Iraqi troops take control of Iranian refugee camp

Agence France Presse

Aug 30, 2008

BAGHDAD (AFP) — The Iraqi army has replaced American troops in securing a refugee camp north of Baghdad where members of Iran's main armed opposition group are grouped, Iraq's defence ministry said on Saturday.

“Iraqi forces have taken over responsibility from US forces to protect Ashraf camp,” ministry spokesman General Mohammed al-Askari told AFP.

“Our forces have deployed to protect this camp, not to seize it as recent rumours have alleged,” Askari added.

Nearly 4,000 members of the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) fled to Iraq in the 1980s and settled at Ashraf camp, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Baghdad, which the group now uses as its headquarters.

Opponents of the Iran government and wary of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whom they consider too close to Tehran, the future of the PMOI in Iraq is uncertain and Maliki has said he is looking for ways to end their presence.

The group is on the European Union's list of terrorist organisations subject to an EU-wide assets freeze, and has been designated by the US government as a foreign terrorist organisation.

However in June, Britain decided to lift a ban on members of the PMOI, infuriating Tehran which labelled the action “a disgrace.”

Formed in the 1960s in opposition to the rule of the US-backed shah, the PMOI took part in the 1979 Islamic revolution but then took up arms against the Islamic republic.

It killed several of Iran's new leaders in the early years after the revolution and backed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the 1980-1988 war with Iran. But the attacks had ceased by the early 1990s.

American troops disarmed thousands of Mojahedin fighters at Ashraf following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 that toppled Saddam and afforded them protection after classifying them as “non-combatants.”

Iraq: No Iranians in need of protection should be sent to Iran against their will

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PUBLIC STATEMENT
AI Index: MDE 14/023/2008
28 August 2008

Click here to download the PDF version of the statement

Amnesty International has written to both the Iraqi and US governments reminding them of their obligations under international law and urging them to continue to provide protection to people affiliated to and members of the People’s Mojahedeen Organization of Iran (PMOI), an Iranian opposition group based in Iraq.

In its letters, Amnesty International reminds both governments that members of the PMOI in Iraq are ‘protected persons’ under international humanitarian law and, therefore, should not be expelled or forcibly returned to Iran.

In its letters to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamil al-Maliki and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Amnesty International expressed concern at recent statements made by senior Iraqi officials criticising the presence of members of the PMOI (also known as Mojahedeen Khalq Organization – MKO) at Camp Ashraf in Iraq’s northern governorate of Diyala. On 3 July 2008 ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, one of the main political parties represented in the Iraq government, reportedly said that the "MKO's presence in Iraq lacks any legal or international covers," and accused the organisation of "aiding and abetting the former regime in killing Iraqis...." He is also reported to have accused the MKO of seeking “to fuel” sectarian conflict in Iraq and adopting an “aggressive position toward the parliament and the elected national government".

Earlier, on 18 June 2008 Iraq’s government spokesperson Dr. Ali al-Dabbagh said that the Iraq cabinet had “decided to emphasize the decisions made previously that consider the MKO as a terrorist organization and should leave Iraq.”

Amnesty International considers that those living in Camp Ashraf would be at grave risk of torture or other serious human rights violations if they were to be returned involuntarily to Iran, whether by the Iraqi authorities or by the US-led MultiNational Force (MNF). The organization has told the Iraqi and US governments that it strongly opposes any such forcible returns, either of those at Camp Ashraf or of other Iranian nationals who currently reside in Iraq having left Iran for political reasons or to escape persecution.

Amnesty International urged both governments to provide promptly a firm assurance that they will prevent the forcible return to Iran of any Iranian refugees and asylum seekers, currently in Iraq, who would be at serious risk of torture or persecution there, respecting the principle of non-refoulement.

The organization emphasised that before any final decision to remove an individual to their country of origin, there should be an independent, individual assessment of the potential risk of serious human rights violations, including the death penalty and torture. No person should be returned, either directly or via a third country, to a situation where they would be at risk of torture or other serious human rights abuses.

