Former General in charge: Government Must Keep Promise to MEK

The State Department has asked for a delay in a lawsuit brought by the Iranian dissident group MEK (Mujahdeen-e Khalq) that would compel the State Department to remove MEK from the terror watch list in 30 days. After talking to former Brigadier General David Phillips, the highest ranking American armed forces representative at Camp Ashraf from 2003-2009, and Shariar Kia, a MEK representative at Camp Ashraf, I am wondering why.

Kia, who attended University of North Texas, said, "We want to stay at Ashraf. The Americans want us to Camp Liberty, which is a prison. How do we know that the Iraqis will not kill us like they did in 2009 and 2011? Our members that are handicapped and disabled have made a video saying how fearful of the move they are. They do not know how they will cope."

Phillips assured me, "I found no evidence that they were terrorists. I conducted many midnight raids looking for weapons and found nothing. While MEK was terrorist organization in the seventies, the majority the MEK members at Ashraf are under 30. They were not even born when the terrorism occurred."

He explained why the MEK does not leave Ashraf for Camp Liberty. He said, "Ashraf is Disneyland. The MEK have built the camp into a paradise. There are 25 foot vines of roses, mini Eiffel Towers. Camp Liberty is a prison. They will be cut off from all communication. They will have no cell phones or internet. Without any form of communication with the outside world, they fear what the Iraqis will do."

In 2005, he wrote a letter, which probably cost him a promotion, to human rights organizations criticizing their characterization of the MEK as a cult. The former general when challenged on Saturday did not rule out the possibility that they were a cult.

"There are cultish parallels," he said. I was in Waco, Texas with the Branch Davidians. Maryam Rajavi is no David Koresh or Jim Jones."

He continued, "There are separate female and male units. Members, who wear uniform like clothes, are married to the cause not each other," Phillips said. "One of the leaders, Oxford educated Hossein, told me that his wife was at the camp but he did not see her for two years."


He conceded that members would have no trouble dying for the cause- either fighting the Iranian regime or by suicide.

"All of the leaders wear a black leather strap around their necks that holds a square poach. Inside the pouch, there is a black rubber capsule that contains an off white powder that is cyanide," he said. The powder is enough to kill three people. I have asked them about it. They feel they  will be tortured for information and then killed so it is better just to die and not give up the information. I do not see this as a mass suicide like Jim Jones in Guyana."


The general, who was in Germany when the wall came down, insists, "They are a democracy. Maybe, not an American style democracy. I watched them hold elections and elect leaders at Ashraf. Their beginnings were Marxist. They have more of a Communist way of doing things."

Most of the senior leaders are women, which is atypical for the Middle East. Phillips believes that the MEK would be preferable to the current Iranian regime.

Phillips also dispute the wide spread allegation that the MEK holds members against their will. "They may not be happy that members leave. Neither is the army for that matter," said the general. "I have watched them escorted members that are leaving to the camp's entrance. They leave with two suitcases and are given $200 American dollars and some Iraqi dinar."

Retired from the army, Phillips spends time advocating for the MEK. When asked why, he said, "The American Government made a promise, which I was part of, to protect the MEK. I want the government to keep that promise. The world will not be safe for marines like my son if we do not keep the promises we negotiate."

The Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik Discusses Religion At Jewish Museum

In the middle of taping an episode of "The Big Bang Theory, Mayim Bialik, who plays neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler on the show, came to Philadelphia for a whirlwind 24 hours. Bialik gave a poignant keynote address at the 90th anniversary celebration of the first Bat Mitzvah, the Jewish ceremony that commemorates a girl becoming a woman at the age of 12, held at the National Museum of American Jewish History at Independence Mall in Philadelphia.

Bialik's own Bat Mitzvah occurred on the same day that her picture was splashed across the front page of the Los Angeles Times Arts Calender. She had been cast as the young Bette Midler in "Beaches, which opened at the same time. Since her name Mayim is the Hebrew word for water, the theme of her bat mitzvah was oceanic - blue dresses, goldfish in bowls as table centerpieces, and submarine sandwiches.

She also talked candidly about the conflict of being religious in Jewish but secular Hollywood. "As a religious woman, I had not worn pants in public for 4 years. Amy, my character, had to wear sweat pants in one scene that would be seen all over the world. While there are several rabbinical rulings about wearing pants, I just went with the halacha ruling that it would be alright if my back side was covered. I have not perfected everything about my observance.

Bialik, whose mother tongue is Yiddish, had a chance to tour the museum. "The Sandy Koufax glove was my favorite item in the museum. It was pretty wonderful to see that the museum was part of Independence Mall."

I will be writing more for my cover story on Bialik for the summer issue of Chutzpah Magazine. One thing is for sure, she is not acting when her character on "The Big Bang Theory" sounds intelligent.

Xfinity Live: Where the Pretty Girls Are

 XFINITY Live!, the new entertainment/dining complex at the stadiums, is a family friendly complex.

Wings Preview Party

The night that I was there, it was an adults only party. The vibe of the place is a little different. The waitresses at the VIP Lounge, who were wearing strapless tops with built in corsets and miniskirts, were pulling on their tops because they were tight and uncomfortable.

One said, "It hurt to breathe in these uniforms. They are so tight."

The discomfort will probably translate into bigger tips for the ladies and a more sophisticated look for Philly.

PBR Grill, in the XFINITY Live! Complex, has doubled down on the "Coyote Ugly" concept by requiring the waitresses to wear leather chaps over red short shorts. Naturally, none of the male bartenders were dancing on the bar. Until that happens, women will not have equality..

Call me a church lady, but these ladies look sexy enough for me.

These are the bartenders that I would prefer to see dancing on top of the bar. 

The First Look at XFINITY Live!

