BRIEFING PERIODICAL OF NEJAT SOCIETY

V O LU M E 1, I S S U E 3

Nejat Newsletter O CT O BER 15, 2 00 6

Beckett: MKO is a Terrorist Group INSIDE THIS I SSUE:

MKO is a Terrorist 1
group. However, UK government Group
banning the ac- still believes the Anne Singleton talks 1
to the Independent
tivities of this MKO is a terror-
MKO Human Rights 2
October 12, group in Iraq is ist organization. Victims
2006 up to the Iraqi Interview in Paris 3
government and "This group is Press Conference in 3
BBC reports that the US as the ban n e d an d Paris
British Foreign commander of there have been Interview with the 4&5
Independent
Secretary Mar- coalition forces no changes in
MKO supporter 6
garet Beckett, in in Iraq." its status," she helps Al-Qaeda
her first exclu- said. British House of 6
sive meeting Lords’ Debate
with the for- She adde d US Citizen helped 7
eign press in that there was the Terrorist MKO

the UK, re- no relationship Kids sent to MKO

Camps in Iraq
8

sponded to a between Lon-

question on don and this
the MKO and, terrorist or- NEJAT SOCIETY
about why the ganization, de- • Nejat Society is aiming to
group was still BBC also re- claring that the rescue the members of the
MKO who are still captive
active in Iraq ported that Brit- final fate of the in Ashraf Camp in Iraq.
said: "Britain ish Foreign Sec- MKO elements • Nejat Society is in con-
considers MKO a retary Margaret in Iraq should stant contact with the
terrorist organi- Beckett said on be determined families of members of
MKO, trying to connect
zation and op- Wednesday in by the Iraqi them to their beloved
poses this London that the government. ones.

• Nejat Society is trying to

Anne Singleton talks to the Independent build a good international
support for its cause to
save the MKO members
2006-10-01 this might be re- the camp and the from cultic relationships.
Mojahedin took me quired, so I didn't irresponsibility - I
resist, although I obeyed orders and it • Nejat Society is organis-
to Iraq and taught ing meetings and confer-
me to kill. knew I could felt liberating. I ences for the members
never kill any- had this childlike and the families in order
In l992 they asked one. I learned feeling that if I
to bring them together
and ease their grieves.
me if I'd like to go to how to drive a put myself in
Iraq for some mili- • Nejat Society is willing to
truck, march and their hand, I’d be use all means possible to
tary training. I knew shoot a gun, but I OK, . . . reach its goals and there-
as a member of an clearly wasn't sol- fore seeks and needs your
"armed struggle" (Full article on support
dier material. I loved pages 4 and 5)
N EJ AT N EWS LETT ER P AG E 2

Captives of Maryam Rajavi's Mojahedin Khalq in Iraq

Are Human Rights Victims
PARIS, Sept. 19 /U.S. trapped inside Camp
Newswire/ -- Following Ashraf would like to
is a statement of Iran leave. We hear this from
Interlink on captives in those who have recently
Iraq: escaped the group. What
we are asking is for the
For three years U.S. forces mony from former captives international community to
have protected a terrorist in the MKO camp who say implement all the condi-
group in Iraq even though that basic human rights are tions of the Fourth Geneva
most of them want to re- being violated daily. Signifi- Convention so that the resi-
turn home to cant among dents of Camp Ashraf can
their families. these cases are get help from their fami-
Iranian prison- lies."
Mojahedin ers of war
Khalq combat- (POWs) cap- Nejat Association says this
ants are being tured by the is a grave humanitarian cri-
held against Iraqi forces sis and that Camp Ashraf
their will in during the
Camp Ashraf ei ght year
say former members who Iran-Iraq war
have returned home in the and who were then deliv-
past two years. ered by Saddam Hussein to
the Mojahedin
to boost num-
Now, a seven
bers.
member dele-
gation from the
Iranian NGO, Nejat Associa-
Nejat Associa- tion comprises
tion, has ar- former mem-
rived in Paris to bers and fami-
alert public lies of the
opinion to the Camp Ashraf
situation of 3,000 men and captives. They
women held against their demand the immediate and
will in an Iraqi base of the full implementation of UN
Iranian Moja- Protected Persons status so Captive in Ashraf Camp
hedin Khalq that they can
under the lead- have free and residents should not be
ership of unfettered con- used as pawns in political
Maryam Rajavi. tact with their wrangles between western
relatives inside governments and Iran.
the camp.
U.S. forces say
they cannot The Iraqi government has
intervene in- Arash Sameti- announced that Camp Ash-
side the camp, pour, a former raf must be dismantled and
leaving residents unable to combatant of the MKO who the residents removed from
access humanitarian help spent several years in Evin Iraqi territory. Responsibil-
from the ICRC and the prison says: "We know that ity for the safety and well-
UNHCR. the majority of people being of these individuals
now rests with western
governments and interna-
Several cases of retention
tional humanitarian agen-
by force have been con-
cies.
firmed by personal testi-
N EJ AT N EWS LETT ER P AG E 3

