pasargad: August 2017

Thursday, August 31, 2017

The West's indifference to Iran's historic crimes lets my brother's killers get away

Ahmad Raoof Bashardoost was amongst the 30,000 victims of the Iranian mullahs’ madness in the summer of 1988Massoumeh Raouf

On a cold day in March 1988, my colleague came to me and said "Masoumeh, Masoumeh, you have a letter".

Receiving a letter is a routine for most people, but not for me. I was a former political prisoner in Iran and had been sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment in the city of Rasht in northern Iran. I was able to escape the prison miraculously and cross Iran's borders in a completely non-standard fashion. In the midst of a severe crackdown on dissent in Iran, it was very risky to send me a letter.

I opened the envelope with curiosity. I was shocked after reading a few lines. It was a letter from my younger brother, Ahmad. "Ahmad? Can this be true?"

For years I was waiting for such a day. Ahmad was arrested when the regime's Revolutionary Guards raided our home in 1982, when he was 16-years-old. His crime was participating in meetings held by the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the regime's main opposition. After suffering long torture he was sentenced to five years in prison. He was first held in Rasht Prison and was subsequently transferred to the notorious jails of Evin and Gohardasht.

Raja'i Shahr (Gohardasht) prison in Karaj, 20 kilometers west of Tehran

Iran is currently striving to manage a number of increasingly painstaking dilemmas. International spotlight is again on Tehran’s nuclear program, with the United States demanding United Nations inspectors be granted access to its military sites.

Equally troubling is Iran’s collaboration with North Korea to pursue their nuclear ambitions and ballistic missile capabilities. Such dossiers are enough to undermine the spirit of the JCPOA, Tehran now also considers its meddling in the Middle East indispensable in its effort to establish a regional empire reaching the Mediterranean.

As a result, receiving far less attention than it deserves is Iran’s Achilles Heel: human rights violations.

Despite pledges of reforms provided during May’s presidential election season, Iranian President Hassan has presided over more than 100 executions during the month of July alone. His first tenure, from 2013 to 2017 witnessed over 3,000 being sent to the gallows despite numerous calls for at least a temporary cessation.

Last week, Iran's atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi warned that the Islamic Republic can ramp up its uranium enrichment level to 20 percent in a matter of days, a short step away from weapons-grade material. Many will dismiss Salehi's comments as an attempt to up the ante a day before U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley met with International Atomic Energy Agency officials in Vienna to discuss Iran's nuclear program.

But for two distinct reasons, there's no definitive way to make sure Salehi is bluffing: First, Iran's history in hiding its illicit nuclear program, and second, the porous agreement that is supposed to prevent Iran from obtaining atomic weapons.

WHILE THE WEST SLEEPS, IRAN CONTINUES ON ITS DEADLY PATH

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh

When the nuclear agreement was reached in 2015 between the six world powers and Iran, I pointed out that the major mistake of Western governments was to believe that Tehran viewed the deal in the same way that they did.For the West, the deal was going to be transformational — moderating the Iranian government’s foreign policy and halting its nuclear ambitions. But from the viewpoint of Iranian leaders, the nuclear accord was a transitory and fleeting deal.

It was a means to an end.
There are increasing signs that Iran’s leaders never intended to abandon their nuclear proliferation. Recently, in a surprise move, the so-called “diplomat” of Iran, President Hassan Rouhani, as well as several other high level officials, warned that the Islamic Republic now has the capability to advance its nuclear activities much more quickly than before the nuclear agreement. Rouhani cautioned: “If Americans want to return to those experiences, Iran certainly in a short time – not weeks and months, but hours and days — will return to a more advanced situation than at the start of negotiations.” In addition, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, pointed out: “We have created a lot of bridges to return to the previous conditions, quicker and better. Nuclear activity is going on better than in the past in the area of enrichment and heavy water production, and with the new design of the Arak plant in cooperation with the Chinese, and the extraction of uranium.”
These remarks indicate that, when it comes to their nuclear program, Iran’s leaders have not been sitting idly by since the nuclear deal was reached. Instead, they suggest that Tehran has conducted nuclear research in violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). That is why Iran can boast that it has the capability to resume its nuclear proliferation at a much faster pace.

