The problem is MKO is still under the utopian delusion that it can impose its stay in Ashraf
(aka; Mojahedin Khalq, MEK, Rajavi cult)
A Letter to Martin Kobler: On MKO’s Defiance to Relocate
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... And MKO did not hesitate to wage a psychological war against the UN, UNAMI you just following the presented “roadmap”. A passing look into a variety of MKO-run and fed webpages discloses a blatant gesture of defiance against the international guideline which is blasted by numerous advocates who, by disregarding the ethics in words, act as the group’s mouthpiece. One after another they have questioned impartiality and humanitarian intention of the UN in an attempt to defend MKO; they openly condemned your remarks calling them sheer lies that have further complicated the problem instead of providing any solution ...
The Life of Camp Ashraf,
Mojahedin-e Khalq Victims of Many Masters
Mojahedin.ws, August 11, 2012
http://www.mojahedin.ws/en/?p=16545
To Mr. Martin Kobler,
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq
Dear Mr. Kobler,
As the families of the victims, members and the ex-members of Mujahedin Khalq Organization, MEK/MKO/PMOINCR, we appreciate your humanitarian efforts to put an end to the predicament of the group’s enslaved members both in Camp Ashraf and those relocated to the Temporary Transit Location TTL. We understand that you look at the issue from a humanitarian point of view and to put an end to the plights of men destined to suffer for the atrocities plotted by others, but MKO is buying time trying to politicize your humanitarian effort. From the very beginning of the reached agreement to relocate residents in Ashraf, MKO leaders were seeking for unjustified excuses to either hinder the process or bring it to an abrupt halt, and it seems they have succeeded. Furthermore, through all this six-month long extended period, the Iraqi government and the UN have tolerated MKO’s cavils and its raised objection to any presented solution.
MKO complains that facilities at TTL are far from meeting basic living necessities and calls it a prison and detention center, whereas reports from UN monitors indicate that the quality of life at TTL even exceeds accepted humanitarian standards. MKO’s leadership obstinately refuses cooperation and places preconditions and makes demands, whereas the Iraqi government has shown cooperation with the UN and even delivered a cargo convoy of goods as demanded by the group on July 15. The leaders turn down the UN presented “roadmap” on claims that it sidelines and ignores the residents’ rights and endangers the security of residents, whereas the roadmap has been designed to address the concerns of both the residents and the Iraqi government by suggesting a series of steps to complete the peaceful relocation of residents.
And MKO did not hesitate to wage a psychological war against the UN, UNAMI you just following the presented “roadmap”. A passing look into a variety of MKO-run and fed webpages discloses a blatant gesture of defiance against the international guideline which is blasted by numerous advocates who, by disregarding the ethics in words, act as the group’s mouthpiece. One after another they have questioned impartiality and humanitarian intention of the UN in an attempt to defend MKO; they openly condemned your remarks calling them sheer lies that have further complicated the problem instead of providing any solution.
As a result, you have been added to the list of MKO opponents acting as elements of pressure on behalf of the Iraqi government, claimed to be itself taking orders from Iran, and collaborating to set the stage for a human tragedy and massacre. So, it was not a sudden shock to read Alejo Vidal-Quadras, chairing the MKO’s alias International Committee of In Search of Justice (ISJ), strongly denouncing your reports and making suggestion for your replacement: “ISJ would like to reemphasize the need for appointment of an objective and competent personal envoy by the Secretary General to Ashraf and Liberty so that all issues could be addressed in a fair and unbiased manner.”
Although a strong antagonism towards the UN, you and other cooperating sides, all this ado MKO makes serve for a different purpose. Frankly speaking, the dispute is not merely over a simple matter of relocation from a camp to another; the problem is MKO is reluctance to leave Ashraf and is still under the utopian delusion that it can impose its stay in Ashraf. The ideal solution MKO appreciates is the one that disapproves any relocation from Ashraf. The group is well aware of the fact that relocation from Ashraf means a permanent expulsion from Iraq sooner or later. But staying at the small utopia they built, even if seemingly in limbo, means a permanent or decades long stay until they will be delisted from the State Department blacklist and be received by other countries.
The problem is that MKO is inherently pessimistic, and as Winston Churchill explicates, “the pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity”. You have provided the group with many opportunities but the only received responses have been insurmountable difficulties and unjustifiable excuses that will never end. And the problem is that the UN’s policy of peaceful cooperation to stop a human tragedy has further emboldened MKO to wrongly misconstrue the attitude as the Iraqi government and the UN’s capitulation to its demands and that, they have no other choice but to submit to its wills. And the sole victims of this battle are the residents themselves whom Rajavi seems to be determined to preserve as human shields to construct a secure bulwark against a global decisiveness. Here are, as people well acquaintance with tactics of the group, a few suggestions that may help in your humanitarian mission:
- When you draw up guidelines or make decisions concerning MKO, be determined to put them into action before publicizing them. Inaction further hardens MKO’s attitude against any compromise and temporizing prompt it to bring unto scene a considerable capacity of its advocacy network to thwart efforts.
- A consensus is needed among the sides cooperating to end the crisis. The Iraqi government and people have also rights and demands that have to be respected and accounted. MKO, for instance, complain of water and electricity shortage and ask to be connected to Baghdad’s networks. The fact should be observed that such shortages are natural to meet because of the infrastructural deficits that fail to satisfy the demands of the people in the area. Furthermore, it should be noted that closure of Ashraf does not mean closing a military bastion but returning the seized lands to people they belong to.
- The right for the families of the residents to meet them has to be recognized. Both the families and residents are deprived of a free meeting that will grant them the opportunity of breaking the walls that your efforts have thinned.
- We appreciate your peaceful, humanitarian solution to the issue of relocation. But urging the Iraqi government publicly to “refrain from violence under any circumstances and to be generous when it comes to the humanitarian needs of the residents” further encourages MKO to be antagonistic without being questioned or criticized for its warlike attitude.
(Rajavi from Saddam to AIPAC)
(Alejo Vidal-Quadras , Mojahedin Khalq logo, Struan stevenson )
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Also
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=13023
Open letter of SFF to UN envoy to Iraq Martin Kobler
(Rajavi is not their representative, he is the problem)
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... The truth is that Massoud Rajavi still insists that only he can talk on behalf of all the MEK victims and hostages. Yet, all those who managed to escape from both Ashraf and Liberty admit that they had no idea about the outside world and they were afraid of everything outside the organization and so accepted every possible risk when they decided to flee. They all share the same belief that if enough and correct information be given to the members of the MEK in Iraq, they will surely have maximum cooperation with both the UNAMI and the GOI. The Sahar Family Foundation once again stresses its principal request - which only Rajavi is refusing. All ...
Sahar Family Foundation, Baghdad, July 26 2012
http://www.saharngo.com/en/story/1456
Mr Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the UN General Secretary for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), reported some facts during the session of the UN Security Council regarding MKO obstructing the evacuation of Ashraf garrison which must be handed over to the government of Iraq. Apparently this report did not please Massoud Rajavi and consequently the so called National Council of Resistance issued a statement and indicated some accusations against Mr. Kobler and the Government of Iraqi.
Mr Kobler advised the UNSC that the patience of the GOI is reaching to its limit and they have every right to impose their rule over their sovereignty and they can no longer close their eyes to the fact that the group is breaking national and international laws and is not cooperating.
Sahar Family Foundation has written a letter to Mr. Kobler regarding the MKO statement which comes below to explain some facts:
United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)
Dear Martin Kobler
Immediately following your report to the UN Security Council, the MEK issued a statement on 21 July 2012. You had explained that the MEK was obstructing the evacuation of Camp Ashraf which should have been handed over to the Government of Iraq by 20 July. You advised the UNSC that the patience of the GOI is reaching its limit and they have every right to impose Iraqi sovereignty over the camp and they can no longer be expected to close their eyes to the fact that the MEK is breaking national and international law by not cooperating.
The MEK statement claims that “Martin Kobler’s report to the UNSC against the Mojahedin of Ashraf is at the disposal of violence and suppression” and has accused the GOI of being responsible for the deadlock in the procedure of the evacuation of Ashraf garrison.
