Iraq

Iraq objects to EU interference in the issue of Camp Ashraf

The Minister of Foreign Affairs [Hoshyar Zebari] met with Ms. Catherine Ashton, EU foreign policy coordinator today 22/9/11, in New York.

During the meeting they discussed the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Iraq and the importance of signing the agreement at the earliest opportunity, especially since the majority of European parliaments have ratified the Convention.

The Minister expressed the reservation and objection of the Iraqi government to the request of the European Commission to designate a special representative to Camp New Iraq (formerly Ashraf) but stressed that the government of Iraq has consistently appealed to and asked European countries and other countries to receive and resettle residents of the camp in their countries.

He also stressed that the government is committed to close the camp by the end of the year and it will take necessary measures to complete the plan while observing international humanitarian law in dealing with the inhabitants of the camp.

It was agreed to maintain dialogue and communication and mutual visits between the two sides in the coming period.

Iraq Foreign Ministry, translated by Iran Interlink

September 26, 2011 0 comment

Iraq

Deputy Foreign Minister emphasizes Iraq’s decision to close Camp Ashraf

Iraq’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Labid Abawi met today with a delegation headed by UNHCR

Claire Bourgeois, UNHCR representative in Iraq and her entourage to discuss Camp Ashraf.

A statement issued by the Ministry quotes him as saying, "Iraq’s position stems from its commitment to the rules of international law and humanitarian law. Iraq is ready to cooperate with the [UNHCR] Representative to find realistic and humanitarian solutions for the inhabitants of the camp".

Concerning Camp Ashraf, Abawi said, "The [Mojahedin] organization is a terrorist organization as classified by the United States and Europe, as it is here also because of its crimes against the Iraqi people through its cooperation with the former dictatorial regime," the statement said.
He continued: "Therefore, Iraq is determined to shut down Camp Ashraf at the end of this year and the residents will be resettled, and Iraq will collaborate with the WHO in order to facilitate their exit from Iraq.

Iraq Centre for Studies website, Translated by Iran Interlink

September 21, 2011 0 comment

Iraq

senior Iraqi cleric: MKO must leave Iraq by 2012

Leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Ammar Hakim, has said that the members of the terrorist Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) based in Iraq must leave the country by the end of 2011.

Leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Ammar Hakim Hakim, who had travelled to Iran to attend the fifth meeting of the Ahl al-Bayt World Assembly, made the remarks during a meeting with Grand Ayatollah Abdul Karim Mousavi Ardebili in the holy city of Qom on Friday.

Hakim also said that Tehran has announced the names of 100 MKO members who must stand trial if they return to Iran.
Commenting on the formation of the government in Iraq, he stated that despite the pressure being exerted on the country, Baghdad could move through that crucial stage thanks to public support.
He also said that the enemies of Iraq are incessantly making efforts to create stumbling blocks to the country.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Hakim stated that the security situation in Iraq has improved and the Iraqi forces have become more equipped and are capable of identifying terrorists.
And the death toll from terrorist attacks in Iraq has decreased, he added.
He also said that efforts are underway to create understanding among various political groups in Iraq and to help them reach a consensus on internal and external issues.
On the developments occurring in certain regional countries, the ISC leader stated that Iraq is keeping a close eye on the events unfolding in the countries which have been experiencing pro-democracy uprisings and has made efforts to help stabilize the situation in Syria as well.
Hakim also held separate meetings with a number of other grand ayatollahs based in Qom, including Lotfollah Safi Golpayegani, Nasser Makarem Shirazi, Hossein Nouri Hamedani, Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, Sadeq Hosseini Shirazi, Mohammad Javad Alavi Tabataba’i Boroujerdi, and Hossein Vahid Khorasani on Friday.
Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani, in his meeting with Hakim, said that various political groups in Iraq should put aside differences.
In his meeting with Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, Hakim said it is necessary that all Iraqi officials stand by each other and make endeavors to serve the people.

September 17, 2011 0 comment

Iraq

Iraq to resolve the Camp Ashraf file by end of the year

During a meeting of the Committee on Foreign Relations in the Dutch parliament, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari iterated Iraq’s decision to end the crucial file [Camp Ashraf] by the end of the year.

