NCRI – A former US governor has spoken of his ‘shame and frustration’ that America has failed to honor its promise to protect Iranian dissidents in Iraq from repeated deadly attacks.
Edward Rendell also condemned the latest massacre at Camp Ashraf on September 1 and demanded the immediate release of the seven hostages abducted during the atrocity.
Mr Rendell – also a former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee – was speaking at an international conference in Paris on October 19 entitled titled ‘Iran – Human Rights and Nuclear threat; Protection for Camp Liberty Residents’.
He told delegates: “I come back to Paris today, with two emotions. One of shame and one of frustration. Shame because the US State department enlisted myself and other Americans and prominent, attorney generals, judges, FBI directors, CIA directors, governors, heads of political parties, generals who served in Iraq and know MEK well, they enlisted all of us in order to persuade Madame Rajavi and the people of Camp Ashraf, to move to Camp Liberty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPLSrZSU4TY&feature=c4-overview
“Our State Department told us that if the 3,400 move to Liberty, number one, it would be a temporary transit location and people will be emigrated out of Iraq in short order. Two, that they will be safe and secure.
“Three, the people who are left behind in Camp Ashraf will also be safe and secure who will protect the properties that have been gathered over the years. We did and they did.
“All but 100 moved to Camp Liberty. Based on what the State Department told us and what we told Madame Maryam Rajavi, and she told to the people of Camp Ashraf. And the word that was given to us, and we conveyed a message that turned out not to be true, and we are complicit to what has happened.
“I even heard from former UN officials talk about of what we are going to do and nothing gets done. Let’s be clear what the record is here.”
But there had been four attacks since that deal was made, culminating in the mass murder of 52 people at Ashraf on September 1, Mr Rendell said.
He added: “The State Department condemns the attack, the UN condemns the attack, the EU condemns the attack, everybody condemns the attack and they all call on the Iraqi to investigate and who perpetrated the attack.
“And would anybody with half brain think that the Maliki government was not responsible for the September 1 attack?”
He reminded delegates of the promise made by US Under-secretary of State to the state department Wendy Sherman that America would do all it can to protect MEK members in Iraq.
He said: “I want to read the quote, ‘We need to do everything that we can to make good on the words we gave to MEK’.
“That is what a US official said before a United states Senate committee. Word we gave to the MEK back in 2003 when they disarmed, we gave them a contract saying they are protected persons and the United States government will protect them.
“Wendy Sherman, you want to do something to keep our words with the MEK, lets start with an easy one, the Maliki government promised the US government that they will allow T-walls into Liberty, to protect against another mortar attack. But the Iraqis refused to let them to be moved inside, something as simple as T-walls.
“But the bottom line is, our first obligation – and the president could help us – is to honor our word and make them safe.
“We should ask the president to make it absolutely clear to Mr Maliki that if one more person gets hurt, not killed, if one more person gets hurt in Liberty, we will suspend immediately all the military and financial help to the country of Iraq.
“The president has the right to do that and the congress will back him up. We have to make it crystal clear to Mr Maliki. One more person, not 38, not 52, one more person, gets hurt, that is the end of US aid to Iraq.
“The president also has to make it clear to Iraq that they must release the seven hostages. It is a joke to say that the Iraqi government does not know where they are, or does not have the power to release them. Release them now.”
