in London’s Ambassador Hotel. They wanted to give information to journalists about the relations between the MKO and Saddam Hussein and the role of this organization in suppressing Shiites and Kurds in 1991 but the meeting was disrupted with the intervention of a number of people who seemed to be MKO supporters.

These people accused the organizers of the meeting of being the agents of the Iranian intelligence ministry. In addition to disrupting the process of the meeting, they threatened and even attacked reporters.

MKO, formed 25 years ago with the purpose of overthrowing the Iranian regime through armed struggle, settled in Iraq in 1986 and attacked Iran with direct support from Saddam Hussein. Despite the fall of Saddam Hussein and the occupation of Iraq by the US, MKO members remain in one of their bases; the group is a terrorist organization in the US and Europe.

In Iran-Interlink’s press conference, first a film was shown about the suppression of Kurds and Shiites in 1991 as well as interviews with survivors, victims and Kurd journalists. In addition, former MKO members gave evidences and documents, proving that Saddam Hussein used MKO members to kill Iraqi Kurds.

Another film showed MKO members giving intelligence on Iran to Iraqi officers and receiving millions of dollars in return. The film was produced by former Iraqi secret services.

According to Massoud Khodabandeh, one of the organizers, they had received the films from Iraqi Kurds and experts had verified that authenticity of the films. In addition, the content of the tapes matched the confessions of former Iraqi intelligence agents.

Then, Alain Chevalerias, French researcher and journalist and the author of a book on the MKO spoke for the audience. Anne Singelton, former member of the MKO and author of a book on the MKO activities gave her speech. When these two authors said they were ready to answer the questions of reporters, some people among the audience started supporting the MKO and prevented journalist from questioning the former members.

These people even insulted the journalists and called them the agents of the Iranian regime. VOA correspondent was even beaten by MKO supporters when she was leaving the place and she was returned to the building under the protection of police.

These moves caused police to come to the scene and the invitees had to leave the place under police protection.

Security concerns (fear from MKO members’ violence in the meeting) forced the organizers to change time and place of the meeting and Baroness Emma Nicholson, UK representative in European Parliament, who was supposed to take part in the meeting was absent.

Although the organizers had tried to limit the event to researchers and journalists (including the correspondent of MKO TV channel), some people joined the meeting with cover names and then disrupted the event.

For instance, a man said he was working for the Congress and US security service but he was supporting the MKO and even attacked reporters.

Mehrdad Farahmand, BBC Persian Service – November 10, 2005

November 21, 2005 0 comments

Former members of the MEK

Revealing Conference in London

A British institution and a number of former members of the Mojahedin-e khalq organization held a press conference in London to reveal its activities and called it a terrorist organization with inhumane internal relations.

Leeds-based Iran-Interlink institution was the main organizer of this event.

A few days ago, Iran-Interlink published a statement calling MKO leader the criminal ally of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, and asked for his trial beside Saddam.

Baroness Emma Nicholson, member of European Parliament and member of House of Lords in UK supported the conference; her representative was in the conference.

Alain Chevalerias, French journalist and the author of “Burned Alive” as well as Anne Singleton, former member of the MKO and the author of “Saddam’s Private Army” and a number of other former members gave speech to the audience.

First, a documentary film on MKO-Saddam cooperation was shown. The film showed MKO’s involvement in suppressing Iraqi Kurds and their role as a private army for Saddam Hussein.

According to this documentary film, between 1991 and 2003 (the fall of Saddam), former dictator trusted the MKO rather than his own forces.

According to this film, Iraqi Kurds made no difference between Saddam regime and the MKO and Mojahedin were not allowed to commute in Kurdish regions without escort or weapons; this was because the Kurds hated the MKO.

Alain Chevalerias, French journalist and the member of institution “Research on Terrorism after 9/11”, was the first who spoke to the audience. His book “Burned Alive” in French is now being translated to Farsi and English.

“As a journalist, I decided to write this book in June 2002 when Maryam Rajavi was arrested and I saw the outcomes of that,” he said.