Amnesty International urged the Iraqi and US authorities to work together with UNHCR, and others as appropriate, to find a satisfactory long term solution to the situation of PMOI members and supporters currently at Camp Ashraf.

Background Information
Amnesty International has been monitoring the situation of members and supporters of the PMOI in Camp Ashraf. Following the US-led military intervention in Iraq in 2003 about 3,400 members of the PMOI were disarmed by the US-led forces at Camp Ashraf. Since that time PMOI members living in the Camp, which is managed by the MNF, have been designated as “protected persons” under Article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which prevents extradition or forced repatriation to Iran as long as the US-led Multinational Force (MNF) is present in Iraq.

END/

Iraq reported to control PMOI enclave

United Press Interantional
Aug. 29, 2008

BAGHDAD, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Iranian media reports say Iraqi national security forces have assumed security responsibility for the enclave of the People's Mujahedin of Iran in Ashraf City.

The Fars News Agency quotes Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari saying Iraqi military forces have “surrounded” Ashraf City in Iraq's eastern Diyala province.

The report says the move came as the Iraqi government called on U.S. military forces to halt their security operations in the area.

The United States and several other countries classify the PMOI as a terrorist organization in part due to its activity during the era of Saddam Hussein. That status is being reconsidered in light of a British decision to delist the group.

An assistant at the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom, who spoke to United Press International on condition of anonymity, said the Fars report was erroneous.

Iranian lawmakers called on the national government to review its relationship with the United Kingdom in response to the reclassification.

Ali Safavi, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, told UPI the report was an Iranian attempt to threaten the group in Iraq.
“These reports and developments foretell of the Iranian regime's extensive plots against the residents of Ashraf City, which seriously endanger the lives of 3,500 people living there,” he said.

Rally outside Red Cross demands protection for PMOI/MEK

Global Politician
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
by Nasser Razy

Hundreds of Iranians gathered outside the UK office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urging the world humanitarian body to take action to ensure that Coalition forces continue to protect the members of Iran's main opposition force, the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI [MEK]), in Camp Ashraf in Iraq's Diyala Province.

On June 17, 2008, the Iraqi Council of Ministers issued a six-point directive, demanding to take control of Ashraf emphasizing that the PMOI [MEK] will be expelled from Iraq and that some of its members will be prosecuted. A subsequent directive prohibited the provision of any form of support to the residents of Ashraf by Iraqis and non-Iraqis alike.

"We have gathered here in protest to worrying news that the Coalition in Iraq is contemplating transferring the protection of some 3,500 members of the main democratic Iranian opposition movement, the People's Mojahedin, residing in Camp Ashraf, to the Iraqi government", said Lord King of West Bromwich from the ruling Labour Party. "The forcible expulsion of the residents of Ashraf would be a grave breach of international humanitarian law and the principle of non-refoulement. The directive by the government of Iraq therefore flagrantly violates International Humanitarian Law and its provisions", he said.

"Transfer of the protection of the residents of Ashraf to Iraqi security forces, who are known to have been infiltrated by the Iranian regime's agents, would invite a humanitarian disaster. There is little doubt that the demands by the Iraqi government to take control of Ashraf are the result of pressures put on it by Tehran, which views the PMOI as the major threat and impediment to its ominous objectives in Iraq", Lord King added.

Elizabeth Sidney OBE, chairwoman of the International Federation of Women Against Fundamentalism and for Equality, who along with Lord King met ICRC officials simultaneous with the protest, said afterwards that the Red Cross is urgently following up the matter.

"The Red Cross must ensure that the residents of Ashraf continue to be protected by the Coalition. Anything short of this would be inviting a humanitarian disaster", said Prof. Assiter, a prominent British human rights activist.

Relevant provisions of international law, international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions prohibit the transfer of Camp Ashraf’s protection. In a letter on March 20, 2007, the ICRC underscored "the residents of Camp Ashraf must not be deported, expelled or repatriated in violation of the [principle of non-refoulement] or displaced inside Iraq in violation of the relevant provisions of International Humanitarian Law (IHL)." Similarly, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees urged "the Multinational Forces (MNF-I) from any action that could endanger the life or the security of these individuals (Camp Ashraf residents), such as their forcible deportation from Iraq or their forced displacement inside Iraq."

