Visit to Camp Ashraf

Visit to Camp Ashraf
Aljazeera TV
April 21, 2003

The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran described current negotiations between the organization and the United States over the fate of the organization in Iraq as going on in a positive atmosphere. The spokesman of the organization said that there are common grounds between the People’s Mojahedin and Washington and on top of all is their animosity against the ruling regime in Iran.

Yousef Sharif reporting: Camp Ashraf is the biggest camp of the People’s Mojahedin of Iran in Iraq which still stands after the fall of Saddam Hossein’s regime. The American bombs hit parts of this camp and seven of the combatants were killed in there.

But the officials of the organization said that Washington has expressed its regret for what had happened and does not deny that the United States has entered into negotiations with them to dampen the tension and determine the future of the organization in Iraq, although Washington considers this organization as being a terrorist organization.

The officials here emphasized that the Iranian forces had entered Iraq and following the fall of Baghdad have been attacking them. They accuse Tehran for taking advantage of the situation in Iraq and dispatching forces into the Iraqi territory.

Although the officials of the organization reiterate that they would continue with their war against the regime in Iran even if they do not reach an agreement with Washington, but most of people here hope that a new chapter will be opened with the United States which controls the situation in Iraq.

A combatant: Everybody knows that the US expresses its desire for freedom and if they knew about the situation in Iran and the kind of cruelty going on in there, then they should do something so that the people of Iran will also enjoy the freedom.

Sharif: The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran is counting on the future government of Iraq not to ask them to leave that country and emphasize that their presence in Iraq – according to them – prevents Iranian interference in the Iraqi internal affairs.

Fall of Saddam Hossein’s regime to some people meant the end of logistic support given by that regime to the People’s Mojahedin of Iran on Iraqi soil. But the other picture to this affair indicate that the fall of this regime perhaps mean the removal of last obstacles to establish dialogue or perhaps cooperation between the organization and Washington to achieve their common goals.