It ends a tense standoff with the Iraqi government, which has repeatedly vowed to close the 25-year-old camp.Earlier this week, Iraq and the UN agreed to resettle the camp’s more than 3,000 residents.Those living in the camp, about 40 miles (65 km) north of Baghdad, were part of the People’s Mujahideen Organisation of Iran (PMOI/MEK/PMOI), which fought alongside Iraqi soldiers during the Iran-Iraq war.
The first 400 of the more than 3,000 members of the People’s Mujahedeen of Iran – which Iraq earlier this year had threatened with mass expulsion – are ready”as a goodwill gesture”to transfer with their movable property and vehicles”at the first opportunity”to the former Camp Liberty at Baghdad International Airport, the group’s leader, Maryam Rajavi, announced.
The head of an Iranian exile group holed up at a camp in Iraq said Wednesday that the first of the camp’s residents are ready to move to a new location picked by the Iraqi government, solving a potential crisis…Rajavi’s statement also gave rare insight into a camp that was built during the 1980s and has largely been closed off to the outside world. The group’s residents have not left the camp for years, and the little contact they have with outsiders is through the Iraqi military, visiting diplomats and aid agencies.
The deadline has not been extended but the way to expel the MKO aka MEK/PMOI members from Iraq has changed, Dabbaq stated.Up to now, no country has agreed to give refuge to the members of the group, he said, adding that ,however, it takes a long time to move four thousand people and their belongings.
.but also because of the MEK’s aka MKO/PMOI dishonest merging of the humanitarian concerns at their Camp Ashraf base with their FTO listing. Many expected that the Obama administration would announce a decision in September after dragging its feet for over a year following a 2010 Court of Appeals rare order that the designation be reevaluated, but no final announcement has been made and to date the MEK remains FTO-listed…
..This resettlement must also have the full support of the camp’s residents, and we urge them to work with the U.N. to implement this relocation,”she said.”All those who want to see the people at Camp Ashraf safe and secure should work together to see that the agreed upon plan is carried out…
He believes that the agreement lays the foundation for a peaceful and durable solution to the situation, respecting both the sovereignty of Iraq and its international humanitarian and human rights obligations. The MoU is the result of intense negotiations between his Special Representative for Iraq, Mr. Martin Kobler, and representatives of the Iraqi government. The residents of the camp have also been consulted. ..
236 members of the Mujahedin khalq organization aka MKO/MEK/PMOI are transferred to Baghdad international airport in order to be expelled from Iraq, declared Al-Khalis Governor.Al-Alam reported from Buratha News that Mr. Ali Al-Khadran , Al Khalis Governor said: ”326 members of terrorist Mujahedin are transferred to Camp Liberty near Baghdad airport, today .”“The decision was made under terms of the MoU signed between Iraq/UN..
Families of Ashraf prisoners chanted slogans to once more announce their call to visit their loved ones.. Local and foreign reporters are present in there in order to broadcast the news of the region. As it was also reported 100 residents of Camp Ashraf are relocated in Camp liberty. Families are hopeful to see or at least get news of their children –after years of no news about them– while they are transferred from Ashraf to Baghdad.
The UN effort has our full support.The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding represents significant progress on this issue and outlines steps necessary to achieve a peaceful and viable solution for the residents of Ashraf, including their temporary relocation to Camp Liberty,..At this new location, the UNHCR will be able to conduct refugee status determinations for the residents of Ashraf..We are encouraged by the Iraqi government’s willingness to commit to this plan