Dabbagh Says Iranian Group Must Leave Iraq

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Feb 18, 2007

BAGHDAD - … Iraqi cabinet spokesman Ali al-Dabagh said the government regarded the Iranian Khalq opposition group, which Iraq harboured during former President Saddam Hussein's reign, as 'a terrorist' group.

Al-Dabagh said that the group should be forced to leave since 'the constitution forbids the presence of any organization that is engaged in or supports in terrorism in the Iraqi territories.'

Less than a month before Al-Dabagh's comments, a Khalq spokeswoman had told pan-Arab al-Sharq al-Awsat that the group's faction in Iraq, which lives in a camp east of Baghdad, has stopped its activities.

'We only have around 4,000 men, women and children who reside in Ashraf camp near Diyali,' Dawla Norouzi said, adding: 'We respect the Iraqi government.'

Norouzi said that Khalq activities in Iraq were reduced to 'cultural and educational' activities.

Khalq has been struggling against the Iranian regime for more than two decades.