The following statement was issued by the Office of the People's Mojahedin of Iran in Baghdad and is forwarded for your information.
Press Office of the People's Mojahedin of Iran - Paris
January 8, 1997

Press conference sheds light on aims and political background of mullahs' terrorist attack on Baghdad office of Mojahedin

In a press briefing this noon at the Office of the People's Mojahedin of Iran in Baghdad, Messrs. Ibrahim Zakeri, Chairman of the Anti-terrorism Committee of the National Council of Resistance, and Mohammad Mohaddessin, Chair of the NCR Foreign Affairs Co mmittee, elaborated on the details and objectives of the mullahs' criminal attack, Tuesday night, on that office, explained the political background of the incident and answered questions. Dozens of reporters, camera crews and photographers from internati onal media filled the briefing room.

"The three mortars which were used last night by the mullahs' regime are but a few of the 20 sets of similar weapons manufactured on the orders of Khamenei [the mullahs' leader] in June 1995," Ibrahim Zakeri explained. "The mortars are designed to target the headquarters of the Iranian Resistance's leadership," Zakeri added. "One set of these giant guns was discovered early last year at the Belgian Port of Antwerp and another one in Baghdad, foiling the attempted terrorist operations." Mr. Zakeri emphasiz ed: "The regime's Ministry of Intelligence has sent more of these weapons abroad to Europe."

"Deploying a weapon of mass destruction in Baghdad's city center bespeaks of the regime's powerlessness in confronting the nationwide resistance in Iran and the growing number of popular uprisings across the country, " Mr. Mohaddessin pointed out and said , "The regime thus aims to retaliate and at the same time boost the morale of its demoralized forces."

Mohaddessin recalled that the journey of the Iranian Resistance's President-elect, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, which has brought her near the Iranian frontier, has already tolled the bells for the downfall of the mullahs. He repeated the call by the Iranian Resis tance's leader Massoud Rajavi who urged the United Nations to condemn this criminal attack and make binding decisions against the Khomeini regime.

At the end of the conference, journalists inspected the truck mounted with mortar launchers, and took pictures and films from the big holes created in the ground as well as the Union of Iraqi Writers and Poets, Haidari Hospital and the Central Health Labo ratory which were hit in Tuesday night's attack.

Office of the People's Mojahedin of Iran - Baghdad
January 8, 1997

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