“At that time, a number of MKO supporters set themselves on fire and I asked myself about this organization. What’s this organization that orders its members to kill themselves only because someone has been arrested?”

“Across Europe, Iraq and Iran, I have interviewed current and former members and supporters of the MKO as well as the group’s victims and I got that this is a religious cult not a political group,” he added.

“Is the MKO a terrorist organization? The answer is simple. A group that uses weapon to get to its goals and considers it a right to kill civilian people is a terrorist group and any such activity in the world is terrorism.”

“Is it possible to use this terrorist group against undesirable regimes? Can they be trusted? This is what a part of US administration is doing, is it right?” Chevalerias asked. He replied himself as follows: “If we accept that terrorist groups like the MKO can be used against Islamic Republic, we have indeed authorized the Iranian regime to use terrorists against Western governments to reach their goals.”

“I knew many of Bin Laden’s supporters and relatives. The way they were brainwashed for suicide operations and the way they thought were very similar to those of the MKO. MKO members in Iraq were not allowed to learn Arabic language because they were not allowed to be in touch with Iraqis. They couldn’t see any TV programs except their own programs because receiving information from sources outside the MKO disrupts the process of brainwashing. There is no freedom of thought in this group. All the orders come from higher ranks and lower ranks have to obey.”

Quoting International Red Cross officials, he said: “Most of MKO members would leave the group if psychological, military and family-related pressures on them [by the group] are lifted.”

“The example of MKO deception, to show the depth of MKO influence among MKO leaders, is reflected to this organizations news reports in which they claimed that Maryam Rajavi went to French Senate by the invitation of the head of Senate. The fact was that she could go to a senate public meeting without any official invitation. At a time, she stood beside the head of senate and group’s photographer took a photo of this scene. Then, they claimed that Maryam had been invited by the head of Senate.”

Anne Singleton, former member of the MKO and the author of “Saddam’s Private Army” also spoke to the audience.

“For ten years, I was supporter of the MKO and for ten more years, I was official member of this group. It is not a political or military group, but a religious personal cult,” she said.

“I sold my house and my car for this organization and gave them my money. I was a computer programmer and I quit my job for this group and joined them.”

“I’m neither a political expert nor a university researcher. I’m only one of the victims of this organization and I like to give my experiences to others,” she added.

“I was harassed by the group and I was under pressure but in comparison with those who were tortured and killed in Abu Ghraib and other prisons, I was really lucky.”

According to Singleton, Mojahedin is a threat to the West because as a hated cult, it has no place in the future of Iran and Western countries that have given shelter to its members should be careful.

“They claim to be democratic, but no one can enter this group by his own will. This is the group that should choose and recruit its members.”

“Is it a democratic organization when it encourages its members to set themselves on fire in the streets of London and Paris?”

Singleton said: “Mojahedin try to appear different under the title of “National Council of Resistance” while everyone know that this council is only a cover for the activities of the MKO. I’m glad that unlike European countries, the US has designated both the MKO and NCRI.”

“This organization never condemned Saddam and his regime and now it’s waiting to spread its terrorist activities to all over the world in the case of facing expulsion from Iraq. The Western government should not play with MKO card in their struggle against Iran,” she said.

In the even, another film that was taken by hidden camera was shown.

The film shows Abbas Davari, one of MKO leaders, giving intelligence to Iraqi officers on how to attack Khuzestan province.

The film also features MKO members receiving dollars and Dinars from Iraqi officials. The organizers said that they had received the film from Iraqi kurds.

Karim Haghi, one of former MKO commanders living in Europe, talked about his imprisonment experience in the MKO.

“MKO had ties with Saddam against Iran. Now, it wants to have the same relations with George W. Bush and the US,” Haghi Said.

“Bin Laden is more honest than Massoud Rajavi because he expresses what he wants, but Rajavi doesn’t dare to say his ideas. He always lies to get to his ambitions.”

“I devoted myself to this organization since I was 16 but I saw nothing from the group, except crime and betrayal,” he added.

He also said that during the conference around 10 members of the MKO gathered outside the hotel and threatened the participants but the police stopped them. Three of them had entered the room and tried to disrupt the program.