Nejat Association Interview in Paris

Interview by Massoud company. married.
Khodabandeh.
Mr. Arash Sametipour, Mr. Ali Moradi, a sergeant
Paris, September 27, 2006 recruited as a teenager by in the Iranian military, he
the MKO in was captured by
Participating: Washington DC Iraqi forces at the
through their start of the Iran-
Mr. Babak Amin, head of agent in the USA, Iraq war. Given
the Nejat delegation in Alireza Jafar- to the MKO by
Paris. Amin was recruited zadeh. Sameti- Saddam after
by the MKO while a student pour was trained serving 9 years
in Austria and trained in its in the MKO's ter- as a POW, Moradi
terrorist camps in Iraq. He rorist camps in never accepted
Iraq before being Ali Moradi the MKO and
carried out over 10 terrorist
operations in Iran before sent to perform an armed eventually took refuge from
being arrested by the Ira- operation in Tehran. He the MKO with the American
nian security tried to kill himself army after the invasion of
forces. He was at the time of his Iraq. He was recently mar-
sentenced to ten arrest by taking ried and is self-employed
years imprison- his cyanide pill as a trader and cab driver.
ment in Evin and exploding a Moradi is also the head of
prison. He served 5 grenade. He sur- Nejat Association in Lore-
years and was re- vived but lost his stan province.
leased after serv- right hand. He
ing half his sen- Babak Amin (right) and served 4.5 years The interview was carried
tence. Amin is now Arash Sametipour (left) of his sentence in out in Bastille, Paris as the
continuing his IT Evin prison and is delegation emerged from
degree in the University of now continuing his one meeting on their way
Tehran and working part study as well as working as to catch the next one at the
time in an IT consultancy a l an gu age t each er. start of their intensive two
Sametipour was recently week schedule.

Press Conference in Paris on Friday Sept. 22

Nejat Press Release Sept. 23
Nejat Society hold a Press
Conference in Paris on Fri-
day Sept. 22 at 10am.
The seven member delega-
tion sent to Paris by the Soci-
ety described the situation of
those captured in MKO
camp in Iraq.
The Press Conference was
opened by Mr Alain
Chevalerias the Director of
French Anti-terrorism Re-
search Institute. Then Mr
Babak Amin, head of the
delegation, gave a brief
background about the Soci-
ety’s activities towards help- Torabi, and ladies Zahra Bo-
ing the families of the vic- zorganfar, Massoumeh Rezai
tims of Rajavi’s Terrorist and Nasrin Dadkhah por-
Cult. He also explained the trayed to the audience the
week long ac- obstacles on the
tivities of the way of rescuing
delegation in the captives held
Paris including in Ashraf Camp.
official meet-
The representa-
ings wit h tives of Nejat So-
French govern- ciety in this con-
mental and non- ference emphasized that their
governmental authorities as international official trip was
well as visiting human rights regarded successful and the
bodies and the media. Society intends to occasion-
Gentlemen Arash Sameti- ally send more delegations to
pour, Ali Moradi, Ali Asghar Western countries.
N EJ AT N EWS LETT ER P AG E 4