Everyone knows and everyone except those who have some interests with the cult admits that no one except Rajavi desires violence and suppression and it has been clearly demonstrated that Rajavi is doing his best to lead the situation towards violent clashes. He wants to pretend that the MEK is being suppressed and then try to find excuses to keep Ashraf.
As you have emphasized in your report, at the moment UNAMI and the GOI have no direct and systematic contact with the inhabitants of Liberty and Ashraf. The leaders of the cult claim that the GOI has not fulfilled its commitments. But first the GOI has no duty toward those who have cooperated with Saddam Hussein in creating massacres in Iraq and second as far as the individual residents are concerned the maximum medical and welfare facilities have been provided for them. Rajavi insists that all the necessities be given only to him - as was the deal under Saddam Hussein – and that he not be obliged to give anything to the residents but keep these necessities for himself and his close aides.
The most amazing argument that Rajavi makes is that he claims Liberty is like a prison. According to all those who managed to escape from the cult, Ashraf garrison is the most notorious prison in the world since the prisoners have not been allowed any sort of contact with the outside world, even their families, for decades. This is the case in Camp Liberty as well and Rajavi’s loyalists there impose all kinds of artificial boundaries on the inhabitants.
Rajavi has proven so far that he does not understand the language of kindness and tolerance and of course tries to incite the Iraqis into violent clashes and get more people killed to feed his propaganda machine. His act is like someone who puts his foot against the door of your house and doesn’t let you close it and if you try to push, he cries that you are hurting his foot.
The truth is that Massoud Rajavi still insists that only he can talk on behalf of all the MEK victims and hostages. Yet, all those who managed to escape from both Ashraf and Liberty admit that they had no idea about the outside world and they were afraid of everything outside the organization and so accepted every possible risk when they decided to flee. They all share the same belief that if enough and correct information be given to the members of the MEK in Iraq, they will surely have maximum cooperation with both the UNAMI and the GOI.
The Sahar Family Foundation once again stresses its principal request - which only Rajavi is refusing. All the victims and hostages both in Ashraf and in Liberty must have the right to visit their suffering families freely and independently. So long as this important matter has not happened, Rajavi is able to demand his ransom for the hostages and will not give in.
Sahar Family Foundation
Baghdad, 23 July 2012
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Also
http://www.iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=13073
Mojahedin Khalq (MKO, MEK, Rajavi cult) remains on the list Foreign Terrorist Organizations in U.S.
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... aka MEK; MKO; Mujahadin-e Khalq; Muslim Iranian Students' Society; National Council of Resistance; NCR; Organization of the People's Holy Warriors of Iran; the National Liberation Army of Iran; NLA; People's Mujahadin Organization of Iran; PMOI; National Council of Resistance of Iran; NCRI; Sazeman-e Mujahadin-e Khalq-e Iran Description: Designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on October 8, 1997, the Mujahadin-E Khalq Organization ( MEK) is a Marxist-Islamic Organization that seeks the overthrow of the Iranian regime through its military wing, the National Liberation Army (NLA), and its political front, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) ...
(Rajavi, Saddam and the Mojahedin Khalq logo)
(Terrorist MEK, disarmed after the fall of Saddam)
U.S. Department of State, July 31 2012
http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2011/195553.htm#MEK
Chapter 6. Foreign Terrorist Organizations
Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism
Country Reports on Terrorism 2011
Report
July 31, 2012
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Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) are designated by the Secretary of State in accordance with section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). FTO designations play a critical role in the fight against terrorism and are an effective means of curtailing support for terrorist activities.
Legal Criteria for Designation under Section 219 of the INA as amended:
1. It must be a foreign organization.
2. The organization must engage in terrorist activity, as defined in section 212 (a)(3)(B) of the INA (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)), or terrorism, as defined in section 140(d)(2) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. § 2656f(d)(2)), or retain the capability and intent to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism.
3. The organization's terrorist activity or terrorism must threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security (national defense, foreign relations, or the economic interests) of the United States.
----------------------------------------
U.S. Government Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations
Abu Nidal Organization (ANO)
Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (AAMB)
Ansar al-Islam (AAI)
Army of Islam (AOI)
Asbat al-Ansar (AAA)
Aum Shinrikyo (AUM)
Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA)
Communist Party of Philippines/New People's Army (CPP/NPA)
Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA)
Gama'a al-Islamiyya (IG)
Hamas
Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HUJI)
Harakat ul-Jihad-i-Islami/Bangladesh (HUJI-B)
Harakat ul-Mujahideen (HUM)
Hizballah
Indian Mujahideen (IM)
Islamic Jihad Union (IJU)
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU)
Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM)
Jemaah Islamiya (JI)
Jundallah
Kahane Chai
Kata'ib Hizballah (KH)
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)
Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LT)
Lashkar i Jhangvi (LJ)
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG)
Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group (GICM)
Mujahadin-e Khalq Organization (MEK)
National Liberation Army (ELN)
Palestine Islamic Jihad – Shaqaqi Faction (PIJ)
Palestine Liberation Front – Abu Abbas Faction (PLF)
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC)
Al-Qa'ida (AQ)
Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)
Al-Qa'ida in Iraq (AQI)
Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)
Real IRA (RIRA)
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
Revolutionary Organization 17 November (17N)
Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C)
Revolutionary Struggle (RS)
Al-Shabaab (AS)
Shining Path (SL)
Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC)
(...)
MUJAHADIN-E KHALQ ORGANIZATION (MEK)
aka MEK; MKO; Mujahadin-e Khalq; Muslim Iranian Students' Society; National Council of Resistance; NCR; Organization of the People's Holy Warriors of Iran; the National Liberation Army of Iran; NLA; People's Mujahadin Organization of Iran; PMOI; National Council of Resistance of Iran; NCRI; Sazeman-e Mujahadin-e Khalq-e Iran
Description: Designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on October 8, 1997, the Mujahadin-E Khalq Organization ( MEK) is a Marxist-Islamic Organization that seeks the overthrow of the Iranian regime through its military wing, the National Liberation Army (NLA), and its political front, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
The MEK was founded in 1963 by a group of college-educated Iranian Marxists who opposed the country's pro-western ruler, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The group participated in the 1979 Islamic Revolution that replaced the Shah with a Shiite Islamist regime led by Ayatollah Khomeini. However, the MEK's ideology – a blend of Marxism, feminism, and Islamism – was at odds with the post-revolutionary government, and its original leadership was soon executed by the Khomeini regime. In 1981, the group was driven from its bases on the Iran-Iraq border and resettled in Paris, where it began supporting Iraq in its eight-year war against Khomeini's Iran. In 1986, after France recognized the Iranian regime, the MEK moved its headquarters to Iraq, which facilitated its terrorist activities in Iran. From 2003 through the end of 2011, roughly 3,400 MEK members were encamped at Ashraf in Iraq.
Activities: The group's worldwide campaign against the Iranian government uses propaganda and terrorism to achieve its objectives. During the 1970s, the MEK staged terrorist attacks inside Iran and killed several U.S. military personnel and civilians working on defense projects in Tehran. In 1972, the MEK set off bombs in Tehran at the U.S. Information Service office (part of the U.S. Embassy), the Iran-American Society, and the offices of several U.S. companies to protest the visit of President Nixon to Iran. In 1973, the MEK assassinated the deputy chief of the U.S. Military Mission in Tehran and bombed several businesses, including Shell Oil. In 1974, the MEK set off bombs in Tehran at the offices of U.S. companies to protest the visit of then U.S. Secretary of State Kissinger. In 1975, the MEK assassinated two U.S. military officers who were members of the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group in Tehran. In 1976, the MEK assassinated two U.S. citizens who were employees of Rockwell International in Tehran. In 1979, the group claimed responsibility for the murder of an American Texaco executive. Alhough denied by the MEK, analysis based on eyewitness accounts and MEK documents demonstrates that MEK members participated in and supported the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and that the MEK later argued against the early release of the American hostages. The MEK also provided personnel to guard and defend the site of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, following the takeover of the Embassy.
