Iraq stands by anti-MKO drive

Iraq says it is standing by a decision to shut down Camp Ashraf and end the terrorist Mujehedin Khalq Organization’s presence on Iraqi soil.
"MKO members who are residing in Camp Ashraf (inside Iraq) should either leave Iraq for Iran or a third country because they won’t be granted permission to stay in Iraq," Iraq’s National security Advisor, Mowaffak Al-Rubaie said in a televised interview with Al-Alam TV network on Sunday.
"The expulsion of MKO members would be conducted in accordance with human and Islamic criteria as well as Iraqi and International law," he added.
The Iraqi government took over the security of the Camp Ashraf following the finalization of the Iraqi-US security agreement. Under the agreement, the security of the MKO headquarter, was put under Iraqi control as of Jan 1, 2009.
Baghdad holds MKO responsible for instigating violence and acts of terror inside Iraq. The government has decided to extradite the MKO members from the Islamic Republic should they decline to leave Iraq.
The Mujahedin Khalq Organization was blacklisted across the Europe. However, on January 26, 2009 the European Union voted to remover the MKO terrorist group from its black list. The MKO is still considered as terror-sponsoring group in the United States.
According to Al-Rubaie Iraq has so far issued arrest warrants for 14 MKO members over criminal charges inside or outside Iraq.
"According to Iraq’s constitution MKO is considered as a terrorist group due to the crimes it committed against the Iraqi people in 1991, no matter how hard the European countries or other states try to strike the organization off the list of terrorist groups," the Iraqi official maintained.