Coincidental with the aggravation of Iraq’s internal disorders and religious-based conflicts mainly fomented by the remnants of the Baath Party, the role of MKO in fanning the flame of public disturbance should never be overlooked. Mojahedin are well aware of the fact that with the withdrawal of the coalition forces from Iraq, they would lose their greatest protector in Iraq and that none of their claimed collected signatures of supports from the Iraqi people, factions, and Sheikhs of tribes would work to be productive to secure their stay in Iraq.
Mojahedin main attempt at the present is focused on the escalation of the internal tension which might compel the Iraqi authorities to relay on the presence of the American forces to overcome the social disorder and to secure social stability. Although unspoken, Mojahedin try to have it understood that the existing tension is the outcome of the current Iraqi government’s incapacity to control the situation and the US feels impelled to utilize its lever of power to replace the current government with a new “national salvation government” to ease the tension.
While the Iraqi authorities point to Mojahedin as elements of interfering in Iraq’s internal affairs and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki approves availability of proven evidences, Mojahedin, unable to deny the said truth, indirectly diffuse incapacity of al-Maliki’s government to control the dominant disorder and, through some American officials, threatens his dismissal. For instance, Mojahedin website selectively published excerpts from Senator John Warner’s statement wherein he stated:
I assure you, in two or three months, if this thing hasn’t come to fruition and if this level of violence is not under control and this government able to function, I think it’s a responsibility of our government internally to determine: Is there a change of course that we should take?
was said to have sated that if Iraq’s current situation failed to improve in the next two or three months and violence continued as a result of Iraqi government’s inefficiency to control it, then, the US took it as a responsibility to decide whether take a direct step to make a change or not.
Depicting an inauspicious future for Iraq if the US forces left, Mojahedin quote Warner saying that untimely departure of the US from Iraq would turn the country’s reservoir into a treasure in the hands of the global terrorism.
Once enjoying the granted oil quota by Saddam, Mojahedin are in absolute agreement with the Americans that the Iraq’s rich reservoir might help reconstruct what they all despise as Islamic Fundamentalism and, of course, al-Maliki’s legal government makes a never-tolerable obstacle. Acting as the mouthpiece of al-Maliki’s critics, Mojahedin distort the news reports and add their own comments to help debilitate al-Maliki’s government and advertise its incompetency especially in controlling the armed insurgents. It can be well noted in news reports released by Mojahedin’s site stressing “analyses indicate that Nuri al-Maliki fails to disarm militia”.
Mojahedin, always a collaborating hand to intensify religious disputes to escalate political tension, in Hambastegi site quoted the US Secretary of State saying “religious violence in Iraq is a strategic threat”. Commenting on her speech after her meeting with Iraqi officials, the site states “Rice in her meetings with Iraqi political leaders tacitly mentioned the national salvation government which means a directly made note for the formation of a new such government”. Rice had earlier made an unannounced visit to Iraq to consult with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki about his efforts to achieve national reconciliation between the country’s various ethnic and sectarian groups.
Mojahedin-run propaganda machine in the West is already busy taking hostile and threatening positions against the legally-elected Iraqi government through circulating statements made by Mojahedin supporters. Al-Maliki is believed to have a deep understanding of Mojahedin’s threatening tone in their propaganda strategy which indicates their interference in Iraq’s internal affairs.
Earlier last week, Mojahedin quoted Jalal Tlebani, the Iraqi President, claiming he had threatened to utilize MKO to influence Iran’s internal security and affairs. The next day, Talebani in an officially made speech repudiated the claim and emphasized on his recognition of MKO as a terrorist group and its expulsion from Iraq. Although a broadly known opportunist taking advantage of circumstances, Mojahedin have to be dealt with prudence in some respects to frustrate attempts made to accomplish certain political ends.