Personal Column: The former Islamic militant

Excerpt from The British ers and women with guns. I
daily The Independent: In l985 the mujahedin leader felt part of something very
Massoud Rajavi took over right. Everyone else had
Published: 01 October 2006 and married a woman called posters of Che Guevara who
Maryam whose role was to was part of an armed strug-
Anne Singleton, 48, encourage women to break gle. I was just supporting a
away from male control. As different revolution. We saw
was recruited into fighting films and listened to
a feminist, this appealed to
the mujahedin at me. They heroic po-
university, and was had used etry and
bombers revolution-
active for seven ary music.
from the
years. She left the early 1980s. They said they I had had
organisation in 1996 wanted to break the atmos- such a boring childhood, this
phere of terror by killing was what I had been looking
and now campaigns for. My working-class family
their oppressors, and it
to warn others seemed noble. was quite political but never
did anything except watch
Interview by Lynne Wallis telly.
I spent all There was-
Manchester University in the my spare n't much
early 1980s was very politi- time with debate, so I
cal. My then boyfriend Ali, the move- grew up
an Iranian, was interested in ment, car- seeing life
the mujahedin, and I became ing for as black
interested in them and Islam. members' and white.
I have never been religious, children,
but the structured life Islam cooking
offered made sense to me. and moni- I moved to
toring me- London in
dia re- 1989 and
The mujahedin seemed to be ports. If f o u n d
the only group who were do- they asked some ac-
ing anything, fighting the me for a tivists at a
regime of the Ayatollah £l0 dona- safe house
Khomeini in Iran after the tion I'd give £l00 to impress in Finchley
revolution. I went to so many them with my commitment. who treated me as a trusted
meetings that I neglected my They flattered me, and then supporter. The UN Human
studies and flunked my ex- would make me feel guilty, Rights Rapporteur visited
ams (I completed my degree pushing for more so I'd feel Iran in l990 and we wanted
at Sheffield poly). Their reli- worthy enough to be re- to put pressure on him to ask
gious role-modelling was cruited. I got totally hooked. about all the mujahedin pris-
intense, and their behaviour oners so we went on hunger
so righteous. They were will- I did temporary jobs and strike.
ing to sacrifice their own in- lived frugally in bedsits, my
terests for that of their soci- walls covered with posters of After five days I felt high as
ety. I worshipped them. their martyrs - suicide bomb- a kite. My perceptions
changed, and I felt I had
N EJ AT N EWS LETT ER
Personal Column: The former Islamic militant (cont.)
transcended normal human-
ity. I had so much energy
and felt as if I were walking
in a bubble. Food depriva-
tion is a classic recruitment
technique used to weaken
resistance.
I quit my job as a computer
programmer and became a
full-time worker for the mu-
jahedin. I didn't question a
thing, even the violence,
which they inure people to
so cleverly. I was shown a
film of a female suicide
bomber blowing up an aya-
tollah in Iran. It was horrific,
and very shocking, at first,
but I was shown the film
many times, and each time
was less distressed. Then
they put it on over dinner
and I didn't bat an eyelid. I
believed she had a duty to
perform, this brave, wonder-
ful martyr.
I barely saw my parents, I'd
ditched all my friends, and
I'd publicly burnt the diaries
I'd kept since childhood, in-
sisting "my past means noth-
ing", but it wasn't enough. I
still wasn't seen as 100 per
cent obedient.
In l992 they asked me if I'd
like to go to Iraq for some
military training. I knew as a
member of an "armed strug-
gle" this might be required,
so I didn't resist, although I
knew I could never kill any-
one. I learned how to drive a
truck, march and shoot a
gun, but I clearly wasn't sol-
dier material. I loved the
camp and the irresponsibility
- I obeyed orders and it felt
liberating. I had this child-
like feeling that if I put my-
self in their hands, I'd be
OK.
Then they decided marriage
was banned. I couldn't agree
as I wanted marriage and
kids. I was punished and
they put huge pressure on me
to conform. I returned to
London, telling myself I'd
sort my head out then return
refreshed to the movement,
but it wasn't to be.
In l993 I met my husband,
another disillusioned mem-
ber, and we were drawn to
each other. I resisted con-
stant pressure to be re-
recruited and we broke away
for good in l996. We acted
as counsellors to each other,
de-programming ourselves
from the horrific abuse we
P AG E 5
had endured. But we didn't
recover properly until 1999,
when we read literature from
the Cult Information Centre.
I was furious when I learned
that everything we'd been
t hro ug h wa s o n a
"recruitment techniques" list!
The anger and betrayal I felt
was enormous, but I felt re-
lief that it wasn't my fault,
and I could put a name to it -
psychological coercion. It
didn't mean you were weak,
evil or stupid.
We believed we had reached
the pinnacle of human exis-
tence, that the worst thing in
life was to be ordinary. Well,
we're ordinary now and it's
wonderful. We had a son in
2000 and live in a three-
bedroom semi in Leeds. A
life where we make our own
decisions is amazing.
I still think of myself as
Muslim, I still think it is a
good belief system, but I eat
pork and drink like a fish.
Spreading the word about the
dangers of cults is my new
cause. When people are re-
cruited into these groups
they have no critical ability.
It can happen to anyone, any
time. If you're lucky you end
up with a timeshare. If you're
unlucky you end up blowing
people up on the Tube.
For more information con-
tact: iran-interlink.org or
khodabandeh.org; cultinfor-
mation.org.uk
N EJ AT N EWS LETT ER P AG E 6