In 1981, MEK leadership attempted to overthrow the newly installed Islamic regime; Iranian security forces subsequently initiated a crackdown on the group. The MEK instigated a bombing campaign, including an attack against the head office of the Islamic Republic Party and the Prime Minister's office, which killed some 70 high-ranking Iranian officials, including Chief Justice Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti, President Mohammad-Ali Rajaei, and Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar. These attacks resulted in an expanded Iranian government crackdown that forced MEK leaders to flee to France. For five years, the MEK continued to wage its terrorist campaign from its Paris headquarters. Expelled by France in 1986, MEK leaders turned to Saddam Hussein's regime for basing, financial support, and training. Near the end of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, Baghdad armed the MEK with heavy military equipment and deployed thousands of MEK fighters in suicidal, waves of attacks against Iranian forces.
The MEK's relationship with the former Iraqi regime continued through the 1990s. In 1991, the group reportedly assisted the Iraqi Republican Guard's bloody crackdown on Iraqi Shia and Kurds who rose up against Saddam Hussein's regime. In April 1992, the MEK conducted near-simultaneous attacks on Iranian embassies and consular missions in 13 countries, including against the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York, demonstrating the group's ability to mount large-scale operations overseas. In June 1998, the MEK was implicated in a series of bombing and mortar attacks in Iran that killed at least 15 and injured several others. The MEK also assassinated the former Iranian Minister of Prisons in 1998. In April 1999, the MEK targeted key Iranian military officers and assassinated the deputy chief of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff, Brigadier General Ali Sayyaad Shirazi.
In April 2000, the MEK attempted to assassinate the commander of the Nasr Headquarters, Tehran's interagency board responsible for coordinating policies on Iraq. The pace of anti-Iranian operations increased during “Operation Great Bahman” in February 2000, when the group launched a dozen attacks against Iran. One attack included a mortar attack against a major Iranian leadership complex in Tehran that housed the offices of the Supreme Leader and the President. The attack killed one person and injured six other individuals. In March 2000, the MEK launched mortars into a residential district in Tehran, injuring four people and damaging property. In 2000 and 2001, the MEK was involved in regular mortar attacks and hit-and-run raids against Iranian military and law enforcement personnel, as well as government buildings near the Iran-Iraq border. Following an initial Coalition bombardment of the MEK's facilities in Iraq at the outset of Operation Iraqi Freedom, MEK leadership negotiated a cease-fire with Coalition Forces and surrendered their heavy-arms to Coalition control. From 2003 through the end of 2011, roughly 3,400 MEK members were encamped at Ashraf in Iraq.
In 2003, French authorities arrested 160 MEK members at operational bases they believed the MEK was using to coordinate financing and planning for terrorist attacks. Upon the arrest of MEK leader Maryam Rajavi, MEK members took to Paris' streets and engaged in self-immolation. French authorities eventually released Rajavi.
Strength: Estimates place MEK's worldwide membership at between 5,000 and 10,000 members, with large pockets in Paris and other major European capitals. In Iraq, roughly 3,400 MEK members were gathered at Camp Ashraf, the MEK's main compound north of Baghdad, at the end of 2011.
As a condition of the 2003 cease-fire agreement, the MEK relinquished more than 2,000 tanks, armored personnel carriers, and heavy artillery.
Location/Area of Operation: The MEK's global support structure remains in place, with associates and supporters scattered throughout Europe and North America. Operations have targeted Iranian government elements across the globe, including in Europe and Iran. The MEK's political arm, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), has a global support network with active lobbying and propaganda efforts in major Western capitals. NCRI also has a well-developed media communications strategy.
External Aid: Before Operation Iraqi Freedom began in 2003, the MEK received all of its military assistance and most of its financial support from Saddam Hussein. The fall of Saddam Hussein's regime has led the MEK increasingly to rely on front organizations to solicit contributions from expatriate Iranian communities.
(...)
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Also
http://www.iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=13020
U.S. Support for UN Roadmap on Camp Ashraf
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... The United States supports the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq’s (UNAMI) “Roadmap,” which suggests remaining steps for the closure of Camp Ashraf and builds upon the work that has produced the safe relocation of almost two-thirds of the residents from Ashraf to Camp Hurriya. We urge the leadership of Camp Ashraf and the Government of Iraq to cooperate in moving forward with this plan, which can advance our shared objective: the safe departure of the residents from Iraq. The Government of Iraq has recently taken constructive steps to advance this process ...
The Life of Camp Ashraf,
Mojahedin-e Khalq Victims of Many Masters
US Department of State, July 25 2012
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/07/195495.htm
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
July 25, 2012
The United States supports the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq’s (UNAMI) “Roadmap,” which suggests remaining steps for the closure of Camp Ashraf and builds upon the work that has produced the safe relocation of almost two-thirds of the residents from Ashraf to Camp Hurriya. We urge the leadership of Camp Ashraf and the Government of Iraq to cooperate in moving forward with this plan, which can advance our shared objective: the safe departure of the residents from Iraq.
The Government of Iraq has recently taken constructive steps to advance this process. On July 15, it transported from Camp Ashraf to Camp Hurriya a cargo convoy of 300 additional air conditioners, several large water tanks, additional generators, and other goods to improve the residents’ quality of life at Camp Hurriya. On July 19, the Iraqi Government transported to Camp Hurriya three specially-equipped vehicles for residents with disabilities. We commend the Government for these positive measures and for its stated commitment to a peaceful resolution of this issue, which is the only acceptable outcome. It is now time for the leaders of the residents at Camp Ashraf to take a similarly constructive step and immediately resume the relocation of residents from Camp Ashraf to Camp Hurriya. While some legitimate humanitarian issues need continued attention, prompt cooperation with UNAMI’s suggestions is critical to achieving a peaceful, humane, and secure outcome for the Ashraf residents.
The Mujahedin-e Khalq’s (MEK's) cooperation in the closure of Camp Ashraf, the MEK's main paramilitary base, continues to be a key factor in the Department’s upcoming determination regarding the MEK’s Foreign Terrorist Organization status. The MEK’s actions in the days and weeks ahead can show whether the organization remains invested in its violent past of terrorism or is committed to leaving that past behind.
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Also
http://www.iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=13007
UN pitches roadmap to relocate Mojahedin Khalq
(aka; MKO, MEK, Rajavi cult)
.
... The UN said Tuesday that it had a "roadmap" to resolve a dispute between Iraq and a group of Iranian exiles, but a senior official warned that Baghdad would act if there was no resolution to the row. About 1,200 members of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran have refused to move from their camp north of the Iraqi capital despite a UN-brokered accord with the government to leave as a first step toward finding homes in other countries, citing broken promises by Baghdad as reasons for their staying put. On Thursday, the UN mission in Iraq said it had presented a roadmap to the Iraqi government ...
The Life of Camp Ashraf,
Mojahedin-e Khalq Victims of Many Masters
France 24, July 25 2012
http://www.france24.com/en/20120724
-un-pitches-roadmap-relocate-iran-exiles-iraq
AFP - The UN said Tuesday that it had a "roadmap" to resolve a dispute between Iraq and a group of Iranian exiles, but a senior official warned that Baghdad would act if there was no resolution to the row.
About 1,200 members of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran have refused to move from their camp north of the Iraqi capital despite a UN-brokered accord with the government to leave as a first step toward finding homes in other countries, citing broken promises by Baghdad as reasons for their staying put.
On Thursday, the UN mission in Iraq said it had presented a roadmap to the Iraqi government and Ashraf residents "that suggests a series of steps to complete the peaceful relocation of residents to Camp Hurriyah."
It called on Ashraf residents to "start the preparations for the next move without delay" and for Baghdad to "be generous when it comes to the humanitarian needs of the residents and to continue to seek a peaceful solution to this issue under any circumstances."
The roadmap "outlines preparations to be made and a step-by-step approach for the relocation," a UN statement said. "It addresses issues such as water and power supply and other humanitarian needs."
The statement did not provide full details of the roadmap.
A senior government official told AFP, however, that the government would act "responsibly to protect the sovereignty and security of Iraq" if a resolution was not reached to the impasse.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to elaborate.
