++ There have been many different interpretations of the visit by four American senators to Albania, during which they also met with Maryam Rajavi. One group have explained that the MEK are lying again because they tried to claim the senators had gone specifically to see them. Habilian published a piece titled ‘the lies which are quickly exposed’ which lists the various lies and posturing of the MEK which nobody buys. A second group refer to the fact that the Americans are bluntly and openly supporting terrorism. And although these may be has-been terrorists, the aim behind this support is to try to prevent rapprochement between the rest of world and Iran by creating hatred and resentment among Iranians. Other people refer to the current chaos in US politics alongside the deep-rooted corruption in high level American political life. They refer to the MEK’s past and the documents of US politicians and officials cheering for the killers of their own people for money. Others simply say how daft the MEK are because while some people are mercenary by nature, others know they will die themselves but still continue selling themselves such as Saddam Hussein and Massoud Rajavi. When the Americans don’t want you, they get rid of you.
++ In Albania, formers and disaffected MEK members have been posting letters on social media. These mostly complain about the deeply corrupt government of Albania. They say the country is run by MOSSAD and the CIA and that the Albanian people are hostages to them. Even the UNHCR staff admit privately that they cannot act because ‘they’ will put us in our place. Further reports reveal that many of these formers have been beaten up for talking and that instead of protecting them from gangs and the MEK, the police are complicit too.
++ Saber from Tabriz writes for Iran-Interlink about the nuclear agreement. He describes the MEK’s ever changing position on this, and other issues, over the past few years. He says, first they said America should bomb Iran because we exposed Iran’s nuclear programme. Then, when the agreement was signed they claimed, ‘this is the end of the regime, they have hanged themselves’. Now with Trump in the White House they swear against Obama and say this is the worst agreement ever and Trump has to tear it up and attack Iran. We know you are mercenaries, says Saber, but even mercenaries have to be a little more convincing than this about their strategies.
In English:
++ Sahar Family Foundation warns about death threats against the families and former MEK members in a letter to the Albanian minister for Internal Affairs which was covered by several media outlets in the country. “Unfortunately, we are also witness to brutal behavior by the Albanian government and police towards the families. The families come to Albania to visit their loved ones. Where on earth is visiting loved ones considered a crime so that in your country these suffering families have been interrogated by the police and been treated as criminals after being beaten up by the cult’s mobs? The separated members of the Rajavi cult in Albania have complained to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and to the UNHCR many times about the misconduct and criminality of the cult toward themselves, the members and others. The response so far, however, is for each to hold the other body responsible for neglecting their legal duty.”
++ A Facebook post by Houman Fakhimi asks how can US supporters of the MEK explain to families of the over 4,000 dead US service personnel killed in Iraq why they support a group which was named in a report published by the Bush administration as a reason for attacking Iraq in 2003. The report said, “Iraq shelters terrorist groups including the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MKO), which has used terrorist violence against Iran and in the 1970s was responsible for killing several US military personnel and US civilians.”
++ Kastriot Myftaraj, Gazeta Impakt identifies that ‘Albania is virtually in a state of war with Iran and this is a very serious thing’ “The US Senators’ visit to Albania took place after the recent tensions in US-Iran relations due to the sanctions that the American Congress imposed on Iran, repudiating the Obama administration’s agreement with the country. Iran’s response was something that should bother Albania too and should have made President Meta hastily summon the National Security Council meeting, making Prime Minister Rama cut short his break.
“Iran’s Parliament, at the request of the President, decided to officially order Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to undertake anti-terrorist operations against subversive forces operating abroad for the overthrow of the regime in Iran, under the sponsorship of enemies of the Islamic Republic. The decision primarily targets the Iranian embryo-led government led by Madam Rajavi, and the military arm of this so-called government, the MEK.
“This means that Albania, which harbors them, is now officially the target for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard operations – one of the most specialized and dangerous forces in the world for covert activity.”
++ Zahra Alipour in al-monitor reviews the Iranian film ‘Midday Adventures’ which is based on a true story. The film was well received in Iran but former sympathisers of the MEK say it does not give full historical weight to the motivations of the group.
++ Gazeta Impakt criticises former head of the state Intelligence Services, Fatos Klosi, for changing his mind about the MEK, apparently after visiting Maryam Rajavi and enjoying her hospitality. In 2016, he proclaimed the MEK to be jihadist terrorists, now he says the are not terrorists.
August 18, 2017