Lord King and others handed the ICRC officials a letter which read in part: "Handing over the security of those in Ashraf, who are disarmed and have no means of protecting themselves against any hostile action, to a government which has already stated its intention to expel them to Iran would itself constitute a grave breach of international law and the Principle of Non-Refoulement".

"Iraq’s security apparatus is known to have been infiltrated by the Iranian regime's agents. As such transferring the protection of Ashraf to it would create a humanitarian disaster, which the ICRC cannot allow to happen".

"We urge the ICRC – as the trustee of the Geneva Conventions - to take an urgent stance on this pressing matter to prevent the handover of Ashraf to the Iraqi forces", it added.

Swiss daily: Iranian stage a sit-in outside UN in Geneva

Swiss daily Le Courrier
August 26, 2008

Dozens of supporters and families of Iranian opposition in Iraq began an open-ended sit-in yesterday in Geneva. They asked the International Committee of Red Cress (ICRC) to intervene to prevent the transfer of 3,500 Iranian dissidents, threatened with expulsion.

"The sit-in is held outside the UN's European Headquarters, Place des Nations, and will last as long as necessary, "said a spokesman of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

The participants call on the ICRC to ask the Multi-National Force-Iraq(MNF-I) to continue the protection of Ashraf (residents of the dissidents) to avoid a "humanitarian catastrophe" and insist on the need to respect the International Humanitarian Law, the International Law and the principle of non-refoulement.

Last Wednesday, hundreds of supporters of Iranian dissidents in Iraq had already demonstrated in Geneva against the threat posed by Baghdad authorities to expel them under pressure from Tehran. One delegation was received at the headquarters of the ICRC.

When questioned, a spokeswoman for the ICRC said that the organization "is in contact with the authorities and is in contact with all parties concerned." The Iranian dissents have the protection of the multinational force since May 2003.

Editor's note: The above text is a direct translation from French of the Swiss national daily Le Courier.

Iranian dissidents in Iraq: the beginning of a sit-in in Geneva

ATS News Agency
August 25, 2008

Geneva, August 25, 2008 (ats) - Dozens of supporters and families of the Iranian opposition in Iraq began an open-ended "sit-in" on Monday in Geneva.

They asked the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to intervene to prevent the transfer or expulsion of 3,500 Iranian dissidents from Iraq.

"The 'sit-in' will last as long as it is necessary outside the United Nations Headquarters," said Afshine Alavi, a National Council of Resistance's spokesman. We call on the (ICRC) to take a public stance.

The participants call on the ICRC to ask the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) to continue to provide protection for Ashraf (home to the Iranian dissidents in Iraq) to avoid a "human catastrophe" and stressed on the need to respect the International Humanitarian Law, International Law and the principle of non-refoulement.

Last Wednesday, hundreds of supporters of the Iranian opposition in Iraq demonstrated in Geneva against the threat that Baghdad authorities might expel the dissidents under pressure from Tehran. A delegation from the participants was received by the ICRC officials at its headquarters.

When asked, a spokesman for the ICRC said that the organization "is in contact with the authorities and is talking with all concerned parties."

The MNF-I is providing protection for the Iranian dissents in Iraq since May 2003.

Iranian stage a sit-in outside UN in Geneva

August 25, 2008
Source: www.20min.ch

Dozens of supporters and families of the Iranian opposition in Iraq began an open-ended "sit-in" on Monday in Geneva.

They asked the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to intervene to prevent the transfer or expulsion of 3,500 Iranian dissidents from Iraq.

"The 'sit-in' will last as long as it is necessary outside the United Nations Headquarters," said Afshine Alavi, a National Council of Resistance's spokesman. We call on the (ICRC) to take a public stance.

