Our Politicians Should Take Side
Knowing anything or nothing about the contemporary history of Iran we have heard quite a lot about “Camp Liberty” and the quarrels going on there. Have we ever asked ourselves why this camp is located in the heart of Iraq? Why it is not happened to be in Switzerland or India or else? The country of Iraq for its Shiite majority and the shrines of Moslem Shiite leaders is the FOB of Iranian regime’s meddling and terrorism. Habitants of Camp Liberty have put their lives fighting to unseat the Ayatollahs to bring peace and liberty to this part of the world. They have stood in this battle for over 36 years and it seems that they will stand if the fight takes a century. Senseless terrorist attacks in recent months that took the lives of innocent people from California in United States to England and France, and to Egypt and of course to Iraq, bolstered the cries of those western dignitaries that peace, security and our future depends on which side we take in the epicenter of the ongoing battle. Do we continue appeasing the regime of Ayatollahs in Iran or put our supports for the Iranian resistance and the habitants of Camp Liberty.
The United States should: (1) take prompt and appropriate steps in accordance with international agreements to promote the physical security and protection of residents of Camp Liberty, Iraq;
(2) urge the Government of Iraq to uphold its commitments to the United States to ensure the safety and well-being of those living in Camp Liberty;
These are two articles of the seven point amendment presented by US Senator John McCain as a supplement to the annual U.S. defense policy. The bill approved by the United States House of Representatives and Senate, which has been signed to a law by President Barack Obama on 25 November 2015 also states: (5) assist the international community in implementing a plan to provide for the safe, secure, and permanent relocation of Camp Liberty residents.
The bill comes after warnings by US lawmakers, of both parties, that Iranian regime will not stand by its obligations in the final nuclear deal. Mujahedin, the Iranian-dissident group, (PMOI, also known in the U.S. as MEK), have long argued that Iran’s programs were anything but peaceful. Previously, Mujahedin revealed the existence of Natanz uranium enrichment facility and Arak heavy water facility in August 2002 which triggered the IAEA inspection of the Iranian nuclear sites for the first time. The group was also instrumental in exposing Fordow underground enrichment site near Qom.
Four years ago Mujahedin who had already stayed in Iraq for 26 years were forced by US and United Nations to leave their well-established house at Camp Ashraf and take Camp Liberty , a deserted US army base, as their new home. A few years earlier, in response to the request put by American chief commanders, and in a bid to ease the tension in the war stricken Iraq Mojahedin had surrounded their arms .This left the Mujahedin bare handed facing the Iranian backed terrorist groups operating in iraq.us, united Nations and the government of Iraq signed memorandums that obliged them to provide safety and security for the residents of Camp Liberty, a promise that, as the residents complain, was never respected.
Members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran housed at Camp Liberty are also “protected persons” by the Fourth Geneva Convention and the High Commissioner for Refugees considers them asylum-seekers under international protection. Regretfully, however, these residents are deprived of human rights standards, free access to lawyer, freedom of movement, and free access to medical services. The residents have so far been subjects of seven deadly attacks committed by Iranian backed terrorist groups in Iraq .The latest was on October 29th where 80 heavy missiles were launched from a nearby highway at Camp Liberty. At least 140 residents have been killed since 2009 while the US administration has simply watched on the sidelines.
In a latest attempt to push Iran’s terrorism back, in a statement signed by 170 Members of the European Parliament, representing all political groups in the Parliament, lawmakers condemned the brutal attack of 29 October 2015 on defenseless Iranian dissidents in Camp Liberty in Iraq and called for international protection for these refugees. The statement goes on,” This camp is home to over 2000 members of the Iranian opposition PMOI [MEK] which advocates for a free and secular Iran, equality between men and women and abolition of death penalty”.
The 170 members of European Parliament have called for replacement of Iraqi security advisor Faleh Fayyadh, known for his close links with Iran, who is responsible for harassing the residents on a routine and humiliating basis. The statement also called for an UN-led investigation into this massacre
Earlier, in unison with the international community, the National Council of Iraqi Tribes issued a statement on 29 November 2015 strongly condemning this attack that was conducted at the behest of the Iranian regime by its proxies in Iraq against the Iranian opposition.
As MEP Gérard Deprez, chair of the Friends of a Free Iran in European Parliament, has warned, “We cannot just stand and watch defenseless refugees being repeatedly targeted in this way and nobody is held responsible”, it is time that our politicians stopped mollifying the Godfather of terrorism, the regime of Mullahs in Iran, and put their support for Camp Liberty the front base of resistance against this inhuman regime.
Keyvan salami tweets on @salamikeyvan