Members of Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) should completely leave Iraq by the end of 2011, said Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) representative in Tehran, Majed Ghamas.
"MKO members should leave Iraq and Ashraf Camp based on Iraqi government’s official stance and there should be no trace of them inside Iraq by the end of 2011. There are minority of people who are against withdrawal of the group from Iraq, but Kurds, Shiites and overwhelming majority of Sunnis are against presence of MKO members inside Iraq," he told ISNA.
Ghamas then added, "the US forces took control of Ashraf Camp after Saddam’s collapse and prevented Iraqi forces to become close to the camp. This was not only a military but a political support as well."
Regarding failure in evacuation of the terrorist group from the camp, he said, "Iraq forces tried to take control of the camp after withdrawal of the US forces from Iraqi cities, but they faced MKO heads’ swift reaction which led to killing and injury of 60 Iraqi forces."
He added the US pressures to block the move currently as well as third countries’ refusal to host the MKO members are other reasons behind the issue.
As to formation of a trilateral committee of Iran, Iraq and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for expulsion of the group, he said, "the basis of formation of the committee is a positive measure and assists Iraq for expulsion of the group from its soil."
Regarding ways through which MKO members are supplied with military equipment, he said, "the organization has lacked military entity after occupation of Iraq by the US forces since Americans have taken large amount of their weapons. But MKO members are working closely with al-Qaeda and Baathist terrorists and they have particular bilateral intelligence cooperation."
