450 thousand in Diyala, Iraq support for Mojahedin in Ashraf City

Al-Sharq Al-Awsat

June 17, 2007

Baghdad - More than ten thousand Iraqis from Diyala province and north and south of Iraq yesterday in a gathering expressed their solidarity with the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran in the framework of the solidarity for peace and freedom in Iraq.

Al-Sheikh Mazen Habib Al-Keyzaran, head of Al-Ezza tribe in Iraq said in the conference that the Iraqi tribes of Diyala in a statement signed by 450 thousand inhabitants, expressed full solidarity with the Mujahideen Khalq (MEK), whose members reside at Camp Ashraf guarded by multinational forces.

The conference intended "revealing Iranian interventions in Iraq in general and especially in the Diyala province," and called for unity of all ranks against foreign interventions. It demanded the organized Iranian opposition to remain in Diyala province as the only capable force to stop these interventions. and to expose the role of the Iranian influence destabilizing the region.

Al-Sheikh Mazen told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the deteriorating situation in Diyala is caused by external interventions, and the role of tribes is not clear because those interventions undermine that role, but there was unanimity among the tribes that each tribe should maintain the security of its region, and there are future steps that will contribute to stabilize the situation in the province.

Mohsen Nadi member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran said, the Conference emphasized the need for the unity and solidarity of the democratic political forces of Iraq and Iraqi community leaders, and chiefs to prevent Iranian interference in the province of Diyala.

Nadi told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, The Iranian regime is the main source of crisis in the whole region, and the Iranian intervention is attributed to its internal political crisis and economic plight, that intends to export it outside to protect itself.

Nadi added that his organization emphasized that the Iranian regime's conspiracies and plots in Diyala province has taken a larger scale, because the control of this province is extremely important due to its common border with Iran, which is about 240 kilometers.

The Iranian regime tried for the last four years to impose hegemony on this province employing the legions affiliated with Quds Force by some officials loyal to it to implement its policies on the province, and among these attempts are fueling sectarian violence under religious slogans to eradicate its opponents on the one hand and prevent progressive and patriotic forces from entering into future political process on the other hand.