By misrepresenting the facts and making contradictory claims, they are trying to evade further disgrace on the one hand and to set the stage for more attacks on the residents of Camp Ashraf on the other.
The Iraqi forces inhumane attacks against the residents have prompted condemnations by Iraqi groups and personalities as well as widespread international condemnations.
Upon the advice of the terrorist Quds Force and the Iranian regime’s embassy in Baghdad, the committee within Prime Minister’s office that is responsible for suppression of Ashraf residents and the Iraqi Army Intelligence (Estekhbarat) based in Ashraf pretended in their reports that the incident on Thursday evening was instigated by the residents during which a number of the Iraqi forces were wounded.
The Iraqi News Information Agency (al-Iraqnews.net) associated with al-Maliki Quoted last night “a security source within the Iraqi Army” as saying, “The elements of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) today clashed with Iraqi security forces in charge of protection of Ashraf… PMOI members have installed loudspeakers on camp’s buildings to play songs that encourage resistance… The camp’s security guards asked them to stop playing the songs… After their refusal a number of guards acted to remove the loudspeakers but they faced violent reactions by the PMOI members that lead to clashes which left five of them severely wounded.”
In contradictory reports provided to news media, the office of the Iraqi Prime Minister claimed that: “The police forces were attacked by the PMOI as they went to turn off their loudspeakers. Three police officers were injured.”
Al-forat, the Arabic language TV associated with the Iranian regime, last night claimed that: “The PMOI clashes with Camp Ashraf guards in Diyala province.” The Qatar News Agency quoted an Iraqi security source as saying: “The clashes left five people severely wounded on both sides.”
As it was mentioned in our April 16 statement, on Thursday evening, in a failed attempt, Iraqi forces attacked Ashraf residents and tried to overtake some of installations inside the camp. The assault took place in support of the agents of the Iranian regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and the terrorist Quds Force stationed at the entrance of Ashraf. The agents, with full support of the Iraqi army battalion and the clerical regime’s embassy in Baghdad, have been psychologically torturing the residents of Ashraf for the past 70 days. Using high powered amplifiers and loudspeakers they have been threatening to “set fire” and “close down” Ashraf and “kill” PMOI members residing in the camp. The agents have been disrupting peace for the camp residents.
At about mid-night Thursday, while agents were screaming abusive rhetoric in their loudspeakers, as they did previous nights, an Iraqi colonel and a captain by the names of Ali and Jawad entered the camp and said that the loudspeakers by Ashraf residents should be turned off under the orders of the Iraqi government to allow the voice of the loudspeakers of the regime agents be heard. The Iraqi colonel threatened that if the order was not complied with, then his forces would enter the camp and take over the buildings at the entrance of the camp by force. He said the government had instructed that the agents are free to say anything they want in their loudspeakers but the residents of Ashraf are not allowed to do the same. When the Iraqi forces failed to intimidate the residents and realized that they would not give in to threats of shooting and killing them, then they decided to attack the residents with clubs, electric batons and iron bars supported by five Humvee military vehicles. Five Ashraf residents were wounded in the attack and were taken to hospital. Their attempt to take a woman resident of Ashraf hostage failed when faced with her resistance and protests by other residents.
Prior to the attack, another statement by the NCRI secretariat quoted “reports sent by the Iranian regime's embassy in Baghdad to the terrorist Quds Force and the regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security” revealing that the Iraqi Prime Minister’s office and the Iraqi Army battalion stationed at Camp Ashraf are cooperating fully with the MOIS agents camped out at Ashraf’s main gate. It stated that Colonel Latif Abdol-Amir Hashem Al-Enavi, commander of the Iraqi battalion, supposedly responsible for protection of Ashraf residents, and his battalion’s chain of command have been assisting the MOIS agents and arranging for everything they need.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
April 17, 2010