Revealed: MKO Political Supporter Helps Al-Qaeda

Date: 2006-10-03 change the current situation MPs involved in the issue and
with a coup. With the formation said: "Some of the MPs take
Friday afternoon, of the govern- advantage of this immunity for
Iraqi and US joint ment and the terrorist operations".
forces rushed to Ministry of De-
“Al-Dulaimi is the only fence, a coup is
the house of Ad- It should be noted that Adnan
nan Al-Dulaimi, one who supports the not and won't
be possible in Al-Dulaim has had close ties
one of MKO's big illegal presence of with the MKO in Iraq. Also,
supporters who Iraq," he added.
Iraqi PM's earlier comments on
has wide secret terrorist MKO in Iraq.” Referring to the the MKO's interferences in Iraqi
ties with this bombed cars affairs proved that MKO was in
group and has and the explo- touch with the head of Iraqi
been elected due to the finan- sives found in Dulaimi's house, Accord Front and that the
cial aids of the group, and Al-A'raji said: "it's not possible group tried, through propagan-
found a number of bombed to execute the proposal of Na- distic and financial
cars and a large cache of explo- tional Reconcilia- support, to send
sives in his house. tion unless the him to the parlia-
government itself ment.
and the parlia-
In this regard, Baha al-Din Al- ment are cleaned
A'raji, senior member of Iraqi of terroris ts , Al-Dulaimi is the
parliament, said: "Baathists and Baathists and only one who sup-
terrorist had plotted for a coup their agents." ports the illegal
in the past two days." presence of ter-
rorist MKO in Iraq,
He also asked for which is along
"Those behind the issue were the removal of
well aware that they couldn't with Saddam poli-
legal immunity of Saddam-Rajavi embracing cies against Iran.

MEK STATUS IN IRAQ FOR IRAQI GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE -

LORD TRIESMAN (UK)
HOUSE OF Government: Any statements or
LORDS declarations made by
IRAN: PEOPLE'S What is their response Iraqi nationals in Iraq
MUJAHEDIN to the declaration con- about the legal and
cerning the recognition political status of the
Hansard: Written An- of the legal and politi- "People's Mojahedin
swers cal status of the Peo- Organisation of Iran",
ple's Mujahedin of Iran also known as the Mo-
Monday, October 9, agreed at the congress jahedin-e Khalq (MEK)
2006 of Iraqi people held in inside Iraq, are a mat-
Ashraf City on 17 June. ter for the Government
Baroness Gould of
of Iraq.
Potternewton Lord Triesman
( L ab ou r) H an sa rd (Parliamentary Under- The MEK is proscribed
source Secretary, Foreign & in the United Kingdom
Commonwealth Office) under the Terrorism
asked Her Majesty's Act 2000.
Hansard source
N EJ AT N EWS LETT ER P AG E 7

