Ceasefire between Mojahedin and Washington

Ceasefire between Mojahedin and Washington
Alwatan (Saudi daily)
April 24, 2003

Ceasefire between People’s Mojahedin and Washington means cooperation between the organization and the American forces

The command center of the American forces in Iraq singed a ceasefire agreement. This took place after two weeks of negotiations. The substance of this agreement which has leaked in part in Washington do not match its title, because there was basically no fire between the sides.

Instead, the substance of the agreement was to lay the foundations for cooperation between the American forces and groups of the People’s Mojahedin which would guarantee the presence of these groups in sensitive positions close to Iranian border to counter what the Washington believes to be steadily increasing influence of Tehran in Iraq after Saddam Hossein.

Number of senior officials of the Bush administration believe that Tehran has allowed thousands of Iraqis who had fled from Saddam Hossein’s regime to Iran and received military training there, to enter Iraq in recent days through Amara, Kout and Basra and the Mandali region.

The ceasefire agreement between the American forces and the People’s Mojahedin Organization stipulates on the stationing of two brigades of the Mojahedin in Mandali region to the north east of Kout.

The Americans believe that People’s Mojahedin have a lot of information about what is going on in Iran and the expected influence of Tehran over Iraq. In addition, the Mojahedin may be deployed to counter the armed elements affiliated to the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which the Americans say are pouring in Iraq unabatedly.