MKO Responsible for any Bloodshed

A brief look at MKO-run media implies that the world is concerned about the dire situation of the group’s members residing in the transit Liberty camp scheduled to be transferred out of Iraq to other third countries if they are accepted. As recently, there are also many statements circulated on the group’s pages from a variety of dignitaries from Western countries as well as organizations condemning mortar attacks against Camp Liberty that has led to a number of these refugees being killed and injured. But the bare fact about all this human tragedy and suffering is that the blame has to be squarely placed on MKO leaders.

A common sense approach to end the predicament of the residents is to have a close, unprejudiced cooperation with all parties engaged to solve the problem and those shouldering the responsibility to facilitate the transfer of the residents. However, MKO’s resistance to cooperate and its leaders’ insistence to return the residence to their previous military camp, Camp Ashraf, remains the sole obstacle to implement the approaches. To mention an example of MKO’s refusal to cooperate, the group’s leaders rejected Albania’s generous offer to resettle 210 former residents. The offer was made at a time when no other country has decisively offered to receive any member of the group. However, only a few numbers, only thirty residents, were relocated to Albania in early June under global pressure.

Following the relocation, in a press statement, the State Department called MKO to have a full cooperation with all the engaged parties to solve the problem:

“The United States also reiterates its call to the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) to cooperate fully with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) process to relocate Camp Hurriya residents outside of Iraq as expeditiously as possible. The permanent relocation of residents is essential to ensure the safety and security of residents, especially following the February 9 terrorist attack that took eight lives.

The MEK leadership has the responsibility to facilitate the full and immediate participation of residents in interview and counseling processes required by the UNHCR. Residents of Camp Hurriya are entitled to unimpeded and private access to UN human rights monitors. The MEK leadership has an obligation to ensure residents are able to engage openly and freely with UN human rights monitors, UNHCR personnel and UNAMI representatives.”

Despite all efforts for seeking a peaceful solution in handling the MKO’s exit from Iraq, MKO, innately a violent group investing on violent approaches as a desired outlet, is resolved to heighten the tension to a point that might provoke a violent reaction, just what MKO dreams to happen. MKO never observes nor has any respect for human rights and international laws; it is getting ready for causing an appalling human tragedy rather than to end it. MKO is not uninterested to make all residents martyrs to demonize the Iraqi government as well as securing a much more extended period of stay in Iraq with all needed sympathy directed in its own favor.

For sure, the countries that refuse to accept Liberty residents as refugees have their own logic and reasons. A review of the group’s past violent history and anti-social behaviors in Iraq and other European countries, regardless of the atrocities perpetrated against its own fellow Iranian, might well explain the cause. What is just before European’s eyes is the group’s decade long persisting challenge with the Government of Iraq. Once forming close alliance with Saddam against Iranian regime, MKO acted also as his loyal mercenary in suppression of uprising Iraq dissidents. After the fall of the dictator, in a shift of position the group claimed to be standing beside the Iraqi people in a unified front to secure its stay in Iraq. As it is naturally a terrorist group whose strategy of struggle is founded on armed and violent warfare, soon it began to show its real, hostile attitude against the legally elected government and defied any reached legal decision; it preferred to make coalition with Iraqi insurgent groups. MKO in its struggle to survive not only claimed a position similar to that of Iraqi citizens with all granted rights but also postured as being in the vanguard of accomplishing democracy for Iraqi people and began interfering in the country’s domestic affairs. So it is natural to see a violent reaction from certain Iraqis who are against MKO’s interventionist attitude and prolonged stay in Iraq regardless of any global condemnation and disapproval of attacks against the Liberty residents. It is only MKO and just MKO that is responsible for any killed or injured residents.

by mujahedin.wordpress – Afshar Koosha