Former Va. Resident Found In Iraq Accused Of Helping

Terrorist Mojahedin Khlaq Organisation
NBC, Los Angeles, count of providing material Taleb-Jedi immigrated to
Oct 1, 2006 support to a foreign terror- the United States from Iran
ist organization. She faces in 1978 and became a
up to 15 years naturalized
LOS ANGELES -- A natu- in federal “MEK, also known as U.S. citizen in
ralized U.S. citizen from prison if con- 1996, t he
the People's Mujahedin
Iran who was found in Iraq victed. government
was indicted Friday on of Iran, and its affiliates said. Her ali-
charges of providing sup- An arraignment were deemed foreign ases include
port to a terrorist organiza- date has not terrorist organizations
Nayer Taleb-
tion that seeks to over- been set, Mro- Jedi or Nire
throw the current Iranian by the U.S.” T a l e b - J e di,
zek said. She
regime, federal prosecutors was assigned a according to
said. federal public defender in the two-page indictment.
New York and was released
Zeinab Taleb-Jedi, 51, then on bond The U.S. attorney's office
a resident of Herndon, Va., did not release any infor-
went to Iraq in 1999 to at- Taleb-Jedi was being prose- mation on the woman's oc-
tend a training cuted in New cupation.
camp run by "During Operation York because
the Mujahedin- her plane MEK, also known as the
e Khalq, or Iraqi Freedom, Taleb-
landed at John People's Mujahedin of Iran,
MEK, the U.S. Jedi was discovered by F. Kennedy and its affiliates were
attorney's of- coalition forces in an International deemed foreign terrorist
fice in Los An- Airport on organizations by the U.S.
geles said in a MEK training camp
March 31 State Department in 1997
statement. called Ashraf Base," upon her re- when it created a list of ter-
turn from ror groups that included al-
"During Operation Iraqi Iraq. The case was being Qaida. The designations bar
Freedom, Taleb-Jedi was handled by Los Angeles- anyone in the United States
discovered by coalition based prosecutors who from providing material
forces in an MEK training have been involved in MEK- support.
camp called Ashraf Base," related investigations since
about 40 miles northwest the 1990s. The State Department says
of Baghdad, the statement the MEK groups were
said. funded by Saddam Hus-
sein, supported the sei-
She was among several zure of the U.S. Embassy
MEK members who were in Tehran in 1979 and are
caught and detained by responsible for the deaths
the military, said Thom of Americans in the 1970s.
Mrozek, a spokesman for
the U.S. attorney's office. But there have been at-
He said she was in Iraq tempts in recent years by
from August 1999 until some members of Con-
this past March, but he gress advocating the
did not know when she group's removal from the
was caught. list because of its stance
against the Iranian regime
Taleb-Jedi was indicted by and because it doesn't
a federal grand jury in pose a direct threat to the
Brooklyn, N.Y., on one U.S.
 Iranian-Canadian kids sent to guerrilla camps in Iraq
Saturday, network raised money, children under the age
staged protests against of 18 were sent to
BriefingPeriodical of September 23, 2006
Iran and lobbied poli- Ashraf from Canada.
Nejat Society Stewart Bell ticians, but it also re- They include youths
CanWest News Ser- cr uit ed u nder ag e from Toronto, Mont-
vice youths to travel to a real and Ottawa.
CREDIT: desolate guerrilla out- Among them is
post near the Iran-Iraq Somayeh Moham-
National Post border called Camp mady, who was a 17-
Ashraf. year-old Grade 10 stu-
Somayeh Moham- Former MEK activists dent at Etobicoke Col-
mady, shown in 1998, said the Canadian base legiate Institute when
the year she dropped worked closely with a she was recruited into
out of Grade 10 and similar U.S. outfit in the MEK in 1998.
left Canada for a guer- Sleepy Hollow, Va., In a letter sent to the
rilla training camp in called the Pirayesh. Canadian embassy in
Iraq. The Post was able to Jordan, she asked for
TORONTO - An Ira- view videos of recruit- the government's help
nian terrorist group ing sessions conducted getting back to To-
recruited teenaged there. ronto but she has since
children out of Canada said she wants to stay
with her fellow "holy
Somayeh while Leav-
and sent them to a ing the United States
guerrilla camp in Iraq, warriors".
an investigation by the An immigration tribu-
National Post has nal that looked into
found. Mohamaddy case
Address T he Mujahedin- e ruled this week that
E.mail: nejat@nejatngo.com Khalq sent recruiters she had gone to the
P.O.Box 14395/679, Tehran to Toronto to entice guerrilla camp "with
youths of Iranian heri- her parents' consent"
Fax: 88 96 10 31 A Toronto man who and that she is a
tage into joining an spent five years at
armed resistance cam- "committed member."
Camp Ashraf, begin- The family's story is
paign aimed at over- ning when he was 16,
throwing the Iranian told in a five-part se-
said in an interview he ries that begins today
government. underwent military
A banned terrorist or- in the National Post.
training but was im- Camp Ashraf was cap-
ganization under Ca- prisoned when he
nadian law since 2005, tured and disarmed by
asked to return home. the U.S. military fol-
the MEK worked out The account is consis-
of a base in residential lowing the 2003 inva-
We are on the Web! tent with a recent re- sion of Iraq. But most
homes in Toronto, port by New York-
www.nejatngo.com former members of based Human Rights
of the "children of the
the group said in inter- resistance" remain
Watch, which said the there, either unwilling
views. MEK had detained, or unable to leave.
While the bases tortured and killed Of the roughly 4,000
looked like ordinary "defectors" who had MEK guerrillas at the
households from the tried to leave the camp, about 300 have
outside, inside every- camp. returned to Iran and
one wore military uni- A Toronto human 200 have "defected" to
forms and the walls rights group, the Cen- an Amer ica n-r u n
were decorated with tre for Thought, Dia- camp called the Tem-
MEK flags and por- logue and Human porary International
N ej at Soci et y traits of guerrilla lead- Rights in Iran, says it Presence Facility.
ers, they said. has documented nine
The Canadian MEK other cases in which sbell@nationalpost.com