Iran Caught Shipping Soldiers to Syria on Commercial Flights in Violation of Nuclear Deal

Iran Air 747, Iran violates sanctions, use of Iran Air for military purposes

Congress demands investigation, imposition of new sanctions

By: Adam Kredo
The Washington Free Beacon, August 23, 2017 - New photographs obtained by congressional leaders show Iran shipping militant soldiers to Syria on commercial airline flights, a move that violates the landmark nuclear agreement and has sparked calls from U.S. lawmakers for a formal investigation by the Trump administration, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.

Photographs published by a Washington, D.C., think-tank and provided to Congress show Iran using its flagship commercial carrier, Iran Air, to ferry militants to Syria, where they have joined the fight against U.S. forces in the region.

The new photographic evidence has roiled congressional leaders, who accuse Iran of violating the nuclear deal, which prohibits it from using commercial air carriers for military purposes. These lawmakers are demanding the Trump administration investigate the matter and consider imposing new sanctions on Iran.

The release of these photographs allegedly showing Iran Air's illegal activity comes as top U.S. air carrier manufacturer Boeing moves forward with a multi-billion dollar deal to sell Iran Air a new modern fleet. Many in Congress have opposed the deal due to Iran's longstanding use of commercial aircraft for military purposes, such as transporting weapons and troops to regional hotspots such as Syria and elsewhere. It remains unclear the extent to which the former Obama administration was aware of this activity, which came in part while it was promoting Western airline sales to Tehran.

Iran Air's central role in the illicit transportation of militant forces to Syria could complicate Boeing's efforts to move forward with the sale, which still requires approval from the Trump administration's Treasury Department.

Royal Malaysian Navy personnel carry a body onto their ship during a search and rescue operation for survivors of the USS John McCain ship collision in Malaysian waters

SINGAPORE, Reuters, AUG. 24, 2017 - The U.S. Navy said on Thursday remains found by the Malaysian navy were not those of a sailor from the damaged warship USS John S. McCain.

The conclusion was made following medical examinations of the remains, which will be returned to Malaysian authorities, the U.S. Seventh Fleet said in a statement posted on its website.

The US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain

An international search-and-rescue operation involving aircraft, divers and vessels is looking for 10 U.S. sailors missing since Monday's collision between the U.S. guided-missile destroyer and a merchant vessel near Singapore.

On Tuesday, U.S. Navy and Marine divers found human remains inside sealed sections of the damaged hull of the John S. McCain, which is moored at Singapore's Changi Naval Base. The Navy has not yet announced the identity of anyone discovered.

Iran can enrich uranium within five days if the U.S. imposes more sanctions on Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's atomic agency head, warned this week. He claimed that Iran could achieve 20% enriched uranium in five days – a level at which it could then quickly be processed further into weapons-grade nuclear material.

Last week, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran could abandon its nuclear agreement with world powers "within hours" if the United States imposes any more new sanctions.

"If America wants to go back to the experience of imposing sanctions, Iran would certainly return in a short time – not a week or a month, but within hours - to conditions more advanced than before the start of negotiations," Rouhani told a session of parliament broadcast live on state television.

Mohammad Gharaee is a former political prisoner and joins one-day symbolic hunger strike in Stockholm.

Our aim was to draw urgent international attention to the plight of numerous Iranian political prisoners who have been on hunger strike now for over three weeks over the appalling abuses they are facing at the hands of the religious dictatorship.
On July 30, wardens in Iran’s notorious Rajai-Shahr Prison raided the ward for political prisoners, beating dozens of defenceless oppositions activists and confiscating their belongings. The inmates, some of whom are vocal supporters of the main democratic opposition People’s Mojahedin (PMOI or MEK), were subsequently transferred to an isolated high-security section of this prison which is equipped with CCTV. More than 60 surveillance devices and 40 closed-circuit cameras have been installed there to prevent any leakage of reports to the outside. All openings and windows have been covered and sealed with metal sheets.

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 23: U.S. President Donald J. Trump arrives at the The White House on August 23, 2017 in Washington, DC. Trump returned to Washington after hosting a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, and attending a veteran's convention in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Kleponis-Pool/Getty Images)

In line with the ongoing evaluation of Iran’s compliance or non-compliance with a pact aimed at curbing its nuclear ambitions, and as the administration of US President Donald Trump continues to weigh its comprehensive Iran policy, Nikki Haley, US Ambassador to the United Nations visited Vienna on Wednesday to meet with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials on a fact finding mission to shed more light on this entire dossier.