20 journalists, photographers and reporters took part in the conference.

IRNA – November 12, 2005

November 21, 2005 0 comments

The MEK; Baath Party Accomplice

Iraqi Kurds want Iranian opposition leader tried

Iraqi Kurds want Masud Rajavi, leader of an Iranian opposition organization based in Iraq, to be arrested and tried, Radio Farda reported on 20 October. Rajavi’s group, the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MEK), settled in Iraq in the 1980s, where it received assistance from and cooperated with former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. The Kurds say they want Rajavi to be tried because of the role his organization played in their repression by the Hussein regime.

Mohammad Tofiq Rahim, an official with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, said in an interview with Radio Farda that his organization has documentary evidence of Rajavi’s role. He said that when the Kurds seized control of northern parts of Iraq with U.S. assistance at the end of the Gulf War in 1991, the MEK cooperated with the Iraqi Army in retaking control of the city of Kirkuk. In the process, he charged, hundreds of the city’s residents were killed by the MEK.

"Everyone in Iraqi Kurdistan knows that Masud Rajavi cooperated with the Mukhaberat [intelligence] and security forces of Saddam Hussein not only in the suppression of the Kurds, but all the opponents of the regime of Saddam," Rahim added.

Radio Free Europe – By Bill Samii – 10.29.2005

November 16, 2005 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq Organization as a terrorist group

Geldof leaves Iran demo over terror list

BOB GELDOF walked away from a demonstration on Iran after hearing that one of the groups involved was on the UN’s terrorist list.

He was due to speak to a crowd gathered in Brussels where the EU’s Foreign Ministers were meeting and discussing growing concerns about the regime

The Live Aid organiser was on his way to Africa and stopped off in Belgium to address the gathering of Iranians against the current government

But he left after hearing that one of the group’s associated with the event, the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI), was on the terror list

There were banners demanding the PMOI be taken off the terror list, calling the recently elected president an assassin and describing Iran regime as terrorist.

Geldof, billed to speak for 25 minutes, did not appear to know the PMOI was a proscribed organisation

"I would not have anything to do with it if they are on the terror-list. We checked it out before we came," he said

But after speaking to the organisers, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), he walked away

The former member of the Boomtown Rats told the media he believed the Iranian government should be referred to the Security Council of the United Nations

"I do not know enough about the Iranian situation and I am not trying to become an expert but it’s a dangerous situation and we do not need more wars in that region", he said

Organisers of the rally were upset at his decision not to address the crowd of about 500 and said the PMOI should not be on the terror list

The organisation was condemned by a New York-based Human Rights Watch recently

The Irish Examiner, November 8, 2005

By Ann Cahill, Europe Correspondent

November 16, 2005 0 comments

Iraqi Authorities' stance on the MEK

Iraqis, Victims of MKO Crimes

Mr. Borhan Alimardan, the head of Workers’ Union in Iraqi province of Kirkuk, said: “I and my family are the victims of Mojahedin-e khalq’s terrorist activities”.

Mr. Aliamrdan, who’s visiting Iran with an Iraqi group, said in a meeting with MKO terrorist activities’ victims that he and his family were also the victims of crimes by this group, so that the wounds on his body are still evident.

In the meeting, he and Ms. Sanad Sham’un, the chairwoman of Women’s Department in Workers’ Union, sympathized with other victims and expressed their hate for terrorist activities of this cult. “We know this group well. Under the protection of Iraqi Baath regime and Saddam Hussein, they committed numerous crimes against Iraqis so that many in northern and southern Iraq were killed and wounded by this group.”

This Iraqi group asked Iraqi government and international community to expel terrorist MKO from Iraq.

Ashena Radio

November 13, 2005 0 comments

Iraq

Iraqi Law Includes MKO

“Anti-Terrorism law, due to be executed from next week in Iraq, includes the Mojahedin-e khalq organization,” said Iraqi deputy prime minister.

Radio Free Iraq, quoting Ahmed Chalabi, said: “From now on, we don’t allow this group to make problems for our neighbor Iran from Iraqi soil. We are going to stop this group.”

