UK Progressive – Denis G Campbell
No, there are no icicles forming in hell. Some stories require broader coverage. Former: US Attorney General Mukasey, Homeland Security Secretary Ridge and FBI Director Freeh penned an Op-Ed for FOX News and while I rarely agree with FOX, I substantively agree with this trio that Camp Ashraf is a disaster waiting to happen and the US should join with the UK and EU. The USA, as part of the coalition in Iraq, is involved in a dangerous game of 3-D chess where the lives of 3,400 refugees hang in the balance.
These refugees have lived for decades inside Camp Ashraf. What the media rarely reports is that the residents are under constant psychological barrage by pro-Iranian regime supporters broadcasting slogans and chants 24/7 from loudspeakers surrounding the camp. The Camp, filled with many women and children, underwent physical attack twice since 2009 leaving nearly 50 dead and hundreds wounded.
In 2003 the Camp was placed under the protection of the US coalition forces when they took over Iraq. Everyone inside the Camp was interviewed, disarmed and the forces there lived peacefully with them. US troops though have withdrawn back to their bases under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) draw-down that went into effect in January. It remains unclear whether US forces will leave at the end of this current year or be asked to stay by the Maliki government. Whatever happens, life at Camp Ashraf has been under threat since they left the perimeter. Earlier this year a brutal attack left many dead and injured and the UK and EU parliamentary organisations supporting the region feel this is a sign of things to come for the defenceless residents. There have been repeated calls for UN intervention and protection.
Responsibility for camp protection lies in the hands of the Iraqi government. The Iraqi government though is desperate to appease their eastern neighbours to keep them from taking over a large section of Iraq when the US decides to leave.
Iranian mullahs want the MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization)/PMOI (People’s Mojahedin of Iran) a pseudo-government in exile, wiped off the face of the earth. The highly corrupt government of Iraqi President Nouri al Maliki routinely looks the other way as Iranian secret police with Iraqi soldiers launch regular attacks on the Camp.
Mukasey, Ridge and Freeh have actively supported the government in exile of Madame President Rajavi, recently attending a huge rally in Paris with former NY Mayor Giuliani, former Congressman Patrick Kennedy, Geir Haarde (2006-09), former Speaker of the German Parliament, Rita Sussmouth (1988-1998) and US Congressman Bob Filner (D-CA). It was a bold move on their part and their support is on the basis of both humanitarian concerns and preserving vital PMOI intelligence gathering assets from its members on Iran’s nuclear activities.
Those who view the PMOI as a destructive force beyond the regime argue that their members are not universally supported by the Iranian Green movement and people. The regime is quick to call their leader Madame Rajavi and her followers a cult and therefore they should remain on the terror watch list. There also is a strong lobby of respected thinkers on Middle Eastern affairs that says all sides have been corrupted in this fight and yet 37 prominent scholars and leaders against de-listing signed a public letter two weeks ago. It is a cesspit of misinformation and it has worked, nearly everyone is confused.
What no one can deny is that after a multi-year fight before: the UK Court of Appeals, EU Court of 1st Instance and US District Court all three ruled the terror watch listing was achieved under spurious circumstances for political expediency and should not be upheld. The US has not decided as yet what to do on this case. The UK and EU eventually removed the PMOI from its watch lists. Back in 1997 a more moderate President had taken control of Iran and both the Clinton and Blair Administrations were eager to curry favour with this new leader.
So in ’97 the US added the MEK/PMOI to the terror list and the UK’s foreign minister Jack Straw did the same following the 9/11 attacks in 2001. And yet while they were courting Western investment and asking for this listing, Iran also embarked on a highly secret nuclear programme.
Branded a terrorist organisation by the US State Department and now subsequently cleared by UK and EU Parliaments, it gives those attacking the PMOI cover by saying they are against terrorism. And the Iranian Government’s propaganda arm is so powerful they flood websites that post thoughtful articles on the subject calling them anti-Iran and have powerful lobbying interests in the US and UK.
This writer was subjected to flood of negative comments on the website truthout.org when this article ran. The site, which leads with a banner headline today asking for donations saying “support incorruptible news and analysis today” threw this reporter under the bus after 9-previous investigative pieces, when their Commissioning Editor lied and the Iranian propaganda comment machine got too hot to handle.
And therein lies the dilemma.
When what you say is compelling enough to convince the US Government to blacklist the group, yet others de-list it over a period of time what is the correct answer? The stories have been expertly twisted by each side to their benefit so it is almost impossible to determine what is real.
But in all of the political manoeuvring and SPIN, we rarely hear serious talk of the third dimension of this chess game? No matter what any of seven+ different sides say (US, UN, UK, EU, PMOI, Iranian Govt, Green Movement) or the advantage they ALL try to push politically, there are 3,400 lives at stake in the middle of an unforgiving desert.
Leaving the politics aside, this is a humanitarian crisis and potential genocide in the making. There is no political solution to be found unless and until these people are either offered UN/coalition protection or moved out of harm’s way. In any event, they have to be taken off the table as a bargaining chip.
Denis G Campbell is author of the book Egypt Unsh@ckled: Using social media to @#:) the System. He is also editor-in-chief of UK Progressive Magazine and contributes politics and business articles for several global newspapers and magazines. He also provides regular commentary for BBC, China Radio International and others.