As past decades have proven, the appeasement policy adopted by the international community vis-à-vis Iran has failed to halt Tehran’s nuclear approach. Iran's nuclear ambitions continue despite the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Just recently, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said it is not a matter of months or weeks, but a matter of days for Iran’s nuclear program to be back on track. Ali Akbar Salehi, chief of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization and a vice president of Rouhani, raised the stakes even further by saying Tehran only needs 5 days to return to 20% uranium enrichment.

Haley had talks with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano and technical experts monitoring Iran’s nuclear activities governed by the JCPOA.

IRAN: Nuclear Chief acknowledges Iran regime abuses of nuclear deal in preparation for Atom bomb

Nuclear weapon blast

Necessity to prevent enrichment, intrusive inspections of military and civilian centers and interviews with scientist

Allegations of Ali Akbar, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on August 22, show well that the agreement with the six world powers, in addition to the unjustified economic and political concessions granted to the regime, has left the door open for obtaining a nuclear bomb . That is why, Salehi, while repeating hollow threats, emphasized repeatedly like Zarif and Rouhani that: 'Our highest priority is to preserve JCPOA' and 'We worked very hard to achieve JCPOA, and did not achieve it easily to lose it easily.'
'We can start up in a maximum of five days enrichment of 20% at Fordow,' Salehi said, adding that “Maintaining Fordow facility is a pro of the JCPOA.” In a hollow threat, which is more for internal consumption, he said, 'This action has various messages from technical and professional viewpoints, and the other party understands that message.'

Iran interferes in Yemen, Iran and Yemen map

NEW YORK, ARAB NEWS, 23 August 2017 - Saudi Arabia and Yemen have said Iran has no role to play in the region because it was the cause of the Yemeni crisis and not part of the solution.
Saudi Arabia’s UN Ambassador Abdullah Al-Mouallimi and Yemeni Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Abdulmalek Al-Makhlafi, made their remarks at a symposium titled “Partners for a Sustainable Peace in Yemen” which was held Monday at UN headquarters in New York.
Among the attendees were Adviser to the Royal Court and general supervisor of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRelief), Abdullah Al-Rabeeah; Saudi Ambassador in Yemen Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber; the Yemeni permanent representative to the UN, Khalid Yamani; Yemeni Minister of Local Administration Abdulraqeeb Fath; Yemeni ambassador to the US, Ahmed bin Mubarak; the special envoy of the UN secretary-general to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and the former US ambassador to Yemen, Gerald Firestein.

Iranian army troops march during a parade just outside Tehran, Iran, on April 18, 2017

Al Arabiya, 24 August 2017-- In the late 1980s, Iran’s revolutionary leader Ruhollah Khomeini built a force out of his infamous Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and named this special elite unit al-Quds Force.

Forged to spread Khomeini’s revolution to foreign lands, al-Quds became responsible for carrying out the IRGC’s extraterritorial operations. In no time, al-Quds became an effective force for exporting the Iranian revolution, first to neighbouring lands and then to countries across the globe.

The hideous modus operandi

Since the time of its establishment, al-Quds started contacting terror groups and militant Shia political organizations throughout the region who shared its agenda of creating an all-powerful Shiite empire, which would eventually encompass the entire Middle East and be controlled from Tehran.

Then with the aid of Hezbollah - the proxy terror group it created in the early 1990s – al-Quds sought to bring an end to Western influence in the Middle East, as well as the downfall of Gulf monarchies.

As part of its agenda to destabilise Sunni states, al-Quds Force used Hezbollah agents to infiltrate various Shia organizations within these countries, especially in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. With a program to rake up violent insurrection by causing chaos and confusion, these agents worked hard to bring about an end to the region’s Sunni monarchies, with an endgame to install Shiite administrations loyal to the Iranian regime.

Last week, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran could abandon its nuclear agreement with world powers "within hours" if the United States imposes any more new sanctions.

In response, U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley said Iran should not be allowed "to use the nuclear deal to hold the world hostage."

IRAN: After the JCPOA, the amount of Iran's foreign debts?