About 1,800 inhabitants have moved to a new camp nearer Baghdad and several deadlines to completely empty Camp Ashraf have passed.
The remainder have refused to move, however, because of what they describe to be inhuman conditions at the new camp they are being relocated to, and broken promises on the part of the Iraqi government with regards to the quality of the camp.
Earlier this month, the US government said the Iranian exiles must leave the camp if they were to be removed from Washington's terror blacklist.
The People's Mujahedeen was founded in the 1960s to oppose the Shah of Iran, but took up arms against the country's new clerical rulers after the Islamic revolution of 1979.
The group, which has been on the US terror blacklist since 1997, says it has renounced violence and has asked Washington to remove it from its list of terrorist organisations
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UN puts forward roadmap for relocation of Iranian exiles from camp in Iraq
UN News Center, July 25 2012
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=42544&Cr=iraq&Cr1
The United Nations mission in Iraq today presented a roadmap to the Government suggesting a series of steps to complete the peaceful relocation of Iranian exiles from Camp Ashraf to Camp Hurriya.
The roadmap has been designed to address the concerns of both the residents and the Government of Iraq, the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) said in a news release, adding that its roadmap outlines preparations to be made and a “step-by-step approach for the relocation,” which addresses issues such as water and power supply and other humanitarian needs.
“Our commitment is strictly humanitarian: to facilitate a voluntary temporary relocation of residents to Camp Hurriya as a first step of resettlement to countries outside Iraq,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr. Martin Kobler.
Camp Ashraf – made up of several thousand Iranian exiles, many of them members of a group known as the People’s Mojahedeen of Iran – has been one of the main issues dealt with by UNAMI for more than 18 months.
In line with a memorandum of understanding signed in December by the UN and the Iraqi Government to resolve the situation, some two-thirds of the residents, or 2,000 people, were re-located to a temporary transit location near Baghdad known as Camp Hurriya – formerly known as Camp Liberty – where a process to determine refugee status is being carried out by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
To facilitate the remaining moves that will lead to the closure of Camp Ashraf, UNAMI called on the residents “to start the preparations for the next move without delay,” and asked the Government of Iraq “to be generous when it comes to the humanitarian needs of the residents and to continue to seek a peaceful solution to this issue under any circumstances."
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Also
http://www.iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=12979
Iraq's patience “wearing thin” with Iranian exiles, UN says
(Mojahedin Khalq, MKO, MEK, Rajavi cult refuses to obey the law)
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... "Time is running out to find a sustainable solution. The government's patience is wearing thin," said Kobler, who heads the UN mission in Iraq (UNAMI). "Recent weeks have witnessed difficulties in maintaining dialogue between UNAMI and the residents, and between the residents and the government of Iraq, reinforcing a perception that the residents lack a genuine will" to move, he added. About 1,800 inhabitants have moved to a new camp nearer Baghdad and several deadlines to completely empty Camp Ashraf have passed. Kobler, however, said almost no resettlement offers have been made and countries must now come forward to help ...
AFP, July 20, 2012
http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDetails.aspx?ID=420924
The Iraqi government's patience is "wearing thin" with exiled opponents of Iran who are refusing to leave their camp north of Baghdad, a UN envoy warned Thursday.
About 1,200 members of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran have stayed at Camp Ashraf despite a UN-brokered accord with the government to leave as a first step toward finding homes in other countries, Martin Kobler, the UN Special Representative for Iraq, told the UN Security Council.
There have in the past been deadly clashes at the camp, which was given to the Mujahedeen as a base in the 1980s by late dictator Saddam Hussein.
"Time is running out to find a sustainable solution. The government's patience is wearing thin," said Kobler, who heads the UN mission in Iraq (UNAMI).
"Recent weeks have witnessed difficulties in maintaining dialogue between UNAMI and the residents, and between the residents and the government of Iraq, reinforcing a perception that the residents lack a genuine will" to move, he added.
About 1,800 inhabitants have moved to a new camp nearer Baghdad and several deadlines to completely empty Camp Ashraf have passed.
Kobler, however, said almost no resettlement offers have been made and countries must now come forward to help. He also appealed to Iraq's government to "avoid violence under any circumstances."
Iraq's UN ambassador, Hamid al-Bayati, also called on European countries and other states to find a home for Camp Ashraf residents as part of "a final solution for this problem."
Earlier this month, the US government said the Iranian exiles must leave the camp if they were to be removed from Washington's terror blacklist.
The People's Mujahedeen was founded in the 1960s to oppose the Shah of Iran, but took up arms against the country's new clerical rulers after the Islamic revolution of 1979.
The group, which has been on the US terror blacklist since 1997, says it has renounced violence and has asked Washington to remove it from its list of terrorist organizations.
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Also
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=12933
Ban Ki-moon called for peaceful evacuation of Camp Ashraf without delay
(HQ of Mojahedin Khalq, MKO, MEK, Rajavi cult)
.
... Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the Iraqi government and an Iranian opposition group that was given refuge in the country during Saddam Hussein's rule on Monday to work together to peacefully complete the group's relocation without further delay. Nearly 2,000 members of The People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran have moved from Camp Ashraf in northwestern Iraq to Camp Hurriya on the deserted former U.S. military base outside Baghdad known as Camp Liberty. But about 1,300 have refused to go until the Iraqi government meets their demands. They had been living in exile at Camp Ashraf in Iraq since Saddam welcomed them three decades ago ...
Associated Press, July 17 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe
/un-chief-urges-iraq-and-iranian-opposition-group-to-
work-together-to-finish-groups-relocation/
2012/07/16/gJQAJp3wpW_story.html
UN chief urges Iraq and Iranian opposition group to work together to finish group’s relocation
UNITED NATIONS — Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the Iraqi government and an Iranian opposition group that was given refuge in the country during Saddam Hussein’s rule on Monday to work together to peacefully complete the group’s relocation without further delay.
Nearly 2,000 members of The People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran have moved from Camp Ashraf in northwestern Iraq to Camp Hurriya on the deserted former U.S. military base outside Baghdad known as Camp Liberty. But about 1,300 have refused to go until the Iraqi government meets their humanitarian demands, including the transfer of air conditioners, power generators, trucks and other items to their new location.
They had been living in exile at Camp Ashraf in Iraq since Saddam welcomed them three decades ago in a common fight against Iran. But they are now being pressured to leave by the new Iraqi government, whose Shiite officials want to build stronger ties with Iran.
The Iraqi government has set a July 20 deadline for the group, also known by its Farsi name, Mujahedeen-e-Khalq or MEK, to vacate Ashraf entirely.
Anglican leaders in Ireland and Britain wrote a letter to the secretary-general urging the U.N. and the U.S. to press the Iraqi government to improve humanitarian conditions so the Ashraf residents can relocate.
In a report to the U.N. Security Council circulated Monday, Ban called on the Iraqi government and residents of both camps “to continue to work together in a constructive and flexible manner in order to complete the relocation process without further delay.”
He stressed the importance of residents of both camps cooperating with Iraqi authorities and stressed the U.N.’s commitment to a peaceful solution.
The Anglican leaders expressed alarm about the possible use of force against the people of Camp Ashraf and drew attention to the shortage of water, food, medicine and medical treatment at Camp Hurriya. They said further relocations were halted becuse Iraq reneged on earlier agreements.
“We believe that the international community, the United Nations and the people of the United States of America are at one in desiring morally acceptable humanitarian standards for all people,” the leaders said. “We believe that the residents have shown clear commitment to a peaceful resolution of the crisis and are prepared fully to relocate to Camp Liberty as soon as minimum humanitarian provisions are put in place.”
The letter was signed by Archbishop of Armagh A.E.T. Harper, the Primate of All Ireland, and supported by the archbishop of Wales, 18 bishops and three ministers.
The People’s Mujahedeen carried out a series of bombings and assassinations against Iran’s clerical regime in the 1980s and fought alongside Saddam’s forces in the Iran-Iraq war but it says it renounced violence in 2001. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is under court order to decide by October whether to remove the group from the U.S. terrorism list.