The participants call on the ICRC to ask the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) to continue to provide protection for Ashraf (home to the Iranian dissidents in Iraq) to avoid a "human catastrophe" and stressed on the need to respect the International Humanitarian Law, International Law and the principle of non-refoulement.

In contact
Last Wednesday, hundreds of supporters of the Iranian opposition in Iraq demonstrated in Geneva against the threat that Baghdad authorities might expel the dissidents under pressure from Tehran. A delegation from the participants was received by the ICRC officials at its headquarters.

When asked, a spokesman for the ICRC said that the organization "is in contact with the authorities and is talking with all concerned parties."

The MNF-I is providing protection for the Iranian dissents in Iraq since May 2003.

Editor's note: The text is translation from French

Care needed to prevent humanitarian disaster

August 22, 2008
British daily Birmingham Post
By Lord King of West Bromwich

Dear Editor, Hundreds of Iranians and I gathered outside the UK office of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Wednesday urging the world humanitarian body to take action to ensure that US forces continue to protect the members of Iran's main opposition force, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), in Camp Ashraf, Iraq.

On June 17, the Iraqi government issued a directive, demanding to take control of Ashraf, emphasizing that the PMOI will be expelled from Iraq and that some of its members will be prosecuted.

The forcible expulsion of the residents of Ashraf would be a grave breach of international humanitarian law and the principle of non-refoulement since they are all protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The Iraqi government directive is therefore unlawful. Handing over the security of those in Ashraf, who are disarmed and have no means of protecting themselves against any hostile action, to a government which has already stated its intention to expel them to Iran would itself constitute a grave breach of international law and the Principle of Non-Refoulement.

Iranian regime's agents are known to have infiltrated Iraq's security forces.

Transferring the protection of Ashraf to it would create a humanitarian disaster, which the ICRC cannot allow to happen.

The Iranian community in the UK and many of us in Parliament are very concerned with these developments.

---------------------
Lord King of West Bromwich,
Labor peer,
Member, British ParliamentaryCommittee for Iran Freedom

PMOI intensifies its efforts to protect members in Iraq

Friday, 22 August 2008

NCRI – Asharq Alawsat, the Arabic international daily wrote on Wednesday of the "intensified efforts" by the supporters of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) to make sure that the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) would avert a "human catastrophe" by providing unremitting protection to the PMOI members residing in Ashraf City-Iraq.

"Tehran increases the pressure on Baghdad to hand over their opponents. It is demanding the expulsion of Iran's organized opposition from Iraq. However, the PMOI members say that their lives would be in danger if returned to Iran," added asharq alawsat.

The rallies in support of the PMOI have held in Washington DC, London and Geneva at the same time on Wednesday the paper said.

Hundreds of Iranians gathered outside the UK office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urging the world humanitarian body to take action to ensure that Coalition forces continue to protect the members of Iran's main opposition force, the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), in Camp Ashraf in Iraq's Diyala Province.

About the same number rallied in Geneva in front of the UN headquarters having the same demands from the ICRC to adopt a proactive position, as the guarantor of the Geneva convictions, to ensure the safety of Ashraf residents.

Iranians rally in support of the PMOI in Geneva

Thursday, 21 August 2008

NCRI – Al Arabiya News Channel in a report from Geneva said that hundreds of Iranians gathered outside UN headquarters "demanding protection" for Ashraf City (home to members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Iraq).

"The Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) should continue the protection of Ashraf City to prevent a human catastrophe from occurring," the Al Arabia quoted Afshin Alawi, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) spokesman as saying.

The protesters reminded the MNF-I of its responsibilities in implementing the International Humanitarian Law, International Law and the principle of non-refoulement and warned that the transfer of protection of Ashraf City would pave the way for Iraqi forces and result in a human catastrophe.

The demonstrators, many of whom have relatives and family members in Ashraf City, called on the Secretary General of the United Nations, President of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and all other relevant international bodies to actively intervene and urge for the continuation of protection of Ashraf City by the MNF-I and not allow that such a human tragedy to occur.

