• Larijani, Speaker of the Mullah’s Parliament: “The Islamic Republic is not allowing the U.S. any chances for its childish games…”
• Larijani: “US and the west supported Saddam for years finally realized that they face a powerful reality. So they have given up on the strategy of military overthrow.They only pursue taking advantage of leverage provided by international institutions… We can see samples of this behavior in Bahrain and Syria
Contrary to the June 1 DC Circuit Appeals Court ruling, the US State Department has grafted the revocation of the unjust terrorism designation to the closure of Camp Ashraf as “the main paramilitary base for the PMOI/MEK)” and insists on it.
In a telephone conference on July 6 in this regard, Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, the Anti Terrorism Coordinator of the State Department, insisted on this matter. Also the spokeswoman for the Department of State reiterated this point yesterday, July 25: “The Mujahedin-e Khalq’s (MEK’s) cooperation in the closure of Camp Ashraf, the MEK’s main paramilitary base, continues to be a key factor in the Department’s upcoming determination regarding the MEK’s Foreign Terrorist Organization status”.
Meanwhile, Larijani, Iran’s Parliament Speaker warned the United States yesterday, following a wave of hideous bombings in Iraq that, “The Islamic Republic is not allowing the U.S. any chances for its childish games…” (FARS News, IRGC’s news agency July 25, 2012)
Additionally, Oday Khedran, governor of the city of Khalis in Iraq that Ashraf is located in its outskirts and who is also a member of the Iranian Quds force, in a website belonging to Mullahs secret service, Habilian, demanded that Maleki uses “force and compulsion” to close Ashraf, because they are a “terrorist group”. (Habilian website July 25, 2012)
Based on documents and information recently obtained by the Iranian Resistance from sources within the regime, relating delisting to the closure of Camp Ashraf is a distinct demand of the mullah’s regime which is conveyed through Maleki. PMOI will provide the information and documents in the next probable court hearing if necessary.
The arbitrary term “the main paramilitary base” for Ashraf , is invented despite the fact that the US forces disarmed PMOI and searched Ashraf inch by inch, 9 years ago. At the time the US government, following 16 months of investigation by 9 different US agencies, recognized the status of ‘Protected Persons’ under the 4th Geneva Conventions for the residents.
Now, once again, in order to neutralize any conspiracy by Iranian regime and its Iraqi agents, Ashraf residents are demanding a thorough search of Ashraf, before their final depart, but the State Department is refusing.
In its July 7, 2012 statement, NCRI, while emphasizing on the authority of the Secretary of State on relisting, pointed out that, “Subjecting delisting of the PMOI to closure of Ashraf defies the law and the court ruling” and “The remaining residents in Ashraf will immediately move to Camp Liberty if humanitarian requirements are realized”.
Same statement specifies the minimum humanitarian needs that would trigger immediate transfer of all Ashraf residents to liberty. They were formulated originally in ten points in a statement released by the head of the international committee ‘In Search of Justice’, representing 4000 parliamentarians, following multiple meetings conferring with representatives of the residents, personalities on both sides of the Atlantic and also US and UN representatives.
On July 15, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, following transfer of some of the items from Ashraf to Liberty after two months and half delay, stressed on the fact that the government of Iraq is still refraining from meeting 8 out of ten humanitarian minimums stated in the July 7 statement. On July 23, in a joint letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations, the residents of Ashraf repeated the 8 points remaining. These unmet commitments, that the residents had received repeated promises with no avail about them, are the daily living necessities of 3300 people. Items such as transfer of generators, water pumps, service and passenger vehicles, forklifts, material and tools to build walkways, shades and greenery in the 57°C (135F) heat. If the government of Iraq stops obstructing, everything can be done immediately and completely at the expense of the residents. None of the humanitarian needs specified are luxuries and maximalist and are all within the MoU of December 25, 2011 and also Ambassador Kobler’s December 28 letter to Ashraf residents.
If anybody wants to prevent a third massacre, unlike Mr. Kobler, wouldn’t commend the government of Iraq and put all the responsibility of the delay in transfer to Liberty on the residents, paving the way for and green lighting another attack. The correct way to prevent another attack is to emphasize and press on the international humanitarian laws, refugee laws and international human rights laws, to press the government of Iraq to meet its international obligations and commitments so it would stop obstructions in provisioning minimum humanitarian needs of the residents. The residents of Ashraf, as they have repeatedly stated in the past, will completely go to Liberty as soon as these minimums are met.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
July 26, 2012