The group says the Iraqi government has used its terrorist status to justify mistreatment of the residents — an Iraqi army raid last year left 34 exiles dead — and has made it difficult to relocate the residents to other countries.
___
Associated Press Writer Shawn Pogatchnik in Belfast, Northern Ireland, contributed to this report.
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Also
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=12895
Kobler-Maliki agree to move Mojahedin Khalq organisation in accordance with deadlines
(aka; MKO, MEK, Rajavi cult)
.
... Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq Martin Kobler agreed to close the file on the Mojahedin Khalq organisation and move them accordance with established deadlines. The statement said "Prime Minister al-Maliki met with the representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq Martin Kobler in his office today.During the meeting, the importance of cooperation and coordination between the Iraqi government and UN representative in helping each other to perform the tasks entrusted to them were emphasized" pointing out ...
Al-Forat News, Baghdad, July 10 2012
(Translated by Iran Interlink)
Link to the original report (Arabic)
http://www.alforatnews.com/index.php?option=com_
content&view=article&id=17199:2012-07-10-12-35-14&catid=
36:2011-04-08-17-25-25&Itemid=54
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq Martin Kobler agreed to close the file on the Mojahedin Khalq organisation and move them accordance with established deadlines.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the office of the Prime Minister said, "Prime Minister al-Maliki met with the representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq Martin Kobler in his office today.
During the meeting, the importance of cooperation and coordination between the Iraqi government and UN representative in helping each other to perform the tasks entrusted to them were emphasized" pointing out that "issues of common interest were also discussed during the meeting."
Link to the original report (Arabic)
http://www.alforatnews.com/index.php?option=com_
content&view=article&id=17199:2012-07-10-12-35-14&catid=
36:2011-04-08-17-25-25&Itemid=54
المالكي وكوبلر يتفقان على المضي بإنهاء ملف وجود منظمة خلق وفق المواعيد المحددة
{بغداد:الفرات نيوز} اتفق رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي وممثل الامين العام للامم المتحدة في العراق مارتن كوبلر على المضي بإنهاء ملف وجود منظمة خلق وفق المواعيد المحددة.
وذكر بيان صدر عن رئاسة الوزراء اليوم الثلاثاء ان "المالكي استقبل بمكتبه الرسمي اليوم ممثل الامين العام للامم المتحدة في العراق مارتن كوبلر، وجرى خلال اللقاء التأكيد على أهمية التعاون والتنسيق بين الحكومة العراقية وممثلية الامم المتحدة بمايساعدها في أداء المهام الموكلة اليها "، مشيرا الى ان "اللقاء تم خلاله ايضا بحث القضايا ذات الاهتمام المشترك".
وأضاف ان "المالكي أكد على ضرورة الاسراع بتشكيل مجلس مفوضية الانتخابات واختيار اعضاء يتمتعون بالاستقلالية والكفاءة، الى جانب إقرار القوانين ذات العلاقة بعمل المفوضية العليا المستقلة للانتخابات".انتهى
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Also
http://www.iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=12887
Ambassador Daniel Benjaminan and Ambassador Daniel Fried on Mojahedin Khalq Terrorist designation and Camp Ashraf
(aka; MKO, MEK, Rajavi cult)
.
... The MEK seems to have misinterpreted the June 1 order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. MEK leaders appear to believe that the Secretary has no choice now but to delist them. That conclusion is quite plainly wrong. In short, the court did not order the Secretary of State to revoke the MEK designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. As the Secretary has made clear, the MEK’s cooperation in the successful and peaceful closure of Camp Ashraf will be a key factor in her decision regarding the MEK’s FTO status. The court has told the State Department that it must act by October 1, but it did not mandate a particular result ...
(Rajavi, Saddam and the Mojahedin Khalq logo)
(Terrorist MEK, disarmed after the fall of Saddam)
U.S. Department of State, July 10 2012
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/07/194656.htm
Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ambassador Daniel Benjamin and Special Advisor to the Secretary on Camp Ashraf Ambassador Daniel Fried on the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) Designation and the Current Situation at Camp Ashraf
Special Briefing
Office of the Spokesperson
Via Teleconference
July 6, 2012
MR. VENTRELL: Hey. Good afternoon, everybody, and thanks for joining us. Today, we’ve got an on-the-record conference call with Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, Coordinator for Counterterrorism, and Ambassador Daniel Fried, our Special Advisor on Camp Ashraf.
And so we’re going to go ahead and start this on-the-record call. I believe Ambassador Benjamin will make some remarks at the top, and then we’ll turn it over to both of our speakers for questions. So let’s go ahead and start.
Ambassador Benjamin.
AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: Yes. Thank you very much. I wanted to talk today a bit about the situation in Iraq, where there is an impasse between the Iraqi Government and the Mujahedin-e Khalq, the MEK, over the relocation of residents from the group’s paramilitary Camp Ashraf to the temporary transit facility at Camp Hurriya. The Iraqi Government and the United Nations continue to encourage the secure, humane relocation of residents to Hurriya for refugee status determinations by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees. Almost 2,000 individuals have already relocated, but the remaining 1,200 to 1,300 are holding at Ashraf until various MEK demands are met by the Iraqi Government. The last convoy of individuals, about 400 people, was on May 5th. And the patience of the Iraqi Government is wearing thin.
The MEK seems to have misinterpreted the June 1 order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. MEK leaders appear to believe that the Secretary has no choice now but to delist them. That conclusion is quite plainly wrong. In short, the court did not order the Secretary of State to revoke the MEK designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. As the Secretary has made clear, the MEK’s cooperation in the successful and peaceful closure of Camp Ashraf will be a key factor in her decision regarding the MEK’s FTO status. The court has told the State Department that it must act by October 1, but it did not mandate a particular result. I think that’s very important to underscore. The Secretary thus retains the discretion to either maintain or revoke the designation in accordance with the law. It is past time for the MEK to recognize that Ashraf is not going to remain an MEK base in Iraq. The Iraqi Government is committed to closing it, and any plan to wait out the government in the hope that something will change is irresponsible and dangerous.
The MEK is a group whose violent history against the United States includes the bombing of U.S. companies in Iran, the assassination of seven U.S. citizens, and the provision of support for the attack, occupation, and hostage-taking at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. The MEK is also one of the few foreign groups to attempt an attack on U.S. soil when, in 1992, it launched near simultaneous attacks in 13 countries, including against the Iranian mission to the UN in New York. Even the MEK itself has admitted to continuing violent attacks until 2001.
With such a history, cooperating fully with the UN’s efforts in Iraq would be a tangible demonstration that the MEK has left its violent past behind and that it no longer retains the capability and intent to engage in acts of terrorism. This is the MEK’s moment to show that it has taken on a fundamentally different character. It should act quickly and complete the relocation and close Camp Ashraf.
And with that, I’ll be happy to take your questions.
MR. VENTRELL: Operator, if we can go ahead and get the first question.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Once again, if you would like to ask a question, please press *1 on your touchtone telephone. You will be prompted to record your name in order to be introduced. Once again, press * and 1. One moment.
Our first question comes from Bahman Kalbasi from BBC Persian. Your line is open.
QUESTION: Thank you. I have two questions for the ambassadors. You talked about tangible change in their behavior. If the criteria for removing them from the FTO is to not have the capability and the intent, how does changing the location from Ashraf, as the Secretary has indicated, gets them closer to that removal? U.S. Government has said to NBC, for instance, that as late as February, that they were involved with the assassination of scientists in Iran.
And my second question really is that if you end up removing them, mindful of the unprecedented lobbying that is going on, are you worried that this will politicize the FTO? It will show that at the end of the day, politics trumps everything else?
AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: Let me take the second question first. The – any decision, one way or the other will be taken entirely on the merits, and we’re committed to doing it that way and no other way. And that’s our requirement under the law.
On the other point, I can assure you that I have never said that they were involved in current assassinations in Iran. That was a story that ran, and I have no information to confirm that, so I certainly wouldn’t have said it. What I have given you is the established record, and nothing more and nothing less.
QUESTION: But how does it – removing them from Ashraf change the issue of intent?
AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: Right. Well, the history and the use of Ashraf is that of an MEK paramilitary base. It’s where the MEK had its heavy weaponry and from which it carried out a number of military operations during the reign of Saddam Hussein. The MEK’s relocation will assist the Secretary in determining whether the organization remains invested in its violent past or is committed to leaving that past behind. And that really is going to be a very important illustration – or demonstration, I should say – of what the MEK’s orientation in the future will be.
So I do want to say that it is an absolutely essential move and we hope that they will get – move forward with it.
MR. VENTRELL: Operator, can we get the next question?
OPERATOR: Our next question will come from Robert Burns – your line is open – from the Associated Press.
QUESTION: Yes, thank you. Regarding your encouragement for them to complete the relocation, if they don’t complete the move by October, is it the case that they won’t be de-listed?
AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: I’m not going to prejudge the Secretary’s action on this, but she has made it extremely clear how important this step is. And she is sticking by that and this is the message everyone involved needs to understand.
OPERATOR: Our next question will come from Mehrnoush Pourziaiee from BBC. Your line is open.
QUESTION: My question is regarding the dates that Iraqi Government has given, which is 20th of July for the closure of Camp Ashraf. And has there been any communication with U.S. Ambassador in Iraq and Iraqi Government on the Iraqi side plans in case the relocation is not complete by that time?
AMBASSADOR FRIED: This is Daniel Fried speaking. Our charge in Baghdad, Steve Beecroft, has been in contact with the Iraqi Government at senior levels on more than one occasion recently about the situation with respect to Camp Ashraf. Specific to your question, you are right that July 20th is a date set by the Iraqi Government by which they want Camp Ashraf to be emptied.
Now, in the past, the Iraqi Government has extended deadlines when there has been significant progress in moving people out of Camp Ashraf, and it is our hope – though only a hope – that if there is significant progress in the next two weeks, that deadline could be extended. However, that puts – that date should put everyone on notice and the MEK on notice that it needs to proceed with the next convoy of people out of Camp Ashraf. There have been five convoys. All have been successful; that is, they went from Camp Ashraf to Camp Hurriya peacefully, without roadside bombs or attacks. And this process needs to resume.
QUESTION: And in the previous briefing, the officials of State Department mentioned that there has been no communication from MEK with UN officials or Iraqi Government, and they have stopped all the communication. Have you tried different channels to get this message to them, or what are you doing to make sure that they get the seriousness of this issue?
AMBASSADOR FRIED: Well, I’m happy to tell you that after a lot of work, communications have resumed. It took a frustratingly long period of time to arrange it. But Ambassador Kobler, the head of the UN Mission in Iraq, is back in contact with the MEK, has allowed this contact to resume. So these messages have been sent.
It is – we are all – that is, the U.S. Embassy – we at the State Department and the UN are all working hard to address as many legitimate concerns of the residents of Camp Hurriya and Camp Ashraf as we can in order that conditions be met for convoys to resume. And we do think that the Government of Iraq could and should do more to address these legitimate humanitarian concerns and show generosity to the residents. And there has been some progress in that regard. We hope that this progress – in fact, it’s imperative this progress be made swiftly and that the convoys of residents resume.
QUESTION: And Ambassador Fried, I have a question regarding Camp Ashraf itself. We have various accounts of people who have been a member of MEK before talking about the horrible situation in the organization and relations which is in Camp Ashraf and the relation between the members and how the human conditions of the Camp and the situation they live in because of the setup from the MEK. Can you elaborate on living condition in Camp Ashraf a little and tell us if all these stories are true or there’s no truth into them?
AMBASSADOR FRIED: Well, I am familiar, as you are, with all sorts of stories about life in Camp Ashraf. I can’t confirm or deny any of them. We just don’t know, but I’m familiar with them. Our purpose is humanitarian, however. Our purpose is neither to advance the interests of the organization – hardly – nor is it to fight the organization. Our interest is in saving the lives of the people that are there as individuals and helping them find – helping them get out of Ashraf safely to Camp Hurriya, and then out of Camp Hurriya to a life outside of Iraq. That is our purpose; it is humanitarian.
QUESTION: And The Washington Post report yesterday about the meeting between MEK advocates with senior Administration officials, can anyone elaborate on this and tell us if this is true and where and with whom the meetings has taken place and what is the nature of them?
AMBASSADOR FRIED: Well, I can certainly confirm that we have responded to inquiries and communicated with all kinds of private parties, including former U.S. Government officials, members of the European parliaments, and other advocates. We have made clear in all of these communications that the only viable option to resolving the issue of Camp Ashraf is a peaceful solution. We have offered our perspective on what is necessary for that to be achieved, and we offer that perspective knowing full well that these persons had a preexisting dialogue with the MEK, and we believe that they have conveyed our views to their MEK interlocutors. Now, they’re not representing the U.S. Government as they do so, but we believe they have passed these messages back. So I’m certainly not going to deny the fact of these contacts. I’m not going to get into the details either.
OPERATOR: Our next question will come from Jill Dougherty from CNN. Your line is open.
QUESTION: Thank you very much. I just wanted to find out, legally, what can the Iraqi Government do if that date of July 20th comes? Can they physically remove the people? What legally are they entitled to do?
AMBASSADOR FRIED: Well – this is Dan Fried. I’m not a lawyer at all, much less an expert on Iraqi law. As I understand it, the Iraqi Government views them as in Iraq illegally. That’s their official position. They do not regard the invitation extended by Saddam Hussein to the MEK as valid, especially given the history of the MEK in Iraq. That said, the Iraqi Government has confirmed repeatedly and publicly that it also seeks a peaceful, humane solution to this problem. They have confirmed that bilaterally to us. We welcome this confirmation, and we intend to work with the Iraqi Government so that only a peaceful solution is followed.
QUESTION: So then I’m presuming that that is the – if you are giving any advice to the government or advising them in any way, that that is what you’re saying, it has to be peaceful?
AMBASSADOR FRIED: Absolutely right. That has been our message front and center. We have worked with the Iraqi Government. Given Iraqi conditions, I’m more impressed by the progress that has been made than concerned by the problems that remain. This is Iraq. Things often do not go well in Iraq. Given that spectrum, we’re doing all right so far, but the situation remains precarious, and it is up to everyone to work to see that Camp Ashraf is emptied soon and peacefully.
QUESTION: Thank you.
OPERATOR: Our question will come from Jonathan Broder, Congressional Quarterly. Your line is open.
QUESTION: Yes, I’d just like to ask: Why is this Administration so concerned about humanitarian issues involving a terrorist group?
AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: We’re interested in humanitarian issues full-stop. And I think it’s important to underscore that many of the people in this camp are not likely to have participated directly in terrorist attacks, although we don’t know on a case-by-case basis. And in any case, we would seek to protect any such group that was essentially holed up in a camp if they were threatened with violence. So this is in keeping with our values.
I should also underscore that we also are interested in whether or not any particular group is involved in terrorist activities, whether it’s directly aimed at us or at others. This is – these are the lights we steer by. So I don’t see any problem with that.
I would like to go back to the issue that was asked before regarding lobbying, and I do just want to underscore that when it comes to the designation itself, we have not met with any lobbyists or others. There was, in fact, one gentleman who came into my office under false pretenses from a foreign country to lobby for the MEK, and he was promptly thrown out. But other than that, I’ve had no conversations on this issue. And again, to underscore, we’re just looking at the merits of the particular case.
MR. VENTRELL: Operator, we’ve got time for just one more question.
OPERATOR: Our next question will come from Christina Wilkie from Huffington Post. Your line is open.
QUESTION: Could you please give us a better sense of the types of demands that the MEK is making of the Iraqi Government and the stipulations the Iraqi Government is placing? Are they – are the MEK’s demands generally realistic? Is it your position that they’re actually intended – that they – that they’re realistic to get, or are they – do you think this is being set up so that there’s an inevitable conflict?
