In a speech made in a rally organized by NCRI, Mojahedin Khalq Organization’s (MKO) political wing active in France, in Paris on July 1, 2006 Dowlat Nowrouzi, NCRI’s UK representative, referred to the organization’s widely advertised claim of 5200000 Iraqi people’s supporting MKO’s presence in Iraq and stated that “the organization shares common strategic interests with Iraqi people in accomplishment of peace and democracy”. Her words, a clear MKO’s paradoxical stance, are an affront to Iraqi people. She seems to have a weak memory to remember that MKO’s settlement in Iraq was the outcome of a made alliance with Saddam who led a dictatorial, tyrannical rule over Iraq and that, MKO acted as his mercenaries to suppress peoples’ freedom-seeking moves in Iraq.
How she has found “common strategic interests” is a question Nowrouzi should give an answer to, something she never does as it is Mojahedin’s convention. If it means sympathizing with Iraqi people’s struggle to accomplish demands of democracy and freedom pursuant to the country’s religious, cultural, and traditional conventions, no doubt, MKO’s strategy has proved to be in absolute contradiction with that of people. The group’s stance towards Iraqi political bodies and parties after Saddam’s fall and its policy of advocating disorder to survive in no way comply with peoples demands.
Before anything else, Iraqi people in an abundantly clear voice cry out for Saddam’s just trial for his overt and covert crimes done against the nation. MKO have yet shunned taking a clear position meaning they, too, bore the sin of a close collaboration with the fallen dictator whom they regarded, according to evidences, brother beyond a patron. The existing evidences unveil that Nowrouzi’s words are exactly the same as those that once were addressed to Saddam and his generals by Massoud Rajavi. At timely, regular meetings with Iraqi army and intelligence officials, Massoud Rajavi again and again paid homage to Saddam and talked of the necessity of close cooperation to safeguard common interests. In the irrefutable videotaped meetings between Massoud Rajavi and General Saber, the head of Saddam’s Intelligence Services, once Rajavi stated:
As far as we are concerned I have only one thing to say. In my mind and in my heart, I cannot separate the account of our interests from your interests. They are exactly matching each other….The reality is that our interests match each other and are closely mixed together. *
For sure, the interests of MKO in the reign of Saddam matched that of the dictator which was in contrast to the interests of people. In fact, the only thing Saddam did not account and had no concern for were people and their interests. It is not amazing to see MKO undergoing a sudden change overnight; they call it “strategy”.
Who can deny Saddam’s horrible, gruesome cells in Abu-Ghurib prison where MKO enjoyed possession of a few granted cells to utilize as suppressive means against its dissidents? Dissidents were a challenge both for Iraqi regime and MKO and as Rajavi once stated:
Whatever is against you, it is obviously against us, and vice versa. Our security is one. When we receive a blow, it is to both of us.*
The notorious opportunist MKO fish in troubled waters not caring the least for the interests of Iraqi peoples. At the time when the presence of foreign troops has negatively affected Iraq and has escalated turmoil and disorder, MKO is under the protection of the US army. Known as uninvited gusts, MKO intrude in Iraq’s internal affairs and even meddled in the process of elections the same as the remnants of the ousted regime did. Once General Saber appreciated MKO’s standing by Saddam’s regime saying:
We have an Arabic proverb that says: Brothers show themselves in hardship. You supported us with the bodies of your fighters.*
Thus, they had proved to be pro-Saddam fighters. Can they now provide any proof of sharing common interests with Iraqi people? Neither Nowrouzi nor any other MKO insiders can possibly give a distinct answer to the question. Somebody should tell MKO that when the broad day reveals the facts, it is unproductive to bury your head in the sand.
*. The quotes are all from the English transcript of videotaped meetings between Massoud Rajavi and General Saber delineated by Iran-Interlink.com.
mojahedin.ws – Bahar Irani – July 8, 2006