Stop Fundamentalism – A recent report prepared for Pentagon reveals that the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security or MOIS considered psychological warfare against its main opposition movement, Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK or PMOI) , to be “one of its main objectives” throughout the world.
The report stresses that “The Iranian government and its intelligence apparatus considers MEK the most serious dissident organization,” that they have had to deal with.
MEK gained international recognition following an incident in Iraq when its unarmed members were attacked and massacred by the Iraqi government forces back in April 2011 in Camp Ashraf. Later in September last year the U.S. State Department removed the organization from its list of foreign terrorist organization.
The Pentagon’s report specifically names an Iranian MOIS operative, Massoud Khodabandeh and his British wife Anne Singleton to have been recruited outside of Iran since 1990. The two operating as former members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq are being used to run a disinformation campaign against the MEK.
According to the report “from 1990–93, MOIS recruited former members of MEK in Europe and used them to launch a disinformation campaign against MEK,” adding “MOIS made anti-MEK psychological warfare one of its main objectives, but MEK nonetheless has remained a viable organization.”
“The recruitment of a British subject, Anne singleton, and her Iranian husband, Masoud Khodabandeh, provides a relevant example of how MOIS coerces non-Iranians to cooperate,” says the report. Khodabandeh and his wife are infamous for their anti MEK activities which among others include providing false information to governments, media and think tanks. Khodabandeh was once invited to US by the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), an Iranian regime’s lobby led by Trita Parsi. But Khodabandeh was not allowed into the US due to his affiliation with the MOIS.
The report reveals that in 2002, Anne Singleton met in Tehran with MOIS agents who were interested in her background.” Accordingly, “Singleton received training in Tehran before returning to United Kingdom.”
The revelation shows that the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence owns and operates one of the largest spying and terrorist networks in the world operating globally from the Middle East countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and Lebanon, to central Asia and Africa, and in European countries such as France and Britain. The MOIS also operates extensively in Americas including in the United States as well.
According to the report, the MOIS employs over 30,000 people, all actively participating in its spying activities, terrorist bombings and assassinations, and stealing of technology.
MOIS operates directly under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Iran helps and makes use of other terrorist groups throughout the world, says the report. Groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Al-Qaeda in Iraq directly receive financial, technical and material support from Iran.
Aside from 17 assassinations named by the report of Iranian dissidents abroad, the report reveals that in many cases, the intelligence agents have kidnapped dissidents, taking them back to Iran. The victims were then imprisoned or killed.
“The recruitment of a British subject, Anne singleton, and her Iranian husband, Masoud Khodabandeh, provides a relevant example of how MOIS coerces non-Iranians to cooperate,” say the report.
The MOIS uses various methods to carry out its objectives. Trained intelligence personnel act undercover as diplomats in various Iranian embassies or working for companies such as Iran Air, Iranian banks’ branches abroad, or even through private companies and businesses.
Most Iranian foreign officers and diplomats have worked with MOIS, the IRGC, or other agencies. The ministry works with Iran’s Foreign Ministry to carry out operations abroad. Iranian embassies are used for collecting intelligence. MOIS and Quds force agents who work abroad receive diplomatic passports through the embassies.
To transfer money for its operations the regime uses state-controlled banks with branches in foreign countries, Pentagon reports.