A copy of the Foreign Ministry statement received by AllIraqNews on Thursday said, "Zebari met yesterday at the headquarters of the Dutch Parliament Foreign Relations Committee in which Zebari confirms Iraq will resolve the Camp Ashraf file by end of the year meeting the developments of the internal situation and the continuous improvement of the security situation in Iraq were reviewed."

"Interactive dialogue also took place to assess the level of bilateral relations and areas of cooperation between the two countries based on political and diplomatic relations developed between them," noting that "the need to promote this cooperation to the level of the historical relations between the two countries on the one hand and to the position of the Netherlands’ outstanding support of the process of Iraq’s political and democratic transformation that took place on the other was stressed.

The statement continued, "There was a focus on the importance of this cooperation to expand the area of investment in energy to other issues of economics, trade and in particular management of water resources, as well as the importance of working for the creation of better relations between the Iraqi Council of Representatives and the Dutch parliament."

Zebari addressed "the developments and changes taking place in the Arab region, and that what Iraq has accomplished in its changes towards democracy has now become one of the most important demands of the peoples of the region who seek reform and change."

It is noteworthy that the presence of an Iranian opposition group in Iraqi territory is in contradiction to the terms of the Iraqi constitution and most political communities, but that some in the United Nations and the European Union and U.S. forces are demanding the survival of the organization and provide support and stability to it.

"After clashes earlier between Iraqi security forces and members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (aka PMOI) led to the injury of a number of employees of the Iraqi security forces, the Iraqi government decided to close the camp by the end of this year and called on the Iranian government to issue amnesty for the members of this organization. "

“Referred to as the ‘Camp Ashraf fighters of the Mojahedin-e Khalq on Iraqi soil’, it is well known that this organization is classified as a terrorist organization and that it is prohibited to have dealings with it.”

All Iraq News, Baghdad, Translated by Iran Interlink

September 11, 2011 0 comment

Iraq

Iraqi victims of MKO to collect signatures to expel the group

Chairman of the Committee for the defense of Iraqi victims of Mojahedin Khalq working to collect signatures to expel MKO (MEK, Rajavi cult) from Diyala, Iraq

The head of the Special Committee to defend the victims of the crimes of Mojahedin Khalq, Mr. Nafee-Issa, said the Committee is working to collect signatures for the expulsion of the Mojahedin from the province of Diyala, and from Iraq.

In a statement to All-Iraq News Agency on Tuesday, Mr. Nafee-Issa said that "the Committee is working to collect a large number of facts that show the crimes of this organization and what caused the killings of civilians in Iraq since 1986 till 2003."

He added that "organized crime continued after 2003 as a result of political interference in the affairs of Iraq by creating sectarian strife between Iraq’s people and in addition working to destabilise the security situation in the province of Diyala and the country in general."

Camp Ashraf, or as it is now known camp New Iraq, houses thousands of Iranian fighters of the MKO, an Iranian opposition faction, which based the headquarters for its Chairman at the camp nearly three decades ago.

All Iraq News, Translated by Iran Interlink

August 27, 2011 0 comment

Iraq

Baghdad conference discusses legality of MKO presence

In this gathering organized by the Iraqi Justice association, many Iraqi officials, tribal leaders and ordinary people voiced their support for the MKO victims that are calling for expulsion of the organization from their country.

These people have come together to discuss about the legality of the presence of the terrorist group of Mujahedin Khalgh Organization on their soil.

During the conference the organizers and the attendees stated that they have sent a request to Iraqi government to expel the MKO saying that they launched a campaign to collect one million signatures to be attached to the request.

They also reminded the Iraqi policy makers of what they called the crimes committed by MKO against the Iraqi citizens under Saddam regime.

After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, American troops disarmed MKO members based at the training base of the terrorist group at Camp Ashraf — about 60km north of Baghdad.

There are many in Iraq saying that despite the disarment, the US and its allies delay evacuation of the camp.

They stressed that the US intentions in this regard cannot be peaceful as they have emphasized that they have plans to use Iraq as a primary base to launch attacks against the neighboring countries.