Irans Nuclear Deal

Iran, 21 August 2017-- According to the News, the short-term foreign debts of the Iran regime has increased by 900%. The state-run websites on August 17, 2017, reported, 'The Central Bank of Iran recently announced that the balance of payments in June 2017 indicates an increase of foreign debts in the 11th government. According to this report, the amount of short-term foreign debts reached $754 million dollars when Rouahni took the office in the first round. The debts have gone up and down over the past 4 years and they finally reached 3 billion and 472 million dollars with an increase of 360% by this year.

In other words, the short- term foreign debts rose 900% after the post-JCPOA period and they have increased by 3 billion and 121 million dollars.

The crippling debts arise from the blocked assets of Iran which were going to be released based on Iran Deal. Therefore, it was expected that Iran would be able to pay the foreign debts on time. Nevertheless, we witnessed the rise in debts.

Additionally, the long-term foreign debts have also increased after Iran Deal, as the Central Bank of Iran reported. An examination on the increase of these two debt indicators shows that the total foreign debts of the country have also risen by 2 billion and 842 million dollars over the past 4 years. The debts of Rouhani's government to the banking system have also doubled to 220 trillion Tomans.

Reza Shahabi, a member of the board of directors of Iran

IRAN: 22 August 2017-- International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) General Secretary Sharan Burrow, has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Reza Shahabi, a member of the board of directors of Iran’s Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (UWTSBC).

Burrow, while referring to what she has described as years of torture and inappropriate treatment of Shahabi behind bars, reiterated, “[Reza] the labor rights activist was on medical furlough but Tehran’s prosecutor-general refused to extend his parole.”

According to the letter, written to Iran regime's President Hassan Rouhani, Reza Shahabi was forced to return to the Rajai Shahr (Gohardasht) prison in Karaj, where he found that the time he spent on medical leave was considered as “absence” and his jail term has been extended for another 968 days.

The war on Yemen

UNITED NATIONS, AP, Aug 21, 2017 -- Yemen's foreign minister blamed Iran and its support for Houthi Shiite rebels on Monday for causing the country's civil war and said it can't be part of the solution.

Abdulmalik Al-Mekhlafi said at a press conference that Iranian weapons are still being smuggled into Yemen.

Saudi Arabia's U.N. ambassador, Al-Mouallimi, whose country supports Yemen's internationally recognized government, said Iran isn't a neighbor or part of the Arabian Peninsula and he had a more direct message: 'Iran should get the hell out of the area, period.'

The Saudi and Yemeni officials spoke to reporters after a presentation to U.N. diplomats on the path to peace and humanitarian aid to Yemen.

Yemen, which is on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has been engulfed in civil war since September 2014, when the Houthis swept into the capital of Sanaa and overthrew President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi's internationally recognized government

Atena Daemi, Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee and Maryam Akbari Monfared, detained in the women's ward of Evin Prison, published an open letter on August 19, 2017, calling on conscientious people to speak out against the difficult conditions of political prisoners in Gohardasht Prison who are on the 20th day of their hunger strike in protest to the extremely repressive conditions in that prison.

In their letter, Atena Daemi, Golrokh Iraee and Maryam Akbari Monfared have emphasized, “Those who are critical of the government --for whatever reason-- must not face such harsh reactions placing them under inhumane conditions in prison. Under the clerical regime, many people have been killed unjustly, countless rights trampled, and many unjust rulings issued. Hunger strike has remained as the only way for prisoners to demand justice.”

The political prisoners of the women’s ward of Evin also wrote in their letter, “While supporting the prisoners who are on hunger strike, we call on all international human rights organizations, the UN High Commissioner (for Human Rights) and the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran, Ms. Asma Jahangir, to undertake urgent action to save the lives of Gohardasht prisoners, especially those on hunger strike. Your silence and inaction will end up turning into a political cover for continued and widespread violations of human rights in Iran.”

by-Jazeh Miller

Former member of the European Parliament and chair of Friends of a Free Iran, Struan Stevenson, has campaigned for freedom in Iran for many years. He spoke at the exhibition in Paris commemorating the anniversary of the atrocious 1988 massacre in Iran.In his speech at the City Hall of the first district in the city, Stevenson called for a comprehensive United Nations inquiry into the crime against humanity in which more than 30,000 political prisoners

were executed following a fatwa issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader at that time.

