Camp Ashraf is home to 3,400 members of the Iranian opposition, People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). In July 2009, they came under a deadly attack by Iraqi forces at the behest of the Iranian regime. 11 residents were murdered and more than 400 were injured.
Below is the text of Prof. Schneebaum’s message in this regard:
“Hello to all my friends in Ashraf. I saw you two years ago and it was a great occasion. I know it has been a year since the unfortunate attacks against Ashraf last summer by Iraqi forces. But we have had made great advances since then. One of them was the recent ruling by the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, which can give us the opportunity to remove the preposterous terror label against the PMOI.
“Of course, the main concern of our legal team is your security and safety in Ashraf. We have tried to ensure that the US and Iraqi governments are aware that the events of last summer cannot be repeated and that such an act by Iraq would be in breach of international laws.
“It was unfortunate that the US government did little to intervene in that situation. We hope that both Iraqi and American officials understand that those incidents cannot reoccur and if there is a threat of that nature then there would be serious consequences in the context of international law. Such actions would be unacceptable legally, ethically and militarily and it is upon us to protect the safety and security of Ashraf residents even as we endeavor to remove the terror tag from the PMOI. We will see you soon.”