The United States, Canada, Iraq and Iran have all designated the MKO as a terrorist organization.
Iraqi security forces took control of the camp, housing 3,500 people, on July 28.

The group is especially notorious in Iran for siding with former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

Wisam al-Bayati, Baghdad
Download Baghdad conference discusses legality of MKO presence

August 23, 2011 0 comment

Iraq

Ali Jahani open letter to the Iraqi PM Nouri Al-Maliki

America is the main criminal force behind terrorism in Iraq

Open letter to the honorable and distinguished Prime-Minister of Iraq, Mr. Nouri Al- Maliki I, Ali Jahani, am the former member of PMOI

Respectfully, I, Ali Jahani, am the former member of PMOI (MKO, Mujahedin Khalgh). During twenty years of my close activity in this organization, I had been witnessing many terrifying and horrible experiences of breach of the human rights and awful crimes which probably are unbelievable for some people.

I ,after 2 decades of active cooperation with this organization which its preliminary objectives were 180 degree different than its final objectives ,fortunately could rescue myself from PMOI after the fall of the Saddam Hussein , the dictator of Iraq, in 2004 and after spending 4 years in the American camp , TIPF, which was located near the PMOI main garrison , Ashraf, I could find my way to Turkey and from Turkey I could come to Germany and in Germany beside my life I have been trying my best to reveal and disclose the PMOI inhumane and un political activities by my enlightening activities and my awareness disclosure . Now I would like to share with you some of my experiences which I had seen closely during my membership in PMOI.

1. Espionage, political and military cooperation with the government of Saddam Hussein and PMOI participation in killing of Kurds and suppression of the Shiites in southern part of Iraq.

2. Compulsory separation of the children from their biological parents inside PMOI relations and imposing and forcing the married people to get divorced from each other.

3. Any connection with the family is forbidden and the PMOI leaders force their members to kill any kind of sentiment and feeling with their beloved ones and in stead the members should worship Massoud and Maryam Rajavi.

4. Building prisons in their internal relations and torture the dissidents inside those prisons just because they were against the PMOI inhumane policies inside the PMOI relations.

5. The strong censorship inside the PMOI relations about “News” and forbidding having any personal radio and the only News source was the PMOI news network.

6. After the fall of the Saddam Hussein, the Iraq dictator, the PMOI leaders have not allowed the families of their stranded members to visit them and right now there are many families behind the closed gates of Ashraf garrison who have been waiting for more than a year to visit their loved ones but so far the leaders of PMOI have not allowed them.

As you are well informed that since the beginning of the April 2011 there were bloody clashes between the PMOI stranded members and your military forces which had begot many casualties , more than 10 people were killed and hundreds were wounded, but these clashes are not the first one and will not be the last one either.

The leadership of PMOI without having any military achievement send his stranded members to fight against your military force to be killed or injured just to take advantage of their blood for his political objectives and for conservation of his cultic entity and position, but everybody knows that PMOI has remained in your country as unwelcome guests and as collaborator and partner of Saddam Hussein in his bloody crimes against humanity.

The leadership of PMOI does not want to leave your soil without bloodshed and clashes. They do not want to pay the price of being responsive to their bloody cooperation with Iraq dictator during eight years war between Iran and Iraq and their recent unjust clashes with the Iraqi forces which resulted to the death of many stranded members of PMOI, so the leadership of PMOI is looking for more bloody clashes and violence to hide the realities mentioned above and annihilate more of its dissidents in the future clashes. The clash between the stranded members and the Iraqi military forces is the only solution which the leadership of PMOI is thinking about to get rid of its dissidents.

You are maybe familiar with some of the PMOI inhumane and anti-human rights activities which exist like cultic rules and regulations in their internal relations and as a result of this fact, cultic rules and regulations, the cults for conserving their cultic entity are ready to sacrifice their members and they are capable of doing any violent and vicious activity for their survival.

In your recent interview with the news network, Al alam , you mentioned that some of the western countries have supported this organization financially consequently you want to make a complaint against those countries. Your decision is very great and admirable and I believe the main criminal in this issue is United States of America because of its support of this terrorist organization on Iraq soil without consideration of the will of Iraqi people and their honorable and popular government.

