“Dirty, unusable, water shortage, power outage, highly controlled prison equipped with espionage cameras”; these are the alleged imperfections of Temporary Transit Location that are widely launched in the Mujahedin Khalq Organization’s hues and cries, these days. The first
The MKO’s slanderous statements on the so-called defects of the new location soon came after their resettlement. The group primarily accused the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) which in January said Liberty (Temporary Transit Location) met” international humanitarian standards “ of misrepresenting conditions there, according to AFP.[1]
AFP calls the MKO’s propaganda campaign in the media as “statement issuing ire”. W.G Dunlop of AFP writes,“the PMOI[MKO]’s focus on public relations campaigns marked by frequent statements to the media and cultivating well-known western politicians to speak on its behalf differs dramatically from its past activities,”.[2]
The report states that the MKO’s spokesman Shahriar Kia sends emails accusing the UN of telling ”lies" and filing “unrealistic report” on condition of TTL as well as forcing residents of Ashraf to move to it.
It is far and wide known that TTL (formerly called Camp Liberty) had previously housed 5000 American troops and as Martin Kobler the UN representative ,told AFP” it should be possible to have the infrastructure ready for these 400 persons who are now living there.”[3]
But, it seems that the MKO’s “flurry of statements” speaking of conspiracies, aims to acheive something extra.
On March4, Assasicated Press also reported of a statement issued by the MKO that proposed “to temporarily move to the Jordanian border instead of Camp Liberty near Baghdad.” The group once more criticized the alleged poor conditions of TTL.”None of the minimum assurances that Ashraf residents had sought has been met”, the statement said. And, Maryam Rajavi offered her golden suggestion: “camp residents are ready to relocate temporarily to the Jordanian border this month in an area once set up as a tent city to house asylum seekers after the outbreak of the Iraq war in 2003”, AP reported. [4]
According to the group’s statement, it would handle expenses for the move. [5] What motivation makes Rajavi to propose such a suggestion?
The history of the MKO’s foreign relations includes Jordan as one of the allies of the group especially during Saddam Hussein’s era. In 2008, some members of the House of Representatives of Jordan accepted the group’s invitation to attend its conferences in European capitals. [6]
A day after Rajavi proposed her impudent plan, Jordan authorities in their turn rejected the suggestion.”Jordan is committed in its obligation that it should not interfere in the affairs of other countries,” a source in the Jordanian Interior Ministry told AL Arab Alyawm Newpaper. [7]
It seems promising to conclude that the MKO leader is highly confused about how to handle her cult of personality after the closure of camp Ashraf. She hopes to be able to gather her forces together in a tent city but out of Iraqi control. She might hunt for building another “Camp Ashraf”, this time in Jordanian territory!
By Mazda Parsi
References:
[1] Dunlop, W.G, Iran exiles in Iraq do battle using press release, AFP, March 5, 2012
[2]ibid
[3]ibid
[4]Associated Press, Iranian opposition group eye Jordan relocation, March 4, 2012
[5]ibid
[6]BBC, Jordanian MPs advised not to attend PMOI conference, December 11, 2008
[7]Kuna, Jordan confirms rejection of building a camp for MEK to its territory, March 5, 2012 (Originally Arabic, Translated by Iran-interlink)