Iraqi defense minister has said that the Iraq government is planning the expulsion of members of the banned Iranian terrorist group MKO.Abdul-Kader Jassem al-Obeidi noted that the terrorists of the Mujahedeen Khalq Organization (MKO) should no longer remain in Iraq.
“The Cabinet decided to ban any dealings with this organization by any Iraqi or foreign individual, organization or party,” a statement said on Tuesday. In the statement, the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said the Mujahedeen Khalq Organization is meddling in the country’s internal affairs and supporting anti-government activities.
Iraq is seeking to expel the Mujahedeen Khalq Organization or the so called PMOI, the largest armed Iranian dissident group for interfering in Iraq’s domestic affairs and inciting terror acts against the Iraqi nation. “Baghdad regards the MKO as Saddam’s accomplice” and is opposed to its presence in Iraq, an informed official who requested anonymity told the ISNA news agency.
Iraqi Ambassador to Tehran Abu Heidar al-Sheikh said on Monday that the Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is to pay an official two-day visit to Tehran next week. Speaking to reporters at Iraq’s embassy, he said the upcoming visit would leave huge impacts on expansion of political and economic relations between the two countries and would also help accelerate such a trend.
The Euronews reported on Saturday that an EU review of the list of terrorist organizations next month could give the Mujahedeen Khalq Organization (MKO) carte blanche to operate inside the bloc. The MKO is blacklisted by many countries including EU member states as a terrorist organization. The group has so far claimed responsibility for several terror attacks inside Iran and
The protesters called for the closure of the embassy and condemned the British court decision which ruled in favor of the Mojahedin Khalq Organization, Press TV correspondent reported on Thursday. Scores of police forces were deployed at the scene to prevent angry demonstrators to attack the embassy.
… The minister said recent moves by the British government, including concocting a case against a former Iranian diplomat, a recent ruling by a British court on removing the Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) from the list of terrorist groups and supporting the terrorist organization to broadcast live programs in Persian from London, have clearly indicated London’s double-standard approach toward terrorism …
Citing the MKO’s hostile measures taken against Iranian officials and the nation, Safari said removing the group from a list of proscribed terrorist organizations is ‘unacceptable’ and ‘politically motivated’. The Iranian official advised the British government to act against the implementation of the verdict to avoid the serious effects the judgment will have on Tehran-London relations.
Roughly 60 British marines have been seen patrolling along Iraq’s border with Iran near the Shalamcheh border crossing, sources have said. “Close to 60 British marines were seen patrolling near the Iranian border of Shalamcheh in groups of 20, carryig light weapons and with the apparent intention of monitoring the condition of the sealed border crossing,”sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity told PRESS TV.
With the closure of TIPF and re-deployment of soldiers guarding it, the future of Camp Ashraf itself is under question. How many American soldiers are still protecting the foreign terrorist group in Iraq? And how long will it be before they hand over control of the camp to the Iraqi Government and military?