“According to Iraq’s anti-terror law, armed groups and organizations listed as terrorist won’t be allowed to use the soil of this country,” he stressed.

“Iraq won’t be a base for armed groups that want to harm our neighbors,” he declared.

IRNA

November 13, 2005 0 comments

Iraqi Authorities' stance on the MEK

Iraq Should Tackle Foreign Militants

In an interview with London’s Financial Times, Ahmed Chalabi, Iraqi deputy prime minister, said: “Iraq acknowledged Iran’s “legitimate concern” about the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), an armed Iranian opposition group under US protection in Iraq under what he called “murky circumstances”.

“We should enforce the article in our constitution that Iraq should not be a transit point or base for destabilising neighbours,” he said.

November 13, 2005 0 comments

Iran Interlink

Iran Interlink Demands Indictment of MEK’s Rajavi

Iran Interlink Demands Indictment of Mojahedin-e Khalq’s Massoud Rajavi

The trial of Saddam Hussein has begun. His toppled regime actively supported international terrorism and Iran’s Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) group – led by Saddam’s closest ally, Massoud Rajavi – was at the top of the terrorist list.

In a press conference on Thursday November 10 – at The Ambassador’s Hotel in Bloomsbury, pressure group Iran Interlink demanded that Massoud Rajavi joins Saddam in being brought to justice.

The conference started with a documentary film showing Massoud Rajavi as he briefed his forces on their mission, along with eye witness accounts of the Mojahedin’s offensives against civilian Kurdish populations in the Spring of 1991. The documentary revealed that the Mojahedin, acting as Saddam’s private army, played a decisive role in the suppression of the 1991 internal uprisings in Iraq, and is responsible for the massacre of many Iraqi Kurds who opposed Saddam.

Following the film, French journalist and researcher on terrorism, Alain Chevalerias, spoke about the terrorist nature of Massoud Rajavi’s Mojahedin organisation. Chevalerias – whose book ‘Burned Alive’ charts the psychological manipulation exerted on MKO members which resulted in several members setting fire to themselves in Paris and London in June 2003 – gave a clear definition of terrorism for the audience and said that groups which attack civilian populations in countries of which the west is critical must be viewed in the same way as the terrorists who target western populations.

Anne Singleton, author of ‘Saddam’s Private Army – how Rajavi changed Iran’s Mojahedin from Armed Revolutionaries into an armed cult’, spoke about the cult nature of the Mojahedin. It is not a political organisation, nor is it a military organisation, it is a cult, said Ms Singleton. Worse than this, it is a terrorist cult. Ms Singleton spent over fifteen years in close proximity to the cult and spent three years full time with them. Ms Singleton pointed out that neither the Mojahedin organisation, nor its leaders, Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, have ever publicly condemned Saddam Hussein or his crimes, and have never publicly renounced violence as a means to achieve their aims.

Ms Singleton asserted that the Mojahedin, because it is a cult, can play no part in the political future of Iran. Moreover, now that its forces – with the exception of the people in Camp Ashraf in Iraq – are based in western countries, the Mojahedin no longer presents a threat to Iran. Rather, when its forces set fire to themselves in the streets of western cities, this organisation has now become a problem for the people of those countries.

The speakers were followed by video evidence secretly filmed by Saddam’s own security services depicting the financial, spying and terrorist relationship between the Mojahedin-e Khalq organisation and Saddam’s regime.

The conclusion of the press conference was that not only was each and every military and terrorist operation carried out by the Mojahedin in Iran ordered directly by Saddam Hussein and his intelligence and secret services in Iraq, but that as it faces greater and greater rejection from western governments, the Mojahedin will inevitably return to the side of Saddam Hussein. In this respect, it is possible that they are already participating in the insurgency in Iraq as well as planning terrorist activities in the west.

At the end of the press conference, a Question and Answer session was held with two former members of the Mojahedin.

A three-member team of supporters of Massoud Rajavi and the Mojahedin had been admitted to the conference by Iran Interlink in order to have them watch the films and listen to the speeches. It was hoped they might be in a position to answer some of the journalists questions about the crimes of Massoud Rajavi. During the Q&A session, the team began to rant and admitted they had come with the sole aim of accusing speakers at the meeting of working with the Iranian intelligence ministry.