Rob Johnson, vice president of marketing for XFINITY Live!, graciously invited me to tonight's soft opening for new the dining/entertainment complex next to the stadiums. Comcast-Spectacor CEO Ed Snider, in partnership with the Cordish Company, have built the ultimate man cave, "Coyote Ugly" times two.

$3 million dollars of electronics

Dancers at PBR

A Bull Sandwich

Some of the memorabilia at Broad Street Bullies

A Waitress at the VIP Lounge

The waitresses at the NBC Sports Arena

Some of the craft beers at Victory

Musical Acts will play here all summer

PBR Dancers

The chandelier in the VIP Lounge

Victory waitresses

The DJ Booth

Victory

Fela! is Occupy Wall Street Put to Music

Fela, the Tony award winning Broadway sensation, arrived at the Academy of Music last night. Fela! is the story of Nigerian musician turned politician Fela Kuti. He invented Afro Beat music, a catchy blend of jazz, African drums, psychedelic rock, and funk now globally rocked to.When he was not making music, he was busy railing against the corrupt entities in Nigeria. Fela offers a poignant reminder of how western corporations such as AIG, News Corp, BP and Halliburton have robbed the African people of their birthright. Unfortunately, the story resonates today except that the bad apples are named Bank of America and Wells Fargo and the people being robbed is us.

In the immigration debate, we often forget how hard life is in other countries. Fela! reminds us. While most of us spend our time going to BYOB parties, the Nigerians often attend BYOC (Bring Your Own Coffin) funerals.

Adesola Oskalumi, who played Fela with verve, was on stage almost all of the 2 1/2 hours of the show. He cajoled the audience to sing and not just to dance but to swivel their hips Elvis style. Not sitting in the first row, I could not get a whiff of the pot that he was smoking. What a shame!

Kudos to Matt Wolf of the Kimmel Center for bringing the show to Philadelphia. If his boss, Kimmel Center CEO Ann Ewers, wonders where he is this morning, he was hitting the dance floor at the cast party pretty hard.

Steve Hendel is the Clark Kent of producers- mild mannered energy trader by day and glamorous Tony award winning Broadway producer at night. He was able to persuade Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Jay-Z and Beyonce to be producers of this show. He threw a great cast party last night at Fluid. I saw two shows last night - one on the Academy stage and the other on Fluid's dance floor.

The producers-Steve Hendel and Edward Tyler Nahem came down from New York 

Steve Hendel and Adesola Osakulumi, who played Fela brilliantly

Cast members

Cast members

Kimmel Center's Matt Wolf

Someone is Finally Holding The Saudis Responsible for 9/11 Attacks

After 9 long years, Steve Cozen, co-founder of Cozen O'Connor, will finally be able to prove in an American courtroom that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was involved in the September 11 attacks. Former Senator Graham has provided an affidavit alleging that Saudi Government agents that were possibly involved in the attacks.

Here is the story that I wrote for the Jewish Exponent today.

Documents that Show Rendell and MEK Politicos Are Being Slimed

I have received a group of documents that shed a different light on the politicians helping the Iranian dissident group MEK (Mujahideen el-Khalq)

The first two documents are the American government promise of protection given to each individual MEK member if he disarmed. The first guarantee was given to Amir Khairy and signed by Vicente Perez CDR, the official representative of the Multi National Forces-Iraq. The second was given to Emami Hanif and signed by Harold Dunning, USN. While some have accused the MEK of being a cult, the United States Government will not be able to negotiate future cease fires if they do not keep their word to the MEK.

An update: Khairy and Hanif were killed by Iraqi soldiers even though the American government swore to protect them.

The third document is a letter from Major General Miller, deputy commander of the multinational forces in Iraq, reiterating the US government promise that MEK members are protecting under the Geneva convention.

Some have speculated that the Treasury Department has opened this investigation because of a looming court of appeals deadline. When you see this court order, it is hard not to be suspicious of the timing. As Special Agent Gibbs always says on NCIS, I don't believe in coincidences.

This is a standard form given to every MEK member that renounced violation. In the second paragraph, I linked to two forms that were actually signed by a MEK member and an official representative of the multinational forces.


AGREEMENT FOR THE INDIVIDUALS OF THE PEOPLE’S MUJAHEDIN
ORGANIZATION OF IRAN (PMOI)

You are being offered your release from control and protection in exchange for
your promise to comply with certain conditions. In exchange for your promises, you will be
released from Multi-National Forces-Iraq control and protection as soon as reasonably
practicable.

Please read the Agreement below. If you agree to abide by these terms, then sign
your name at the bottom of the page.

AGREEMENT

I, ________________________________, knowingly, willingly, and voluntarily enter into
this Agreement with Multi-National Forces-Iraq. I agree to the following:

a. I reject participation in, or support for terrorism.

b. I have delivered all military equipment and weapons under my control or
responsibility.

c. I reject violence and I will not unlawfully take up arms or engage in any hostile
act. I will obey the laws of Iraq and relevant United Nations mandates while residing
in this country.

I understand that I will be free to leave and to return home when viable disposition
options become available. I understand that some of these disposition options include:
return to my nation of origin; admission to a third country; application to the Ministry of
Displacement and Migration for continued residency in Iraq, or application to
international organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
I agree to cooperate with Multi-National Forces-Iraq while these disposition options are
pursued. I agree to remain under the protection of Multi-National Forces-Iraq at Camp
Ashraf until these options are completed. If I violate any terms of this Agreement, I may
be subject to prosecution or internment, and administrative sanctions. I promise to
scrupulously comply with my Agreement.

_______________
SIGNATURE

_______________________
MNF-Iraq Representative

_____________________
NAME (PRINTED)

_________________________
IDENTITY NUMBER

_____________________
PRINTED NAME, RANK

________________
DATE