A number of MKO-run sites have recently published an announcement entitled Deployment of previously used agents against Iranian Resistance depicts Clerical Regime’s extreme frustration in an attempt to justify landslide member splinter within the organization. During the past recent months, a number of
the detached members who had taken refuge in American-run TIPF returned to Iran; they were all called to be criminals, infiltrated agents, proxies of Ministry of Intelligence, expelled members and much more as it is MKO’s typical. The ever-growing demand of members held in Camp Ashraf to separate the organization has forced MKO to isolate about 200 dissatisfied members to stop further instigation in other members.
The announcement names the separated members one by one and accuses them with cliché allegations atop of which lies their affiliation to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence. It also attacks “Sahar Family Foundation”, an NGO established to help MKO’s separated members exit from TIPF and Iraq and to defend their rights, and its founder Massoud Khodabandeh and accused him and his other colleagues of being the regime’s agents.
At the present, the splinter of members within MKO has turned to be the most critical challenge the organization is facing. Also, the intensified challenges among American parties following the released report by American intelligence agencies that Iran has halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 necessitates a logical and peaceful solution to an issue which have totally disappointed MKO. Through disclosing Iran’s nuclear threat, MKO anticipated instigation of a militarist conflict between Iran and the US; it was the supposition behind Rajavi’s fixing January 2009 as the deadline for the collapse of Iranian regime and Rajavi promised that if nothing happen at the end of the deadline, all the Ashraf residents were free to stay or leave. The countdown being already started, with the Bush nearing the end of his presidency, the Ashraf residents seem to be eager to leave sooner than the promised deadline.
Such deeds by MKO to accuse separated members of being the rival’s agents is an unusual deed looking it from the conventional approaches adopted by majority of campaigning political organizations. It is common among the active groups to recruit members and let them leave whenever they wish. The only organization that seems to have no dissatisfied member and the members have signed to stay to the end is MKO! And, of course, all those who have left, escaped and have appealed to leave are infiltrated agents and more. But there is one exception. The organization has so far taken no position to talk about the separation of Batul Soltani, a member of the Leadership Council of MKO, who two years ago escaped from Camp Ashraf and moved into TIPF. On 14 January 2008 she left the TIPF and moved to Baghdad in order to go abroad but she changed her mind to stay in Iraq and start a legal battle against the organization for all torments she had undergone and suffered.
The path to Camp Ashraf is a one-way path; entering it, nobody is permitted to leave and the organization presents legal excuses for not letting anybody to leave. As stated in item sixteen of the announcement “Since the MOIS insists on introducing its newly- recruited agents as the “former PMOI members”, it should be reminded that the Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran announced four years ago in its statement of August 3, 2004, on the legal status of the PMOI, “As the agreement of the legal status of the Ashraf Residents as protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention was signed, the leadership of the Resistance and the officials of the PMOI strongly emphasized on the need and importance of making the final choice at this turning point. Thus, all individuals were reminded that before signing the Agreement, they must once again think of their final choice freely and voluntarily. They can go after their desired life and pursue their desirable option. But if they want to stay in Ashraf and continue their struggle for freedom, they must consider all the probable risks”.
As implied, the Ashraf residents have no choice but to stay and those who escape are Iranian regime’s agents. But the question still exist that accusing minor members of many allegations, why MKO rejects to take any clear stance concerning high-ranking separated members? Mojahedin.ws, April 19, 2008