The seven needs brought to the attentions of the Iraqi government, the U.S. government, the European Union, and the UN via hundreds of letters, meetings, and contacts, are: returning the 17,500 T-walls protecting the trailers; transfer of protective helmets and vests from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty; transfer of residents’ minimum medical equipment from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty; permission for construction in Camp Liberty; expansion of Liberty’s area; double-layering trailers’ roofs; and bringing 2-by-2-meter individual bunkers into Liberty.
Thus far, the government of Iraq has not agreed to any of these necessities. In regards to the T-walls, not only a single one has not been returned to the camp, but since June 22, 2013–that is one week after the third missile attack—they have started to move away the T-walls that had been stored outside the camp’s walls; so far, they have moved 1,345 T-walls away from Liberty to other points. Bringing individual bunkers into the camp that was agreed to by the representative of the government of Iraq in presence of UNAMI’s and UNHCR’s representatives have been halted since August 2.
Iraqi government also prevents bringing sand-bags, shovels, and picks to build basic bunkers, and sand-bags purchased by the residents have been confiscated at the entry to the camp. After multiple discussions with the UN and the government of Iraq, of the 200 shovels and 200 picks requested by the residents, only 20 shovels were allowed to be brought into Liberty.
Meetings with the camp’s management which is supposed to be held every Tuesday to address residents’ security issues and needs have not been held for the past three weeks.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi forces are also preventing entrance of logistical and facilities related items such as vehicle tires and batteries, and many items purchased by the residents are returned at Liberty’s gate.
During his visit to Iraq in early May, mullah Moslehi, Ahmadinejad’s Minister of Intelligence reported to Khamenei’s Office that Maliki and Faleh Fayyaz have assured him that…returning the T-walls, expanding the camp’s area, construction at Liberty, and bringing sand-bags requested by PMOI will not be allowed.
In addition to attacks that directly target PMOI, the trailers at Liberty are now constantly shaking due to strong explosions in the area. Today it is clear that contrary to the lies by Kobler, Liberty is a dangerous location which has been subjected to 25 missile attacks in the past 6 months, and relocating to this camp was in violation of the UNHCR’s rules. International laws do not even allow establishing prisons in such susceptible locations.
Once again, the Iranian Resistance calls on the U.S. government and the UN—because of their direct responsibilities in safety and security of Liberty residents—to prevent another human catastrophe by convincing the Iraqi government to immediately return all the residents to Camp Ashraf and provide minimum security necessities of Camp Liberty.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
August 18, 2013