Lass week, the Global Initiative for Democracy (GID) issued a press release announcing that a bipartisan group of former U.S. leaders are calling for the U.S. State Department to remove the Iran dissident group known as the “MEK” from the U.S. list of terrorist organizations.
Camp Ashraf is a refugee camp in The Diyala province of Iraq where there are currently 3,400 Iran dissidents of the exiled Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) group.
In 1997 the dissidents at Camp Ashraf were placed on the terrorist list.
In 1999, the U.S. military took control of Camp Ashraf and conducted a detailed research and analysis of each of its residents, all of whom voluntarily disarmed in exchange for the U.S. military protection.
The investigation conducted by the U.S. military found no evidence of terrorist activity, or any association with recent terrorist activity in the region or anywhere else in the world.
Further investigations conducted by several U.S. and international law enforcement organizations reiterated the same conclusion – that the MEK in its modern form is not involved in terrorist activity.
Talking to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, General David Phillips, a retired U.S. Army General and former Camp Ashraf commander said:
“A thorough individual investigation produced no evidence of wrongdoing, no evidence of criminal acts, and absolutely no evidence of terrorism by these people. I didn’t read or get my information second and third hand. I lived it. I experienced it. I know it.”
Genocide inside Camp Ashraf
Last year, Top Secret Writers interviewed Shahriar Kia, a spokesperson for the Camp Ashraf residents. In that interview, Shahriar explained how the U.S. has effectively ‘turned a blind eye’ and ‘disregarded its responsibilities’ to the residents of Ashraf.
How is it that despite the fact that every resident of Ashraf signed an agreement with the U.S., handing over their arms voluntarily in order to be protected under the 4th Geneva Convention rules, that Iraqi forces have still been able to carry out inhumane sieges and slaughters in the camp?
Shahriar likened the actions by the Iraqi military to the "psychological torture prevalent in Nazi concentration camps." In 2011, Shahriar told Top Secret Writers:
"The U.S. government’s failure to live up to its promises and agreements with the residents of Ashraf has brought about the disapproval of American congressmen, jurists and members of parliament the world over."
Several months after Shahriar made those comments to TSW, conferences titled, "Iranian Revolution, Three Decades Later" were held in New York and Paris, involving many prominent U.S. and European political and military figures.
All those present shared a common goal to ensure that genocide does not occur at Camp Ashraf.
Unfortunately, genocide has already occurred at Camp Ashraf, with Iraqi officials storming the camp in both 2010 and 2011, and brutally murdering and injuring many of its residents.
U.S. State Department Fails to Take Action
Famed Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein told delegates during a speech at the Camp Ashraf conference in New York that the Camp Ashraf story had "so far escaped the attention it deserves". However, Bernstein continued, it has at last been brought to the public’s attention.
But what has been delaying the U.S. State Department to take action, and why have they taken so long to act?
Sharing this sentiment was the former Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani.
Giuliani noted that in July 2010, the U.S Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the State Department had violated the due process rights of the MEK, and remanded the case to the Secretary.
However, 19 months later, the State Department has still refused to act. Giuliani told fellow panelists at the Camp Ashraf event in New York:
"Why is the State Department waiting so long? What is it, two years now that they have been delaying making this decision? These [Giuliani’s fellow panelists] are terrorism experts. They know terrorism. These people know terrorism when they see it. This group [MEK] is not a terrorist group. Lift the designation and let’s have our country on the right side."
Camp Ashraf Residents Will Move to Camp Liberty
While writing this article, I contacted Shahriar Kia to ask if he would shed some fresh light on this extremely delicate situation.
Shahriar informed me that a major new development concerning the Ashraf residents was currently taking place. Shahriar provided TSW with exclusive information that Miriam Rajavi, the leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, has agreed that 400 residents of Ashraf will move to Camp Liberty in the coming days.
Shahrair provided TSW with a statement written by the Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran and that the move came "Upon recommendations and assurances of Secretary Clinton".
On December 21, 2011, Mrs Rajavi announced that the residents of Ashraf had agreed with the transfer of 400 residents to Camp Liberty.
A week later, Mrs Rajavi also announced that those 400 residents would move to Camp Liberty on December 30, 2011, with their "movable property and vehicles as a sign of good will gesture."
Despite the issue being repeatedly raised by Mrs. Rajavi, the leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran failed to receive a positive response from Ambassador Kobler, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, and the Iraqi government.
According to the most recent statement from Ambassador Kobler on January 31, 2012, Camp Liberty was ready to receive 400 Ashraf residents transferred to it, despite the fact there was no running drinking water available.
The statement also informs that contrary to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both the Iraqi government and Ambassador Kobler:
"Camp Liberty does not fulfill international humanitarian and human rights standards such as freedom of movement, which was raised by the UNHCR [the UN’s refuge agency], and there is no free access to medical services lawyers and families. Only the technical infrastructure of the camp has been approved by a shelter expert."
Under the "recommendations and the assurances of Secretary Clinton", Mrs. Rajavi was informed that despite the lack of running water, no access to outsiders such as lawyers or family members, and no signed agreement regarding the transfer of vehicles and personal property to Camp Liberty, the first group of residents would be transferred within the coming days.
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Shahriar Kia sent Top Secret Writers a statement written by the National Council of Resistance of Iran on February 17, 2012, informing that the 400 Iranian dissidents were being moved to Camp Liberty that afternoon.
According to the statement:
"Contrary to propaganda and hollow statements, the minimum guarantees have not been provided and nobody has certified the humanitarian and human rights standards in this camp... Without freedom of movement, free access to medical services, ability to meet lawyers and without the Iraqi armed forces leaving the Camp Liberty, it will be nothing but a prison under the name of 'Liberty'"
One of the most concerning questions is how could the transfer of 400 people to a facility that has been referred to as little more than a prison, have been agreed upon by Secretary Clinton?
Shahriar Kia is understandably wrapped up with the present relocation of the Ashraf residents, but promises to keep TSW up to date with further information about what appears to be an extremely serious and delicate situation.
References & Image Credits:
(1) Al Arabiya News
(2) Daylife.com
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Gabrielle Pickard is a freelance journalist that seeks out stories mainstream media misses. She endeavours to enlighten readers about news they were never aware existed. GabriellePickard has 114 post(s) at Top Secret Writers
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