Baghdad moves to expel PMOI in six months

United Press International
August 21, 2008

BAGHDAD, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- The Iranian envoy to Baghdad said Iraq passed legislation to compel the dissident People's Mujahedin of Iran out of the country in six months.
Hassan Kazemi Qomi said in an interview with the Iranian Fars News Agency that Baghdad has passed a measure to order the group out of Iraq.

"The Iraqi government considers the terrorist group as a factor behind the insecurity in Iraq," he said.

The U.S. military provides protection for the group in its safe haven in Ashraf City in Diyala province. Many nations, including the United States, consider the group a terrorist organization for its anti-Iranian militancy during the former Iraqi regime, though several countries have delisted the group.

Iranian supporters of the group assembled outside the British offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross, meanwhile, to call on the world community to urge U.S.-led forces to continue protecting the group in Ashraf City.

PMOI points to a June 17 provision in Iraq that calls for national security forces to assume security responsibility from U.S. forces while issuing demands for the group to leave the country.

Officials with the group say such a move will encourage sectarian retribution for the group's activity during the previous regime. The group claims protection status in Iraq under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Iranians rally in support of Mojahedin in Ashraf City in Iraq

August 20, 2008

NCRI - On Wednesday, August 20, hundreds of Iranians residing in Switzerland held a rally outside the headquarters of the United Nations Office in Geneva and warned about the plots and pressures of the clerical regime against Ashraf City (home to members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)). They urged the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) and the US to counter these plots and to continue protecting the residents of Ashraf City.

Iranians rally outside Red Cross demanding protection of PMOI's rights in Ashraf city in Iraq

August 20, 2008
Right Side News

Hundreds of Iranians gathered outside the UK office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urging the world humanitarian body to take action to ensure that Coalition forces continue to protect the members of Iran's main opposition force, the People's Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI), in Camp Ashraf in Iraq's Diyala Province

On June 17, 2008, the Iraqi Council of Ministers issued a six-point directive, demanding to take control of Ashraf emphasizing that the PMOI will be expelled from Iraq and that some of its members will be prosecuted. A subsequent directive prohibited the provision of any form of support to the residents of Ashraf by Iraqis and non-Iraqis alike.

"We have gathered here in protest to worrying news that the Coalition in Iraq is contemplating transferring the protection of some 3,500 members of the main democratic Iranian opposition movement, the People's Mojahedin, residing in Camp Ashraf, to the Iraqi government", said Lord King of West Bromwich from the ruling Labour Party. "The forcible expulsion of the residents of Ashraf would be a grave breach of international humanitarian law and the principle of non-refoulement. The directive by the government of Iraq therefore flagrantly violates International Humanitarian Law and its provisions", he said.

"Transfer of the protection of the residents of Ashraf to Iraqi security forces, who are known to have been infiltrated by the Iranian regime's agents, would invite a humanitarian disaster. There is little doubt that the demands by the Iraqi government to take control of Ashraf are the result of pressures put on it by Tehran, which views the PMOI as the major threat and impediment to its ominous objectives in Iraq", Lord King added.

Elizabeth Sidney OBE, chairwoman of the International Federation of Women Against Fundamentalism and for Equality, who along with Lord King met ICRC officials simultaneous with the protest, said afterwards that the Red Cross is urgently following up the matter.

"The Red Cross must ensure that the residents of Ashraf continue to be protected by the Coalition. Anything short of this would be inviting a humanitarian disaster", said Prof. Assiter, a prominent British human rights activist.

Relevant provisions of international law, international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions prohibit the transfer of Camp Ashraf's protection. In a letter on March 20, 2007, the ICRC underscored "the residents of Camp Ashraf must not be deported, expelled or repatriated in violation of the [principle of non-refoulement] or displaced inside Iraq in violation of the relevant provisions of International Humanitarian Law (IHL)." Similarly, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees urged "the Multinational Forces (MNF-I) from any action that could endanger the life or the security of these individuals (Camp Ashraf residents), such as their forcible deportation from Iraq or their forced displacement inside Iraq."