Massoud Khodabandeh and Karim Haghi, who were holding the Q&A session, restored order so that bona fide journalists were able to get their stories. Unfortunately, the team of Mojahedin supporters, frustrated in their efforts, then began to accuse journalists at the press conference also of being agents of the Iranian intelligence ministry.

The supporters of Massoud Rajavi were unable to answer the central accusation, or to refute or deny the evidence shown at the press conference – that Massoud Rajavi had ordered his own people, Mojahedin forces, to suppress the Kurdish uprising in 1991 as a part of Saddam Hussein’s repressive regime.

Iran Interlink repeats its demand – that Massoud Rajavi be tried alongside Saddam Hussein for war crimes, terrorism and crimes against humanity.

November 12, 2005

November 13, 2005 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq Organization as a terrorist group

Double Standards in UK Criticized

Following discussion of the controversial UK Anti-Terrorism Law by the House of Commons, a prominent Muslim figure criticized double standards of the government in approaching terrorist groups.

This law would enable British law enforcement to keep terrorist suspects under arrest for 90 days. Supporting and encouraging terrorist activities are also considered as crimes.

Some MPs have criticized the content of this law.

Massoud Shajareh, a prominent Muslim leader questioned whether UK police have double standards in approaching the issue of terrorism. Islamic Human Rights Commission, chaired by Shajareh, had earlier asked the UK government to ban a meeting by Iranian opposition group in UK parliament.

National Council of Resistance, political wing of the MKO (listed as terrorist organization in UK, U.S. and EU), held a meeting in UK parliament in which a number of MPs took part.

Shajareh told UPI: “NCRI is the political wing of the Iranian terrorist organization, the MKO which has been banned in the US and Europe. In addition, this council itself has been declared a terrorist group by the US and EU.”

“The Terrorism Act 2000 bans supporting any terrorist organization or an organization whose members have also the membership of a banned organization. The punishment for violating this law can be 10 years in prison.”

He said the police appeared negligent since it didn’t act to arrest the conductors of the meeting according to the law. He said such moves would convince Muslims that such a law has been approved only for political advantages.

“It seems that there are double standards in fighting terrorism. For instance, this question is raised as to why the police ignores the activities of NCRI and allows them to raise money but cracks down on Islamic Freedom Party,” he said.

“Do they allow Al-Qaeda, as they do an Iranian terrorist group, to hold a conference in London on the future of Iraq and Afghanistan?” he asked.

Al Quds Al Arabi

November 13, 2005 0 comments

Iraqi Authorities' stance on the MEK

Chalabi says Iraq must tackle foreign militants

LONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) – Iraq must do more to stop the country being used as a base for foreign militants seeking to destabilise its neighbours, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi said in comments published on Monday.

In an interview with Britain’s Financial Times, Chalabi acknowledged Iran’s "legitimate concern" about Mujahedin-e Khalq, an Iranian opposition group operating in Iraq which the United States lists as a terrorist organisation.

He said there were also concerns in Turkey over bases in northern Iraq operated by the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

"We should enforce the article in our constitution that Iraq should not be a transit point or base for destabilising neighbours," Chalabi told the newspaper. "We should deal with these issues humanely and fairly, but firmly."

Turkish leaders complain the PKK has a safe-haven in the mountains of northern Iraq from where rebel commanders direct operations into Turkey.

After more than 20 years of conflict, Turkish forces have failed to completely quell the PKK’s armed campaign for home-rule in the mainly Kurdish southeast.

On Iran, Chalabi said Tehran had agreed to study his proposal for an inquiry by British, Iranian and Iraqi representatives into recent violence in the southern city of Basra.

Chalabi said Britain raised tension in the area by accusing Iran of helping Iraq militants to plant roadside bombs which killed British troops.

He added that Iran also inflamed the situation with allegations of British backing for militant Arab separatists in south-west Iran, according to the FT report.

November 7, 2005

November 13, 2005 0 comments

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