Amnesty International on Camp Ashraf Situation

August 28, 2008

"Those living in Camp Ashraf would be at grave risk of torture or other serious human rights violations if they were to be returned involuntarily to Iran, whether by the Iraqi authorities or by the US-led Multi-National Force (MNF).

"PMOI members living in the Camp, which is managed by the MNF, have been designated as "protected persons" under Article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which prevents extradition or forced repatriation to Iran as long as the US-led Multinational Force (MNF) is present in Iraq. Read More

Stop Iranian Mullahs' Menace in Iraq

By Lord Corbett

NewsMax.com, Thursday, October 9, 2008 The ranting of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last month at the United Nations General Assembly in New York should have persuaded Americans not to cave in to the Iranian regime's demands in Iraq...

Iran has now set its sight on its main resistance, the People's Mujahedeen of Iran (PMOI), a 4,000-strong anti-fundamentalist group based in Camp Ashraf, Iraq. The mullahs were particularly incensed when Britain's courts and parliament removed the PMOI from the list of terrorist organizations earlier this year.

The PMOI has been instrumental in blocking the mullahs' bid to turn Iraq into a client state, prompting 5.2 millions Iraqis as well as 3 million Iraqi Shia, to pledge support for the Resistance and condemn Iranian interference in their country. The group has provided the coalition with intelligence on Iranian arms transfers fuelling the insurgency, and with its tolerant interpretation of Islam has rallied Iraqis of all ethnic and religious backgrounds to stand against Tehran's expansionist policies in their country. Read More

Undermining Iraqi Security by Giving in to Tehran's Demands

By Alireza Jafarzadeh

Fox News, October 7, 2008

With an eye to the crucial provincial elections to be held in Iraq in the coming months, and the end of the UN mandate of US-led Multi National Force-Iraq (MNF-I), the ayatollahs' terror campaign is growing increasingly vicious. The goal is to keep the Iraqi government divided and weak, and hence vulnerable to Tehran's machinations...

Along the way, the ayatollahs' regime has exacted strategic concessions from the United States by again dangling the promise of its cooperation - or less opposition – over the security agreement in exchange for dismantling the forces of the main Iranian opposition located in Iraq. Tehran has been relentlessly pressing the Maliki government to insist, on the pretext of Iraqi national sovereignty, that US-led MNF-I hand-over protection of Camp Ashraf to Iraqi security forces...

In Iran, the PMOI-led resistance poses a strategic threat to the viability of the ayatollahs' regime. In Iraq, Camp Ashraf's location and influence has been a key factor in the Iraqi campaign to thwart Tehran's nefarious designs, Middle East experts believe. Hence, Camp Ashraf has preoccupied the mullahs, especially since 2003. No surprise there. What is astonishing is that the American side of the negotiations keeps falling for the "Iraqi sovereignty" line. Read More

Iran interfering in U.S.-Iraq security pact, general says

The Washington Post, October 13, 2008

BAGHDAD, Oct. 12 -- The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq said Sunday that American intelligence reports suggest Iran has attempted to bribe Iraqi lawmakers in an effort to derail a bilateral agreement that would allow U.S. troops to remain in Iraq after the end of this year.

Gen. Ray Odierno said in an interview that Iran, a Shiite Islamic nation eyed warily by the United States and Sunni Arab countries, is working publicly and covertly to undermine the status-of-forces agreement as officials from Iraq and the United States report nearing a deal that must be ratified by Iraq's parliament.

"Clearly, this is one they're having a full court press on to try to ensure there's never any bilateral agreement between the United States and Iraq," Odierno said. "We know that there are many relationships with people here for many years going back to when Saddam was in charge, and I think they're utilizing those contacts to attempt to influence the outcome of the potential vote in the council of representatives." Read More

Iraq must rid itself of US troops, Iran says

The Times of London, Friday, October 10, 2008

Iran is trying to derail an agreement that would allow US and British troops to stay in Iraq after their mandate expires at the end of this year.

In a move that has raised concern among senior Iraqi and US officials, Tehran is using its influence over its smaller neighbour to scupper a Status of Forces Agreement, which must be reached by January 1...

This week President Ahmadinejad told a senior official from Baghdad that Iraq had a duty to rid itself of US forces. Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Majlis (parliament) gave warning of "unpleasant impacts" if Iraq went ahead with the deal.

Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, the Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad, accused the US of trying to impose the agreement on Iraq and said that Washington was treating the country like a football. Read More