Lord King and others handed the ICRC officials a letter which read in part: "Handing over the security of those in Ashraf, who are disarmed and have no means of protecting themselves against any hostile action, to a government which has already stated its intention to expel them to Iran would itself constitute a grave breach of international law and the Principle of Non-Refoulement".

"Iraq's security apparatus is known to have been infiltrated by the Iranian regime's agents. As such transferring the protection of Ashraf to it would create a humanitarian disaster, which the ICRC cannot allow to happen".

"We urge the ICRC – as the trustee of the Geneva Conventions - to take an urgent stance on this pressing matter to prevent the handover of Ashraf to the Iraqi forces", it added.

Representative Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran – UK
20 August 2008

Note to editors:
All PMOI personnel in Ashraf City enjoy "protected persons" status under the Fourth Geneva Convention. As such, their basic rights must not be infringed, and they cannot be extradited to any other country or involuntarily displaced within Iraq.

Rally for Mujahedeen

The Washington Times

August 16, 2008

Iranian-Americans Hold Rally in front of ICRC in DC

WPFW Radio
August 15, 2008

Host: We are going to talk to Majid Roshani. He is going to talk to us about the demonstration to be held today by members of the Iranian American community of Northern Virginia. Why do they hold the rally in front of the International Committee of the Red Cross? Good morning.

Majid Roshani: Good morning and thank you for your time. We are really concerned about the fate of about 3,500 Iranians who are refugees in Iraq. They are under the protection of the Multi-National Forces because they’re in opposition to the Iranian regime. They are currently in Iraq, in a camp called Ashraf. They are protected by our soldiers.

There has been recently an effort on the part of the Iranian regime to have them expelled or repatriated essentially into Iran. And we are extremely concerned about this because the Iraqi security forces have been obviously infiltrated at many levels by the Iranian security agents and we are certainly afraid that if in fact the authority to protect them is transferred to Iraqi authorities there will be a humanitarian catastrophe coming up.

They are currently considered refugees under the auspicious of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, protected by the Multi-National Forces under the Fourth Geneva Convention, and the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned everyone including the Iraqi government and everyone else to certainly protect them and not allow them to be deported or expelled or even displaced within Iraq.

Essentially, they have been the target of bombings by the Iranian regime and their agents, their Iraqi employees have been murdered, and two of their members within were kidnapped and murdered. Their water supply was disrupted, their power supply was bombed. And so certainly, they are Iranian, they’re our loved ones, they’re our families and we want certainly to be sure that their rights are protected as the have been so far.

Host: You have singled out the International Committee of the Red Cross to hold your rally. Why the Red Cross and not have a rally at all the agencies or most of the agencies that can do something about this impending crisis as you see it?

Majid Roshani: Of course, well certainly, the body that has overseen, has been the umbrella group that has been making sure to date has been the ICRC.

Host: Majid Roshani. Thank you for sharing your information.

Iran denies negative influence in Iraq

United Press International
August 7, 2008

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Iran categorically denies any allegations made by U.S. officials that Tehran's influence undermines political development and security in Iraq.

Mohammad Khazaee, the permanent representative of Iran to the United Nations, told the Security Council in New York that Tehran supports progress in Iraq and denies claims it is meddling adversely in Iraqi internal affairs.

"My delegation wishes to place on record that the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran rejects these unfounded allegations, the raising of which has unfortunately become a tired and routine practice on the part of the United States," the envoy said.

Khazaee said Iran has "been unambiguous in its condemnation" of acts of terrorism perpetrated in Iraq, particularly those carried out by groups backed by the United States.

Iran has been outspoken in its criticism of U.S. support for the anti-Iranian People's Mujahedin of Iran, whose base in the eastern Iraqi city of Ashraf is protected by U.S. military forces. The PMOI is listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, though it was recently delisted by the British government.

The ambassador restated Iran's "unwavering" support for the Iraqi effort, noting it is in the best interest of the region to ensure Iraq does not fall back into instability.

"Undoubtedly, as any other neighboring countries, Iran stands to highly benefit from stability, security and prosperity in Iraq, as it will immensely suffer from insecurity and instability in that country," he said.