AMBASSADOR FRIED: That’s a very good question, and I’ve asked myself that as well. Some of the MEK demands are reasonable. For example, given the hot weather in Iraq, they’ve requested more air conditioners. The Iraqi Government has agreed to provide them, that is agreed to allow a special shipment of air conditioners from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty, and this is being arranged as we speak. Some of the other demands strike me as not central – for instance, private cars. Well, that’s not an issue critical to basic humanitarian needs.
You’ve asked a question about the MEK’s intentions. I can’t answer that with full knowledge. They, of course, say that all they want are their basic humanitarian needs to be met. But it has been frustrating to deal with constantly shifting demands, many demands. We find that U.S. Embassy and State Department and the UN will work to resolve problems and, a la whack-a-mole, you find that new ones – you’re constantly presented with new ones. But hopefully, the next couple of weeks – in fact, it’s critical that the next couple of weeks will be a period in which some of these issues are resolved, enough so the MEK will allow convoys to resume. That’s absolutely critical.
MR. VENTRELL: Okay. Thank you all for joining today’s call. Any other last remarks from either of the ambassadors?
AMBASSADOR BENJAMIN: Yes. Again – Daniel Benjamin here – I really just wanted to emphasize again one point that I made at the outset. The Secretary of State can – is within her rights in either listing – re-listing or de-listing. And that really is the bottom line here, and no one should be unclear about that in any way. And that’s really all I have to say.
MR. VENTRELL: All right. Thank you all. Have a good afternoon.
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Also
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=12681
State Department urges immediate full cooperation of Mojahedin Khalq with the Iraqi Govenment and U.N.
(aka; MKO, MEK, Rajavi cult)
.
... The United States remains concerned about the situation at Camp Ashraf and urges the residents of Camp Ashraf to resume full cooperation immediately with the Iraqi Government and United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). The United States also urges the Iraqi Government to intensify its efforts to fulfill its commitments to provide for the safety, security, and humanitarian treatment of the residents. With almost 2,000 former Camp Ashraf residents now relocated to Camp Hurriya, the peaceful closure of Camp Ashraf is achievable, but requires continued patience and practical ...
U.S. State Department, June 18 2012
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/06/193079.htm
Concern about Camp Ashraf
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
June 18, 2012
The United States remains concerned about the situation at Camp Ashraf and urges the residents of Camp Ashraf to resume full cooperation immediately with the Iraqi Government and United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). The United States also urges the Iraqi Government to intensify its efforts to fulfill its commitments to provide for the safety, security, and humanitarian treatment of the residents.
With almost 2,000 former Camp Ashraf residents now relocated to Camp Hurriya, the peaceful closure of Camp Ashraf is achievable, but requires continued patience and practical engagement to be realized. Constructive offers must be met with a constructive spirit, and not with refusals or preconditions to engage in dialogue. Recent publicly-declared conditions for cooperation, including calls for the Department to inspect Camp Ashraf as a precondition for further relocations to Camp Hurriya, are an unnecessary distraction.
The United States has made clear that cooperation in the closure of Camp Ashraf, the Mujahedin-e Khalq’s (MEK's) main paramilitary base, is a key factor in determining whether the organization remains invested in its violent past or is committed to leaving that past behind. We fully support the path laid out by the United Nations for the peaceful closure of Camp Ashraf along with sustainable solutions for its former residents. The Camp residents and their leadership - both in Iraq and in Paris - should recognize this path as a safe and humane resolution to this situation. Only a peaceful implementation of the Iraqi government’s decision to close the Camp is acceptable, and the Iraqi government bears the responsibility for the security and humane treatment of the individuals at Camp Ashraf.
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Also
http://iran-interlink.org/index.php?mod=view&id=12616
UN envoy concerned about delay in relocating Iranian exiles living in Iraqi camp
(Camp Ashraf, Camp Liberty, Mojahedin Khalq, MKO, MEK, NCRI)
.
... The United Nations top envoy in Iraq today voiced his concern about the delay in the relocation of the residents of Camp New Iraq – formerly known as Camp Ashraf – to a new location, Camp Hurriya, prior to resettlement in third countries. “I urge the remaining residents of Camp Ashraf to relocate to Camp Hurriya without delay,” the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Martin Kobler, said. “The relocation process should not be stalled. I am concerned that there will be violence if the relocation doesn’t recommence. Any violence would be unacceptable.” ...
UN News Centre, June 12 2012
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=42192&Cr=Iraq&Cr1
Special Representative Martin Kobler. UN Photo/Devra Berkowitz
The United Nations top envoy in Iraq today voiced his concern about the delay in the relocation of the residents of Camp New Iraq – formerly known as Camp Ashraf – to a new location, Camp Hurriya, prior to resettlement in third countries.
“I urge the remaining residents of Camp Ashraf to relocate to Camp Hurriya without delay,” the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Martin Kobler, said. “The relocation process should not be stalled. I am concerned that there will be violence if the relocation doesn’t recommence. Any violence would be unacceptable.”
“I call on the Government of Iraq to avoid any forceful relocation. Each relocation must be voluntary. The United Nations supports only a peaceful, humanitarian solution and stands ready to facilitate,” he added in an UNAMI statement.
The Mission added that the relocation to Camp Hurriya has been stalled since the arrival of a fifth group of residents on 5 May.
Camp New Iraq – made up of several thousand Iranian exiles, many of them members of a group known as the People’s Mojahedeen of Iran – has been one of the main issues dealt with by UNAMI for more than 18 months.
In line with a memorandum of understanding signed in December 2011 by the UN and the Iraqi Government to resolve the situation, some two-thirds of the residents, or 2,000 people, were re-located to a temporary transit location near Baghdad known as Camp Hurriya – and formerly known as Camp Liberty – where a process to determine refugee status is being carried out by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
UNAMI added that the relocation process has come a long way since February 2012. Two thirds of the residents have already moved to Camp Hurriya, prior to resettlement abroad. Among them are hundreds of people with special needs, suffering from disabilities and serious medical conditions.
“I also urgently call on States to include residents who are eligible for refugee status in their resettlement quotas and to offer them a path to a more hopeful future outside Iraq,” Mr. Kobler said.
UNAMI staff monitor the human rights and humanitarian situation during the relocation process and provide round-the-clock human rights monitoring at Camp Hurriya.
Under the memorandum of understanding from last December, the Government of Iraq is responsible for the safety and security of the residents during their relocation and for the duration of their stay at the camp.
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Also
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=11615
Ambassador Fried It is time for the Mojahedin Khalq (MKO, MEK, Rajavi cult) to move out of Camp Ashraf
Briefing on Recent Developments at Camp Ashraf
.
... Once at Camp Hurriya, some people may decide to return to Iran, but on a voluntary basis only. Several hundred already have in the past. Others may have citizenship or valid residency status in third countries and should be able to return to their homes promptly. Still others may qualify for refugee status under UNHCR’s mandate. The residents who relocate to Camp Hurriya will need to be considered individually. To make our own determination about any specific individual, the United States needs to know more about them, and such information can be obtained only after they move to Hurriya and participate in the UNHCR’s status determination process ...
State Department, February 08 2012
http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/rm/183499.htm
Special Briefing
Ambassador Daniel Fried
Via Teleconference
Washington, DC
February 7, 2012
---------------------------------MR. TONER: Thank you, and thanks to everyone for joining us on such relatively short notice. Appreciate it. Very happy to have here with us this morning Ambassador Dan Fried, who, as you know, has taken on the additional responsibility of being our special advisor on Camp Ashraf. And he’s here today to update us on the status of the situation at Camp Ashraf as well as some details regarding the UN’s January 31st announcement that the facilities at former Camp Liberty now meet international humanitarian standards and are ready to receive the residents of Camp Ashraf.
Just a reminder before I hand the mike to Dan, this is an on-the-record call and Dan will say a few words, and then we’ll open it up to your questions. So without further ado, Ambassador Fried.
AMBASSADOR FRIED: Thanks, everyone, for joining. The U.S. has – welcomed – the U.S. has and continues to welcome and support the peaceful temporary relocation and eventual permanent resettlement of the residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq. This was the heart of Secretary Clinton’s statement on December 25th last year. Our purpose is humanitarian. We welcomed the signing of the MOU last Christmas Day between the Iraqi Government and the UN. This MOU charts a peaceful way forward.
