Report on the Mojahedin Khalq (MKO, MEK) attack on the families on Thursday night 14th April, 2010 in front of camp New Iraq (formerly Ashraf)
This report is a short, logical addition to the mountain of statements which the MEK have issued in recent days. It has been published to further apprise those interested in this issue of what has taken place.
What was it that the MEK was after when they attacked the families?
One basic fact shouts louder than all others and that is, that for 66 days the MEK leaders have refused all access to the victims inside the camp. The MEK leaders did not let the families see their children even for a minute. It is also clear that the MEK began the attack and that they had planned and coordinated it with all the MEK’s systems ready to play their parts, in particular the MEK’s relentless propaganda system – resulting in the mountain of statements.
The families have been waiting for many weeks in front of the gates of the camp to see their children. The MEK leaders have obdurately refused them access. The families became so desperate to make contact that they started speaking over loud speakers so they would be noticed by the people inside. Their motivation has been to try to let their children know that they are there.
From last week, the families decided to expose the activities of the MEK leaders by reading out loud the interviews of Ms. Batool Soltani (a former member of the Leadership Council). The MEK leaders objected and complained to the Iraqis that the families are insulting them over the loud speakers. As evidence they referred to the Soltani interviews. The leader of the Iraqi security forces made enquiries with the families, who then submitted a copy of the Soltani interviews to him in Arabic.
The MEK have opened a so-called hospital in front of the gates which they call “The Hospital No. 2”. Only the trusted leaders and members of the cult are allowed to go in and out of this place. Even so, the reading aloud of the Soltani interviews has had some effect on them, and some have been communicating with the families with their hands and with various other signals, and in this way have actually encouraged the families to continue and not to give up.
In an inspired move, the families had the idea to broadcast the sound of laughter of a two year old child into the camp. The members have not heard such a voice for decades. It made some of them, who were allowed to be near the gate, smile. This was also noticed by the MEK leaders and has shaken them.
Three days ago, Mr. Iman Yeganeh Khorasani from Mashad, after 22 years, drove his lorry (which he works with) up to the gates of the camp and handed himself over to the Iraqi security forces. He later came to visit the families.
Iman told Iran-Interlink, “Just before the Norooz (New Year) holidays the leader of section one started insulting the families. I asked, ‘Why are you insulting the families’? He told me, ‘They have been sent by the Iranian regime’. I said, ‘Even if this was true, this would not give you reason to swear at these people. Would you swear at them even if my family was among them?’ At that point I told them that I refuse to stay there".
Iman continued, “They started to arrange a few brainwashing sessions for me, but when they realised that I still refused to stay, they pleaded with me, ‘Stay until the end of Norooz because you have given your word and you have to keep your promise".
“A few days before Norooz they started to extract new promises from the members again to say that they would stay until next Norooz. I had no choice but to run away from the camp. But the problem is that the leaders do not allow anyone to go anywhere by themselves, or do anything by themselves, or even walk around in the camp".
He described his escape; “Yesterday, I was sitting in the lorry waiting for the second person to arrive. In the few minutes that he was delayed, I took my chance. I started the lorry and drove to the Iraqi post and asked for asylum and protection.”
Iman told Iran-Interlink, “The MEK leaders have been brainwashing the members against the Iraqis so they are really afraid of approaching the Iraqi officers. But I was even prepared to be killed by the Iraqi army rather than staying one more day in Rajavi’s garrison. When I realised how kind and human the Iraqis are, I was really ashamed of myself.”
Since Iman’s escape, the Mojahedin no longer allow rank and file members to carry out any maintenance or service work. The leaders are now doing all the work. For example, the leaders of each section now sweep the outside pavements themselves at nights.
The MEK is facing a serious problem in keeping its members people under control. They are doing everything to stop them hearing the voices of the families, and to stop them from escaping.
After Iman’s escape, the leaders increased the checkpoints inside the camp and have implemented restrictive laws to prevent people from escaping.
The leaders now know that they can no longer control every disaffected person – and there are many, many of them in the camp. And they now know that the families have no intention of moving from the gates of the camp.
It is this deadlock which forced the MEK to try to repeat the scenario of July 2009 and this time blame the families for the violence.
On Thursday morning they started clandestinely placing loud speakers about 100 meters away from the camp gates. From about 10.30 pm that day, they brought together around 200 people who started swearing at the families using the very powerful loud speakers. They then began to try to incite the families who were behind the closed gates to respond with violence.
Clearly, this kind of provocative attack aimed at the 11 family members outside the gate was intended to somehow engage the Iraqi security forces and provoke violence so that the MKO could cast itself in the role of victim – that is, 3500 people the victims of 11 families. At about 1.30 in the morning, the families, acting on the advice of the Iraqi security officers, retired to their makeshift beds. Without warning, two MEK women members appeared from out of nowhere with the intention of launching an attack on them with knives. Fortunately, they were intercepted by the Iraqis and were prevented from starting any violence or carrying out their assassination attempt.
The MKO continued to swear at the families over their loud speakers until 3.00 am. Then they broadcast an audio tape of the MEK military march ‘Victory’ on a loop, and threatened that they will do more and worse things to the families if they do not leave the gates of the camp.
On Friday morning, the families again gathered at the camp gates with good moral. That night they hung coloured bulbs and lights all over the gate of the camp celebrating the “victory” of the MEK leaders the night before. Their slogan, which they chanted that day, was, “You continue your war and victories and we will continue our persistence with singing and celebrating”.
Of course, as expected, the MEK is claiming that the Iraqi forces and the families have attacked them. It is interesting that, while they continue to film every second, day and night, they have not presented a single clip of film to show this alleged attack. Iran-Interlink did, however, record some film that day, which will be broadcast in due course. This film will first be presented to the UN office, the Iraqi Judiciary and relevant human rights organisations.
The knife wielding Mojahed woman has been identified and the families concerned are already in the process of submitting a law suit against her.
The families report that they are very happy to have news that Mojahedin leader Maryam Rajavi has been writing to the UN, so that someone there will be forced to take notice of their problems. They are waiting eagerly to see why it is that the UN does not take any action against the MEK’s hostage-taking terrorist leaders who are backed by some murderers in America and Israel.
The families have a clear message for all: They will not leave without their children. They also warn that other families are also on their way.
The families also wish to thank all the people, across the globe, who have given them support and encouragement.
Iran Interlink, at the gates of camp New Iraq (Ashraf)