He thanked the mayor of the district for the organisation of the exhibition which he called a “magnificent event” for the memory of the victims of the massacre. He said that it serves as a reminder to politicians in Europe that the human rights issue is a universal value that should not be ignored, forgotten or compromised at the expense of economic interests.

Stevenson mentioned the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Frederica Mogherini’s, visit to Iran for the inauguration of President Hassan Rouhani after he was re-elected for his second term. He said that the visit “stunned the world” because Rouhani took the country to the top of the list for the highest number of executions per capita.

He pointed out that Rouhani, described by the West as “moderate” is responsible for the execution of more than three thousand people during his first term, 80 of whom were women. He added: “Three days before Mogherini arrived in Tehran, Amnesty international published a 94-page report highlighting the ‘web of oppression’ that pervades Iran and detailing the catastrophic human rights situation in the country.”

Stevenson also spoke about the unjust imprisonment of opponents of the regime and mentioned the case of Maryam Akbari Monfared who was thrown in jail in 2009. He emphasized that the Iranian authorities make up false charges and torture prisoners into confessing to crimes they did not commit. Trails are also a farce in Iran and people are not given due process or access to the lawyer of their choice.

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh

Arabnews, 20 August 2017 - There is a need for a more firm approach toward the Iranian government and its increasingly aggressive foreign policy.Tehran is ratcheting up its interference and interventions in Arab countries. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliates are increasing domestic repression as well, according to the latest reports by human rights organizations.

Support for a firm approach against the Iranian political establishment is increasing in the United States. About 30 prominent American luminaries and former officials issued a joint statement expressing bipartisan support for underscoring the need for countering Tehran regime. Among the signatories were former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

It is crucial to point out that the Iranian government has been causing regional instability, engaging in egregious human rights violations and exporting terrorism and extremism abroad. The letter scolds the Iranian regime for committing these acts.

The view that the regime can be reformed has been proved to be inaccurate, simplistic and unsophisticated. Former US presidents made efforts to moderate Iran’s foreign policy through engagement, diplomacy or concessions. Nevertheless, as history reveals, these efforts have failed.

Seeking Justice for Victims of 1988 Massacre is Indispensable for the Iranian Nation’s Campaign to Overthrow the Regime in IranDear sisters and brothers, the honorable friends of the Iranian Resistance,I salute you all.The presence of supporters of Iranian Resistance in this gathering, which is calling for justice for the victims of the 1988 massacre in Iran, is heartwarming.This is an extraordinary gathering.

Among you here today, more than 920 have spent many years in prisons of the Shah and Khomeini. Nearly 10 percent were incarcerated during under the Shah and about 90 percent under the mullahs’ regime. Some served anywhere from 5 to 10 and 12, 13, 15 and even 17 years. Seeking Justice for Victims of 1988 Massacre in Iran

In 2009, the Iranian Resistance’s Leader Massoud Rajavi said that the names of all of you, who were in Camp Ashraf, Iraq, at the time, had been sent to all relevant international organizations.
The renowned American law professor Alan Dershowitz, once described the residents of Ashraf as “the largest concentration of witnesses” to the crimes of the Iranian regime in the world and urged the international community to protect these witnesses

Video: Search ongoing after Indian rail crash claims at least 23 lives

Emergency workers seek survivors of the derailment

NEW DELHI, AFP, 20 August 2017 - Emergency crews searched mangled carriages Sunday for any further victims after a train crash in northern India killed 23 passengers, the fourth major accident this year on the crumbling network.

Another 156 people were injured when 14 carriages came off the tracks in Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh state, 130 kilometres (80 miles) from New Delhi, on Saturday evening.

The coaches were left in a mangled heap after the express train derailed at 100 kilometres per hour, crashing into nearby houses and a college.

Rescuers used gas-powered saws Sunday to prise apart the tangled metal and search the wreckage with sniffer dogs.

'We are checking the coaches thoroughly for any survivors or bodies. We will clear the tracks today,' Anant Dev, Muzaffarnagar district police chief, told AFP.

A large crowd descended on the accident site to help free passengers from the damaged carriages, many of which were upended and torn open.

