The United States has signed a ceasefire agreement with the Mojahedin e Khalgh Organization (MEK) in Iraq.  They are referred to as MKO, PMOI, or MEK:

http://www.rferl.org/nca/features/2003/05/07052003162909.asp

There are reports by MEK former members about imprisonment and death of former members by that organization:

http://www.irandidban.com/

Below I would like to write my own experience with them on various Iranian forums.

I think MEK is an organization which allows itself to destroy its genuine critics by calling them IRI Information Ministry agents, because of them disagreeing with MEK about political issues.  They have done this harassment with former members of NCIR such as Khanbaba Tehrani or Matin Dafatari and they have done it to MEK former members and many others as well.

The above actions have happened over and over again.  There are people who are still in NCIR and know about such MEK tactics; and hopefully they will come forward and publicly talk about it and condemn these harassments of MEK.  The MEK uses a double tactic having some of its functionaries to call honest opposition members as Vevak, to harass them to stop them from opposing MEK politics, while their other functionaries do different and try to emphasize unity of opposition, and this is a carrot and stick game of MEK, playing with the life of honest people.  These harassments by MEK have caused a strong resentment by many Iranian opposition thinkers for MEK.

As far as MEK's working with Saddam Hussein during Iran-Iraq War, I have written before.  Also I have previously written extensively about the errors in their program, which still prescribes an *Islamic* republic for Iran, when Iranian people have no interest in *any* kind of Islamic republic.  They also advocate a very statist government and are a very cultish undemocratic organization, which I have explained before:

http://www.ghandchi.com/index-Page14.html

Frankly although the above are grave political errors, I consider the MEK tactics of trying to harass and destroy the genuine known personalities of Iranian opposition and groups, that have disagreement with them, by calling them as Vevak, to be the best description of Mojahedin tactics.  And MEK has not condemned these appalling tactics that are used clandestinely by its members, and have been proven on various occasions to be sponsored by MEK organization.  I have written about it many times that MEK needs to be dissolved, for those honest people in it to separate themselves, and to part with those who use such dishonesty and harassment which only damages the Iranian opposition:

http://www.ghandchi.com/137-DissolveMKO.htm

Let me emphasize that discussing political differences not only is good, but it strengthens Iranian opposition, and unfortunately the same MEK functionaries who harass people with labeling, condemn discussion of differences of political and ideological issues as breaking unity; while they themselves harass known opposition personalities by personal attacks because those personalities oppose them politically and ideologically, and the MEK calls them as IRI Information Ministry in various forums, and *their* action *is* what breaks the unity of Iranian opposition.

Actually contrary to the pre-1979 period, Iranian opposition has been more and more emphasizing on ideological and political discussions, rather than throwing the differences under the rug.  But what MEK does, is on one hand stopping and distracting such genuine discussions, in various Iranian forums, and on the other hand, uses labeling against genuine opposition individuals and groups, calling them Vevak, to damage the genuine opposition groups and individuals.

In my opinion, U.N. must deal with MEK in Iraq.  I think the MEK must be required to comply with the human rights monitors of its organization and camps.  The leadership of MEK must be brought to courts of crimes against humanity and answer to the charges of imprisonment and death of members, which are reported by MEK's former members.

I hope the ceasefire between the U.S. and MEK does not mean U.S. supporting them as-is, and forgetting about the human rights issues with regards to MEK practices.  If these issues are not addressed, the MEK can be another Osama Bin Laden who was supported by the U.S. in the fight against the Soviet Union, without requiring human rights conditions.  I have written about the need for human rights conditions for any relations with MEK.  The HR requirement will help those in MEK who care for human rights, and will deal with those others in MEK who have been acting against human rights of even their own members in that organization:

http://www.ghandchi.com/187-mojahedin.htm

I need to emphasize that many of those who had joined MEK did not join it to work for Saddam, and they wanted to fight the atrocities of Islamic Republic of Iran. And they did not join it to create a dictatorial group and if the circumstances change, those individuals can be part of Iran's democratic opposition, and they would condemn the dishonest and hurtful harassment and intimidations tactics of MEK that I have noted above, and the human rights of those mojAhedin members must be defended.

Sam Ghandchi, Publisher/Editor
IRANSCOPE
http://www.iranscope.com
May 7, 2003

Postscript-  May 7, 2003-My Request from Human Rights Organizations

P.S. My request from human rights organizations including UN is that they investigate all the human rights violations charges against MEK and to ask the U.S. to give them access to that organization in Iraq to determine the issues of imprisonment and death of dissidents by MEK in Saddam's jails reported by former MEK members. As I noted above, I have witnessed the dishonesty, intimidation and harassment of dissidents by MEK members and sympathizers, on various Internet forums, and unless serious action is taken by MEK, I think this issue has to be resolved by outside HR groups the same way IRI violations of human rights are handled by the international HR groups.