MOIS Disinformation

No evidence has been presented to support the claim that the Mojahedin fought alongside Saddam's forces to suppress the Kurdish uprising. There are only allegations fabricated by Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).

Disinformation Agents

Karim Haghi was briefly a member of the National Liberation Army.  He left the organization, traveled to Europe, where he was recruited in 1994 by Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) [br] [br]Haghi was interviewed in 2003 by Elaine Sciolino for a New York Times article about the People's Mojahedin. [br] [br] Haghi alleged that "Mrs. Rajavi told us to kill them [Kurds] with tanks and try to preserve our bullets for other operations."  Haghi also alleged in the article that "We were forced to kill both Kurds and Shiites, and I said I didn't come here to kill other people." [br] [br] Both quotes were fabricated by Haghi and have continued to re republished by news outlets and MOIS attack websites.After the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Iran's MOIS dispatched agents to Europe to distribute disinformation about the Mojahedin and NLA. A document by one of its agents - Jamshid Tafrishi (aka Tafrishi-Enginee) - was sent to the United Nations that alleged the NLA collaborated with Iraqi troops in attacks against the Kurds in northern Iraq and Shiites in the southern area.

The UN directed the International Educational Development, Inc. (IED), a U.N. roster non-governmental organization, to conduct an independent investigation of Tafrishi's allegations against the Mojahedin and NLA. The IED submitted a written report on its findings to the U.N. that was published in 1995.

"From our independent investigation and discussion with parties involved," the IED stated, "we find these allegations false."4 (emphasis added) IED said the NLS had not attacked the Kurdish people and was the target of a disinformation campaign by Iranian intelligence.

The IED said the allegations against the NLA originated mainly from Jamshid Tafrishi, (emphasis added) who had joined the Mojahedin in 1988 and then left the organization after 19 months, citing personal problems.5

The report said Tafrishi made his way to Europe where he participated in a public campaign against the People's Mojahedin. There is "compelling evidence," IED said, that Tafrishi was "an agent of the Khomeini regime's Ministry of Intelligence."6

Tafrishi's assignment was to "gather intelligence on Iranian exiles, to seek ways and means for discrediting them and all opponents of the regime," IED said. In doing so, the MOIS hoped to "make the international community believe the NLA is really fighting the Kurdish people in Iraq and as such is a pawn of the Iraq regime."7 (emphasis added)


1) "Written Statement Submitted by International Educational Development, a Non-Governmental Organization on the Roster," Economic and Social Council. United Nations. E/CN.4/Sub.2/1995/NGO/55, August 22, 1995.

2) Ibid.

3) Ibid.

4) Ibid.

5) "Iranian Opposition Movement's Many Faces," By Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, June 30, 2003.