Seeking Justice for Victims of 1988 Massacre

Seeking Justice for Victims of 1988 Massacre is Indispensable for the Iranian Nation’s Campaign to Overthrow the Regime in Iran

Dear sisters and brothers, the honorable friends of the Iranian Resistance,

I salute you all.
The presence of supporters of Iranian Resistance in this gathering, which is calling for justice for the victims of the 1988 massacre in Iran, is heartwarming.
This is an extraordinary gathering. Among you here today, more than 920 have spent many years in prisons of the Shah and Khomeini. Nearly 10 percent were incarcerated during under the Shah and about 90 percent under the mullahs’ regime. Some served anywhere from 5 to 10 and 12, 13, 15 and even 17 speech-on-the-anniversary-of-1988-massacre-of-political-prisoners-in-

The military phase of the fight against ISIS is winding down after the liberation of Mosul, and the battle for the nearby town of Tal Afar is predicted to end soon. This has provided an opportunity for Iraq to begin distancing itself from the influence gained by Iran following the disastrous 2003 war, and returning to its true Arabic heritage.

Iraq was known as a melting pot where Arabs, Kurds and Turkmens lived alongside and in mixed societies for centuries. Prior to Iran gaining its disastrous sway across Mesopotamia, this was a land where the majority of Shiites lived and prospered with their Sunni, Christian, Yazidi and all other religious minority brothers.

Has not the time arrived for Iraq to regain its true position as part of the Arab world, and rid its soil of the meddling of Iran’s clerics?

Long-awaited developments

Iraqi officials have embarked on a new campaign of visiting Saudi Arabia and other Arab Sunni states, signaling long-welcomed changes. The influential Sadrist leader Muqtada was seen in the final days of July meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.

Only days later Sadr paid a visit to the United Arab Emirates, another critic of Iran’s policies, where he was welcomed as an Iraqi leader by a slate of leading politicians and clerics.

Sadr’s visit rendered a variety of measures by Riyadh, including launching a Saudi Consulate in Sadr’s hometown of Najaf, one of the two holiest Shiite cities in Iraq. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, known as Iraq’s most senior Shiite cleric, his distance from Tehran’s viewpoints and calling for Iraq to practice openness in establishing relations, did not block such a proposition.

NCRI

Tirana, Albania, August 12, 2017 - Mrs. Maryam Rajavi (left), the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran meeting a senior delegation from the United States Senate. The two sides discussed the situation of members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq in Albania and the recent developments in Iran and the Middle East.

The NCRI is a political coalition calling for regime change in Iran and considered the main threat to Tehran’s mullahs. The MEK is the main member of this coalition of a variety of Iranian dissident groups and individuals.

“Led by Senator Blunt, the delegation congratulated the safe and secure relocation of all Camp Liberty residents outside of Iraq and wished them success in their struggle for democracy and human rights in Iran,” according to an NCRI statement.

Rajavi expressed her gratitude for the tireless efforts of the U.S. Senate, particularly Senator Blunt, regarding the protection of thousands of MEK members in Iraq, and their safe relocation to Albania.

Senator Blunt was among several American dignitaries, including senior former officials, who at a July 2014 Senate briefing strongly condemned Iran’s highly destructive role in Iraq. While describing Tehran as part of the problem plaguing Baghdad and the entire country, Senator Blunt joined the initiative in demanding the urgent transfer of PMOI/MEK members stationed in a former US military base known as Camp Liberty near the Iraqi capital.

Senator Blunt and his colleagues John McCain (R-AZ) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and former Senator Carl Levin had urged former Secretary of State John Kerry to “press for the protection of Camp Liberty and to expedite the resettlement of the Camp Residents to countries outside Iraq, including the United States.”

WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF THE US SENATORS VISIT WITH MRS. MARYAM RAJAVI AND THE MEMBERS OF THE PMOI/MEK FOR IRAN?

By Mahdavi nasim

Last week, a panel of US senators headed by Roy Blunt arrived in Tirana and met with Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran(NCRI) and members of the People's Mojahedin Organization(PMOI/MEK).

The Senate delegation consisted of Senators Roy Blunt, Vice President of the Republican Conference, and member of the Appropriation, Select Intelligence, Rules and Administration, and Commerce, Science, and Transportation committees; John Cornyn, the Majority Whip, and a member of the Judiciary, Select Intelligence, and Finance committees; and Thom Tillis, a member of the Armed Services, Judiciary, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and Veterans’ Affairs committees.

Thursday, August 31, 2017

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