PMOI should be protected, scholar says

United Press International
August 5, 2008

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Protection for the opposition People's Mujahedin of Iran should be included in the broader U.S.-Iraqi military arrangement, a U.S. scholar on Iran says.

The presence in Iraq of the group, which seeks to overthrow the current Iranian government, has provoked widespread controversy, leaving a mutually agreed upon solution a diplomatic challenge for the United States in Iraq, notes Raymond Tanter for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Tanter observes the criticism faced by the U.S. military for protecting the PMOI in its eastern Iraqi bastion of Ashraf. The PMOI is listed on the U.S. State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations, though that status will be reviewed in October.

A British court earlier this year removed the PMOI from its list of terrorist organizations, and the group has lobbied Europe recently for similar consideration.

With the PMOI in Ashraf considered “protected persons” under the Fourth Geneva Convention, however, Tanter says any provision for the PMOI to remain in Iraq should be considered as part of the broader security arrangement set to replace the expiring U.N. mandate for Iraq.

“If (PMOI) members remain in Iraq under the protection of U.S. forces, such an arrangement should be explicit in agreements negotiated between Iraq and the United States,” he says.

Increasing Pressure on Iranian Opposition in Iraq

The Washington Institute
PolicyWatch #1394
By Raymond Tanter
August 4, 2008

Throughout summer 2008, Iraqi politicians tied to Tehran have put increasing political pressure on the U.S. government to allow Baghdad to control Camp Ashraf, the base housing Iran's main opposition -- the Mujahedin e Khalq (MEK). Options regarding Iraqi-based MEK members are limited, but include the following: sending them to the United States; allowing them to stay in Iraq under Iraqi control; dispersing them to surrounding countries, including Iran; or maintaining the status quo with the continued protection of the U.S. military. Since each option is problematic, finding a solution is neither easy nor simple.

Escalating Pressure
On July 4, 2008, Iran's Fars News Agency reported that Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, called for MEK's expulsion from Iraq, adding that the group "instigates tribal conflicts, interferes in the internal affairs of Iraq, and creates hostility between the parliament and government of Iraq and the Iraqi electorate." On July 8, Iraqi government spokesman Abbas Bayati told al-Zaman: "The presence of the Mujahedin Organization in Iraq is illegal. We will ask the United States to put Camp Ashraf, the [MEK's] bastion, under the control of the Iraqi government."

On July 9, an English language agency of the Iranian regime, Press TV, reported, "Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari has declared the imminent expulsion of members of Mujahedin-e Khalq from Iraq." And on July 10, Iran's ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Kezemi-Qomi, told Press TV that "an Iraqi committee has been formed to expel the . . . [MEK] from the country."

International Law
International humanitarian law is vital to the MEK issue, especially if the group's adversaries succeed in their efforts. Coalition forces recognize the residents of Ashraf as "protected persons" under the Fourth Geneva Convention, as does the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In 2004, the ICRC reiterated its position in a letter stating: "Those persons who are protected under the Fourth Geneva Convention remain protected by the Fourth Geneva Convention."

And in March 2007, the ICRC reminded relevant authorities "of their obligations to act in accordance with the principle of non-refoulement [a term in international law that concerns the protection of refugees dispersed to countries where they would face persecution] when transferring persons to another state or authority." This statement is an acknowledgment of the nontransferable status of the protection of Ashraf under the present circumstances.

During the same year, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reiterated its position that "bodies of international law, particularly international humanitarian law and human rights law, have positive relevance to the Ashraf situation and could confer protections on individuals who fear serious risks if returned to their country of origin." As such, UNHCR cautioned Iraqi authorities and the coalition "to refrain from any action that could endanger the life or security of these individuals, such as their forcible deportation from Iraq or their forced displacement inside Iraq."

In February 2006, Maj. Gen. John D. Gardner, the coalition's deputy commanding general, reiterated the protected-persons status of the people of Ashraf. He acknowledged coalition responsibilities regarding the Geneva Convention relative to the treatment of civilians, stating, "The coalition remains deeply committed to the security and rights of the protected people of Ashraf and the principle of non-refoulement."

