Iranian MOIS Agents in the West Shouldn’t Go Free

Anne Singleton and her husband Massoud Khodabande
Anne Singleton and her husband Massoud Khodabande

Anne Singleton and her husband Massoud Khodabande

A former Deputy Director of the C.I.A’s national clandestine service, John Sano, revealed in Paris on February 2, that “a secret war is going on in Washington” to influence U.S.’s future policy on Iran which ” the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, the MOIS, is fully engaged in.” The former CIA official added that in fact, “they’re probably directing it.”

“I’m familiar with how they operate,” Sano said referring to the Iranian MOIS.  “They are very good at disseminating what we call ‘disinformation’ about their opponents.  In fact, the largest element within the MIOS is the Department of Disinformation.  They use psychological warfare and disinformation against regime’s opponents,” he said in a conference discussing policy on Iran.

Mr. Sano described the MOIS to be a sophisticated service that besides being engaged in kidnapping, torture, sabotage, and assassination, it is quite subtle in influencing the large media in the west, using them to spread lies and advance their misinformation campaigns.

Describing different tactics used by the MOIS he said “the MOIS has for years utilized the services of a British citizen, Ann Singleton, and her Iranian born husband.” He referred to a so-called refugee support organization operating in France which is being used as a cover to publish false propaganda against the main Iranian opposition movement, the Mujahedin-e-Khalq or MEK.

While the western countries and specifically the United States focus on punitive actions against the Iranian regime to limit its nuclear program and violations of human rights against the people of Iran, activities of the Iranian MOIS in the west and outside Iran has raised serious concerns.

The British Parliamentary Committee of Iran Freedom last week called for action to be taken regarding agents of the regime including Anne Singleton and her husband Masoud Khodabande.

A Pentagon study, revealed by Freebeacon.com last month, exposed the two Iranian MOIS agents and confirmed their active involvement with the agency working specifically on the demonization warfare that the Iranian regime wages against its opposition in exile.

The MOIS not only, acts to undermine and threaten members and supporters of the Iranian opposition in exile, it is also engaging in terrorism and other illegal operations in the west.

In February 2012, the U.S. Treasury designated the Iranian MOIS for this country’s extending of “support to terrorist groups” as well as “its central role in perpetrating human rights abuses against the citizens of Iran.”

Accordingly, based on this designation “Any property or property interests in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons in which the MOIS has an interest are blocked, and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions with it.”  The statement by Treasury emphasizes that, as a result of the action “all members of the MOIS are also ineligible to receive visas from the Department of State.”