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Two Members of PMOI Abducted - MNF-Iraq Solicits Information

By Alan Gray, NewsBlaze  

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Two residents of the former Mujahideen e-Khalq (People's Combatants of Iran) headquarters at Camp Ashraf have been reported to authorities as abducted Aug. 4 in eastern Baghdad while on a routine logistics trip to Baghdad.

The residents of Camp Ashraf have been considered protected persons under the fourth Geneva Convention since June 2004.

Upon receiving reports of the abduction, Multi-National Force - Iraq requested that the Iraqi Police investigate the incident and is assisting in attempts to locate the missing individuals.

PMOI is the main Iranian opposition group, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran. Many of them are located in Camp Ashraf, in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad, Iraq.

Tens of thousands of PMOI members have been killed or imprisoned by the Iranian regime since the 1980s.

Willard Payne at Crossfirewar.com told NewsBlaze "I assume those arrested are remnants of the leftist guerrilla group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq-e-Iran (People's Combatants of Iran). They were part of the coalition that overthrew the Shah but soon were serious rivals for control of the country and became very much opposed to the Khomeini governement. They allied themselves with the then Iranian President Bani Sadr who assumed the military supported them. Both Bani Sadr and the Mujahedeen overestimated their strength and had to flee into exile after waging a virtual civil war against the Khomeini government. That is why Khomeini called Iraq's invasion, that Sept. 1980 a blessing from Allah because it re-united enough of the country, especially the military in defense of Iran. The war with the Mujahedeen actually served to strengthened the hold the Mullahs, the clerics, have over the country. It instituted the police state that Iran now is and with full support of the military."

Payne also said "The Mujahedeen were able to establish some bases in Iraq not too far from Iran's border and before Saddam was removed occasionally engaged in some guerrilla activity against Iran".

MNF-I requests that anyone in possession of information on the whereabouts of these two individuals to contact the Iraqi Police or MNF-I at the email address below.

Source: Multi-National Force-Iraq