Problematic Options
Assuming a transfer of MEK members were possible, many questions remain regarding their destination. There are many reasons why it would be difficult for the European and U.S. governments, or Iraq's Kurdish regional bloc, to accept the MEK en masse to their territories.

Moving the group's members to the United States, for instance, is currently impossible because of MEK's status as a foreign terrorist organization. This status could change, however, if the designation is lifted in October 2008 when the Department of State performs a regular review process. This appears to be a viable possibility given recent developments in the United Kingdom, where the British government was forced to remove the group from its terrorist list after an independent judicial commission -- one ratified by a British appeals court -- determined that such a designation was no longer appropriate.

If Ashraf's security responsibilities were transferred to Iraqi security forces, as demanded by the Iranian regime, it would be a flagrant violation of international laws and conventions. Since it is widely reported that the Iranian regime has infiltrated Iraqi military and security forces, and wields significant influence within the government, such a move would certainly invite a humanitarian catastrophe. No U.S. president would want to leave such a legacy.

Moreover, dispersing the MEK, in addition to being illegal, is likely to decrease the international community's leverage over the Iranian regime. Because the regime pays more attention to the opposition in Iraq than all other opposition groups combined, a case could be made to rely on the MEK as leverage to encourage Tehran to give up its quest for nuclear weapons capability.

Conclusion
If MEK members remain in Iraq under the protection of U.S. forces, such an arrangement should be explicit in agreements negotiated between Iraq and the United States. Given that military components of the Iraqi government cannot be trusted to provide security for Ashraf and guarantee protected persons status conferred under the Fourth Geneva Convention, transfer to Iraqi control would risk a humanitarian disaster.

The argument for protecting the human rights of MEK members need not be based on a favorable view of the organization. One need not accept or reject the claim by some that the group provides useful intelligence, or that it is an important means to unsettle Tehran.

It would be especially unfortunate if the treatment of the MEK was harsher because of a desire to secure concessions from Tehran on the nuclear impasse. Not only is it inappropriate to abandon the principles of human rights for concessionary purposes, but such an approach would be counterproductive on the nuclear front. This strategy would show Iran that its nuclear program has won it leverage on unconnected issues -- thus reducing Iran's incentive to abandon its program -- and it would destroy what is arguably Tehran's main opposition.

Raymond Tanter, a visiting professor of government at Georgetown University, is an adjunct scholar at The Washington Institute, researching U.S. policy options toward Iran.

PMOI obstacle to peace, Iran says

United Press International
Aug. 1, 2008

TEHRAN, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. relationship with an Iranian opposition group based in Iraq jeopardizes the future of relations with the Islamic Republic, an Iranian report says.

An Iranian Press TV report says the U.S. relationship with various militant groups in the post-Sept. 11, 2001, geopolitical environment is duplicitous.

The United States and Iran have had an acrimonious relationship since a CIA-backed coup in 1953 overthrew the Iranian government. Now, the report said, “U.S.-Iranian political atmosphere and dominant American philosophies have encouraged the U.S. government to forge a friendship with an Iranian opposition group that is living in exile, the People's Mujahedin of Iran.”

The report points to a 2007 BBC report saying Tehran in 2003 offered to abandon its support for Hamas and Hezbollah if the United States would revoke its support for the PMOI, but U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney refused the offer, the report said.

Press TV said that instead of pushing for warmer ties with Iran, Washington has thrown its support behind the PMOI in order to promote democracy in Iran. The column cites a report this year from Seymour Hersh in The New Yorker claiming the U.S. intelligence community has “longstanding ties” to the PMOI as well.

Furthermore, though considered a terrorist group, the PMOI is offered U.S. military protection in its base in Ashraf city in eastern Iraq, Press TV notes.

“Especially in a time where both Iran and the U.S. have mounting levels of distrust for one another; how would supporting an enemy of Iran make Iran want to be a cooperative friend to the U.S.?” the report asks.