I, the former member of this organization, am fully pleased of your decision regarding the expulsion of this terrorist organization from your country till end of this year, but I am urging you, regarding to accomplish the expulsion mandate of PMOI, do not allow any clashes to occur between your military forces and PMOI stranded members because PMOI leadership is looking for such bloody clashes to survive. I am urging you to solve this problem as peaceful as possible and the peaceful solution results in freedom of the stranded members and will make their families very happy.

Respectfully

Ali Jahani, Iran Pen, Germany

August 18, 2011 0 comment

Iraq

US puts pressure on Iraqis to keep the MEK terrorist group

The presence of the MKO camp in Iraq and the consequences of their remaining are among the main topics discussed in Iraq ‘s political circles.

In a conference organized by the Iraqi Center for Media Development, a number of Iraqi officials and ordinary people came together in capital Baghdad to talk about the MKO presence in Iraq.
The attendees stated that the brutality of the MKO members against the Iraqis in the 1991remind them of the bloody era of the dictator Saddam which lasted more than thirty five years.

The organizers said that the Iraqi government has decided to give the MKO members six months time to leave the country.

Many others showed frustration toward the intervention of the US government in this issue, saying that the US forces are putting pressures on the Iraqi officials to keep the MKO in Iraq. They said the main motive is to use MKO to launch attacks against the neighboring country.

Political analyst say that the Iraqi government should take some serious steps toward the expulsion of the MKO.

The group is especially notorious in Iran for having sided with former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

Wisam al-Bayati

August 14, 2011 0 comment

Iraq

Iraq orders MKO terrorist group to return occupied land

An Iraqi court has mandated the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) to return thousands of hectares of land that the terrorist group occupied to set up its military base in eastern Iraq.

Sheikh Ali al-Zahiri, head of the support council of the Iraqi city of Khalis, said on Tuesday that the Diyala Province court has ordered the terrorist group to return 5,000 hectares of land located inside Camp Ashraf, where the MKO terrorists are located, to the Iraqi owners, IRIB reported.

The outlawed MKO fled to Iraq in the 1980s, where it enjoyed the support of executed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and set up Camp Ashraf in the northeastern town of Khalis, Diyala.

The court ruling also required the MKO to pay compensation to 150 Iraqi families for the terrorist group’s illegitimate use of the land over the past three decades.

The development comes as hundreds of Diyala residents staged a demonstration last Tuesday, calling for the expulsion of the MKO elements in Iraq. The Iraqis also demanded the return of more than 36,000 hectares of their land occupied by the notorious terrorist organization.

The MKO — listed as a terrorist organization by much of the international community — has committed numerous terrorist acts against Iranian officials and civilians as well as the people of Iraq.

The MKO cooperated with Saddam in the massacres of Iraqi Kurds and in suppressing the 1991 uprisings in southern Iraq.

Since Saddam was deposed in 2003, the Iraqi government has set numerous deadlines for the terrorist group to leave the country but the MKO has managed to maintain its base with US support.

August 6, 2011 0 comment

Iraq

Iraq to sue states supporting MKO

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has announced that his country will sue the governments supporting the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group. Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki

"Iraq will sue those governments that support the MKO in order to harm Baghdad," Maliki said at a Saturday press conference, Al-Alam news network reported.

"The Western states put the MKO on the list of terrorist groups for its crimes against Iraqi people, but they support it now," he noted.

Maliki was referring to a recent decision by a Spanish court to summon the Iraqi premier regarding the incidents in Camp Ashraf — where the MKO terrorists are currently located — in April.

The Iraqi prime minister also said that Iraq does not recognize the Spanish court’s order.

The MKO fled to Iraq in the 1980s, where it enjoyed the support of executed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and set up Camp Ashraf in the eastern province of Diyala, near the Iranian border.

The terrorist group cooperated with Saddam in the massacres of Iraqi Kurds and in suppressing the 1991 uprisings in southern Iraq.

The MKO is listed as a terrorist organization by much of the international community and has committed numerous terrorist acts against both Iranians and Iraqis.

July 31, 2011 0 comment

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