Since the signing of that MOU, the Iraqi Government has worked to prepare a portion of former Camp Liberty, now called Camp Hurriya, to receive the first residents on a temporary basis, working in regular and close touch with the UN and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. That work has made enough progress that the UN last week confirmed that the facilities and infrastructure at Hurriya are in accordance with international humanitarian standards.
The UN recommended that the Government of Iraq and the Ashraf residents discuss details of the first move to Hurriya. Yesterday, an Iraqi representative met with the leadership of Camp Ashraf to discuss these details. The UN was present as facilitator. These discussions, according to all of our information, were businesslike and productive.
The United States welcomes this progress, and we look forward to the first residents moving from Camp Ashraf to Camp Hurriya in the immediate future. In any move of this kind and in the early days, once people are settling into Hurriya, problems may arise, of course. Patience, goodwill, and willingness to resolve logistical issues in a practical way will be critical. The United States, through its Embassy in Baghdad and my office, will continue to support the reasonable, prompt resolution of issues that arise, cooperating with the UN and the Iraqi Government and in contact with the residents at former Camp Ashraf and, of course, Hurriya.
The residents of Camp Ashraf must make the decision to start this relocation process. Camp Ashraf is no longer a viable home for them. They have no secure future there. On the other hand, the Government of Iraq has committed itself to the security of the people at Camp Hurriya and is aware that the United States expects it to fulfill its responsibilities.
The UN has committed itself to stationing monitors at Camp Hurriya on a round-the-clock basis. In addition, as Secretary Clinton made clear in her statement, the U.S. will visit Hurriya on a regular and frequent basis. Camp Hurriya is intended as a temporary transit facility to support the safe departure of former Camp Ashraf residents from Iraq. In this regard, while the UN and the UNHCR are doing and will continue to do their part, governments in Europe and beyond and the United States must do our part as this process unfolds.
Once at Camp Hurriya, some people may decide to return to Iran, but on a voluntary basis only. Several hundred already have in the past. Others may have citizenship or valid residency status in third countries and should be able to return to their homes promptly. Still others may qualify for refugee status under UNHCR’s mandate. The residents who relocate to Camp Hurriya will need to be considered individually. To make our own determination about any specific individual, the United States needs to know more about them, and such information can be obtained only after they move to Hurriya and participate in the UNHCR’s status determination process.
In short, it is time for the MEK to make the decision to start the move out of Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty-Hurriya from where they can begin new lives outside of Iraq. A peaceful solution, no matter what the circumstances, is the only acceptable solution, but it is time to move forward.
Now, with that, I’ll take your questions. And – oh, I should add that the UN head of mission in Iraq Martin Kobler and I were in Europe late last week discussing all of these issues with the European Union, with European parliamentarians, and I met separately with the French Government to discuss the way ahead. So this is an issue very much in motion.
So I’ll now take your questions.
MR. TONER: Great. Thanks, Dan. And, Operator, you can go ahead and tee up the first question.
OPERATOR: Yes, thank you. If you would like to ask a question, press *1. To withdraw your request, press *2. One moment for the first question.
The first question comes from Matthew Lee of AP. Your line is open.
QUESTION: Hey, Dan. Can I ask you what is prompting you to make this call today to tell the MEK that it’s now time? Has there been some new development where they’ve indicated they’re stalling again?
AMBASSADOR FRIED: I wouldn’t say that there’s a new development indicating stalling, but the reason I’m emphasizing this is because yesterday’s – last week’s determination by the UN that Camp Liberty was ready and yesterday’s practical discussions of the way ahead means that the time is now for the MEK to make its decision. It’s got to move forward. And it’s – all those who wish the residents of Ashraf a peaceful future outside of Iraq can help by encouraging the MEK to make the decision it needs to make.
QUESTION: Okay. But I thought – didn’t a limited number already move?
AMBASSADOR FRIED: No.
QUESTION: Or was that just an offer, that they said that some would --
AMBASSADOR FRIED: That was an offer.
QUESTION: It was an offer.
AMBASSADOR FRIED: No one has moved from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty because Camp Liberty was not yet ready to receive.
QUESTION: Oh, okay.
AMBASSADOR FRIED: So this was not a case of stalling. It was a case of the Iraqis having to get Camp Liberty up to speed. It now is. And that movement needs to start taking place.
QUESTION: All right. And who determined that it was okay, that it was habitable now? The U.S.?
AMBASSADOR FRIED: The UN. Not --
QUESTION: Not the envoy?
AMBASSADOR FRIED: Now, the U.S. has looked at it also, but the determination was made by technical experts from the UNHCR. The UN issued a statement last week, which is readily available, making clear that the infrastructure and facilities are now up to speed.
QUESTION: Okay. Thank you.
AMBASSADOR FRIED: Sure.
MR. TONER: Next question.
OPERATOR: And I show no further questions at this time.
MR. TONER: All right. We’ll give it a couple of seconds, but – for you to weigh in if you’ve got any additional questions.
AMBASSADOR FRIED: Well, I’ll take that as a sign that my presentation was comprehensive and answered all possible questions.
MR. TONER: Very good. Operator, last chance for our contestants.
OPERATOR: We have a question from Ian Duncan*. Go ahead.
MR. TONER: Right.
QUESTION: Hi, there. I’m calling from the LA Times. I just wondered to what extent the FTO designation hinders the U.S. role in the process and if there are any plans to change that designation.
AMBASSADOR FRIED: My office is not part of the FTO designation process. Obviously, I’m aware that that is a decision which the Secretary will make. We are – our interest in a humanitarian solution for the people at Camp Ashraf is quite independent of that decision. And we are able to move forward even now without that decision having been made.
QUESTION: Okay. Thanks very much.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Next question comes from Andrew Quinn with Reuters. Go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi. I have a couple of quick questions. One was: I was wondering if there has been any agreement on the process of moving people. I understand that there was some dispute over whether or not they’d be able to take their own vehicles, how they would get from Ashraf to Liberty. Do you know if that has actually been resolved and how they would get from A to B?
And the second question is: Earlier – last month, actually – and Mrs. Rajavi gave a speech in Paris where she said that the United States would hold full responsibility for all Ashraf members – for the safety of Ashraf members while they’re in Iraq. Is that a responsibility that the United States is now willing to accept, given the status of Camp Liberty? Thank you.
AMBASSADOR FRIED: First, the issue of the organization of the convoys was, I understand, discussed yesterday in some detail between the Iraqi Government representative and the Camp Ashraf leadership. I also understand that some good progress was made. And that – we welcome that. We welcome that.
With respect to the U.S. responsibility, Iraq is a sovereign country. Iraq has the responsibility for the exercise of that sovereignty, and they know that a peaceful solution is the only acceptable one. The U.S. is not the sovereign in Iraq. We are doing our best, and we are committed to trying to support a peaceful relocation of the people at Ashraf over to Camp – old Camp Liberty, and then support the UNHR efforts to get them out of Camp Liberty and out of Iraq. We’re going to try our best.
The responsibility for the next decision rests with the MEK. They need – the Iraqi Government has done, so far, what it committed to do; that is, it’s got Camp Liberty up to speed. The MEK and the residents of Ashraf, for their part, held a constructive set of discussions yesterday, and we welcome that. And now the decision has to be theirs to start this process and to work with all of us so that the shared objective, shared by all the sides in this – the UN, the Iraqi Government, the people at Camp Ashraf – for a peaceful solution. And the departure of these people from Iraq is up to them. A peaceful solution is at hand, but they’ve got to take it.
MR. TONER: Great. Any more questions?
OPERATOR: There are no further questions at this time.
MR. TONER: Okay. Well, we’ll take that for a sign that you’re all fully briefed on this. Anyway, thank you very much, all of you, for joining us today. And thanks to Ambassador Fried for also taking time.
AMBASSADOR FRIED: All right. Well, thanks a lot, everybody. And I’ll keep – I’ll – we can do this again when the news justifies it.
MR. TONER: Great. Thanks, all.
Daniel Zucker, Maryam Rajavi and ALi Safavi
