People's Mujahedeen will be handled "in the right fashion": US commander in Iraq

Agence France Presse
December 13, 2003

BAGHDAD, Dec 13 - US forces are working to "disperse" the Iran opposition People Mujahedeen from Iraq "in the right fashion" after Iraq's Governing Council vowed to throw the group out by the end of the month, the top US military commander in Iraq said Friday.

Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez told reporters "as far as the expulsion of the MEK (Mujahedeen) from the country, there is a process in place that is being worked in coordination with the Iraqi people ... to process these forces and disperse the personnel in the right fashion."

Earlier this week, Iraq's interim Governing Council said the People's Mujahedeen would be thrown out of Iraq by the end of December and could possibly be sent back to Iran, where they are branded terrorists.

Sanchez stressed the coalition was working together with the Governing Council on the issue of the People's Mujahedeen and "executing our common goal" on the matter.

He put the number of Mujahedeen in US custody at over 3,800 since the group, which mounted attacks inside Iran from neighbouring Iraq when Saddam Hussein was in power, surrendered to the coalition in May and disarmed to the Americans.

They are now guarded by US troops in their base of Camp Ashraf, east of the capital.

The Mujahedeen said Friday it had told US authorities that any attempt by Iraq's US-controlled Governing Council to expel thousands of its members to Iran would be a war crime for which Washington would be responsible.

Iran greeted the expulsion decision as "very positive" and said the Islamic republic would show "leniency" to low-ranking members wishing to give themselves up.