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Note: The translation has been done hastily using free online translation tool, so some of the content may not be understandable, but you can check with the original report in Portuguese for any error.

Link (in portoguese)

Carla Tomás
19 January 2007

A video put in the YouTube (site) shows the European deputy from Portugal, Paulo Casaca, dancing with elements of the group Mujahedine of the People of Iran (MKO). This event took place in the beginning of January (2007) in a base near to Baghdad.

A video put in the YouTube shows the European Deputy from Portugal Paulo Casaca dancing with members of the group Mojahedin of the People of Iran (MKO), an organization classified as terrorists by the European Union and by the United States. In statements to the Expresso, the European deputy of the socialist (Paulo Casaca) have participated, in the beginning of January, in bilateral meetings with elements of the Iranian resistance, in Camp Ashraf, during a visit to Iraq “with the objective of introducing the platform ‘Iraq with a Future’”. By his side in the video is also André Brie, a European deputy from Germany of the Left. They both attended this meeting the Iraq between 4 and 8 of January as the manager of the Association of Friends of Iran.
Mr. Casaca is also member of the Association of Friends of Israel and of the Committee 1559 (that fights for the disarmament of the Hezbollah in Lebanon).

Not feeling disturbed with the existence of the video (where they dance to a sample to Kurdish traditional song and another one in Azeri) to have been put on in the Internet, the European deputy reveals that he has already written to YouTube and asked for that altering of the title of the news – “Paulo Casaca, dancing with terrorists”. And he points that “who ever put the video on YouTube and showed it in the Iranian television must have been the Iranian regime, which is aware of his support for the opposition (ungraspable)” and feels offended since “the Court of Justice of EU has withdrawn the group from the list of terrorist organizations”.

However, the facts do not seem to be like this.
“(the Mojahedin) Did not leave, neither is going to be stricken off the list” – is the way the Advice of Ministers of the EU explains this to the Expresso on the current situation of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK), the Mojahedin of the People – Iranian opposition group, was included in the list of European Union since 2004 of terrorist organizations. In December of 2006, the Court of First Instance of the European Union annulled the decision include the MEK in the list of terrorist organizations of the EU and the subsequent congealment of its property, by stating that “certain rights and fundamental guarantees, including the right to a fair hearing” had not been properly observed.

The leader of the legal service of Advice estimated that the decision of the Court did not put in the Mojahedin off the list, neither the status of the MEK, (ungraspable). A responsible communal explained to Expresso that, in reading the verdict of the jurists of the Advice, the institution barely is obliged to explain to the organizations its cause, in how the MEK was decided to be include in the list and getting their assets frozen. “The committee is going to do what the Court have said and in the near week or so a letter will be sent to the MEK to inform of the decision”, by what the enclosure of the organization in the list and the congealment of the respective property “healthy for maintain”, increased to same spring. The MEK is included in the list of persons, entities and terrorist organizations in the European Union since its respective creation in May of 2002, in the aftermath of the attacks of 11 of September 2001. And there it has remained in the successive updating, to which the last update took place in May of 2006.

Already on the other side of the Atlantic, the Mojahedin is included on a similar list since 1997 and the political arm of the organization, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), was listed in 2003. The EU opted to not include the NCRI in its list. Currently, European terror list is made of 54 individuals and 50 groups, of which also ETA and Hamas. The MEK was first created in the 60’s as opposition to the then regime of the Shah. After the Islamic revolution of 1979 they entered in a collision course with the “regime of the ayatollahs”, when they fled Iran and continued their fight militarily from Iraq, where they counted on the protection and support of Saddam Hussein. After the fall of Saddam, the organization is based in Camp Ashraf, in the north-east of Baghdad.

Paulo Casaca visits Camp Ashraf and the Mojahedin-e Khalq of Iran
By Karim Haghi

This week Mr. Paulo Casaca (Member of the European Parliament for Portugal’s Socialist Party) and André Brie (member of Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left of Germany) both members of the European Parliament paid a 4 day “good will” tour of Camp Ashraf in the outskirts of Baghdad.
Camp Ashraf is operated by the terrorist organization of Mojahedin-e Khalq of Iran.
Mojahedin-e Khalq of Iran, also known as MKO, is listed on the terrorism list of many countries such as U.S.A, UK, Canada as well as the European Union.

MKO described the visit of Mr. Casaca and Brie to Camp Ashraf as a visit by an “Official” delegation from EU parliament, with the approval of EU union. However false these claims are this still puts into doubt the intentions and respect that the EU Parliament holds when they let members of their own organization visit a known terrorist group in their home base.
The presence of Paulo Casaca and André Brie in Camp Ashraf goes against the listing of MKO in EU parliament list of Terrorist Organizations.

During the current chaotic and violent conditions in Iraq, the MKO have been dealing and continuing their close relationship with Baathist party members in contributing to destabilize and undermine the Iraqi government.

The MKO uses the hundreds of millions of dollars that the former Iraqi regime delegated from Iraqi Oil-for-Food program, to fund and support former Baath party members in setting up numerous Newspapers, TV stations and Radio Channels in order to fight against an extradition from Iraq.

The Mojahedin also share their diplomatic and international connections with the groups that they fund in order to get more publicity and support.
By backing up these groups who in the past used to be part of the Iraqi regime, they now seek to gain mainstream support by the Iraqi people.

During the visit to Camp Ashraf by Paulo Casaca and André Brie, the Mojahedin gathered more then 4000 poor and hungry Iraqis to a lavishly set up dinner and food buffet where their presence provided the seemingly public support among ordinary Iraqis.

Back when Taliban controlled and ruled over Afghanistan, you could hire a soldier for no more then 3 Dollars a day and unfortunately the same applies in today’s Iraq where because of dire conditions and extreme poverty among Iraqi people, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to buy yourself the support from the hungry masses.

The close connection of Mr. Paulo Casaca with the terrorist organization of Mojahedin raises suspicion towards the credibility of his goals of a free and democratic Iran, and also the credibility of the European Parliament who until now have chosen to look the other way in regards to Mr. Casaca.

We’re asking the EU parliament anti-Terror department and delegation to make a statement in regards to Mr. Casacas visit to Camp Ashraf.
Please do not ignore this shameful act by Mr. Paulo Casaca.

Last but not least we are adding a short clip of Mr. Paulo Casacas visit to Camp Ashraf where he dined and danced with members of MKO.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnk2UUz0-54

Karim Haghi Moni

12 Jan 2007
www.iranpeyvand.com

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Description: Andre Brie, a German politician and Member of the European Parliament, visiting Camp Ashraf, a Terrorist camp belonging to the Mojahedin-e Khalq of Iran based in Iraq. Mr. Brie was accomponied along with Paulo Casaca.

Size: Various Sizes
Length: 7 Min