The Right Opinion
A Humanitarian Crisis That Can Be Solved
For a group of 4,000 Iranian refugees currently living in Iraq, a United Nations report this week could prove crucial in determining whether they will live as virtual prisoners in the desert or be able to build new lives in freedom elsewhere. The refugees are members of a controversial Iranian dissident group, the Mujahedeen-e-Khalk (MEK), which is currently listed on the U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organizations list. That listing itself is controversial. The United Kingdom, the European Union and a number of other nations have removed the group from their lists of terrorist organizations, and the U.S. may soon be forced to do so as well. A successful suit by the MEK resulted in a recent order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit requiring Secretary of State Hillary Clinton either to delist the group or produce evidence that the organization remains a current and credible threat to American interests. But until the issue is resolved, the fate of the MEK members living in Iraq remains precarious.
The MEK members originally came to Iraq in 1986 during the Iran-Iraq war. As Iranians opposed to the theocratic regime in Iran, the MEK proved useful allies to Saddam Hussein. They were allowed to build a modern city near the Iraq-Iran border, Camp Ashraf, which was allegedly used as a base for MEK fighters to launch attacks on the Iranian regime. During the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the MEK remained neutral and eventually turned over their arms to the U.S. military. According to testimony by Brig. Gen. David Phillips, the head of the American military police in Iraq, his troops conducted a thorough, door-to-door inspection of Ashraf to ensure compliance. Until 2009, the U.S. military retained a presence in the camp, and those on the ground reported full cooperation from the MEK.
However, things changed dramatically when the U.S. turned over control of the camp to the Iraqis in 2009. Instead of protecting the residents, as the Iraqi government promised when they took control of Camp Ashraf in 2009, Iraqi forces attacked Camp Ashraf twice, killing 49 unarmed people and injuring hundreds of others. Then the Iraqis insisted that the residents be moved from Camp Ashraf to an abandoned American base, Camp Liberty. The terrorized residents were reluctant to leave behind the oasis they had built in the desert, but they had little choice. With pressure coming from the U.S. state department and American assurances that they would be safe and secure in their new home, Camp Ashraf residents began moving to Camp Liberty last year.
More than three thousand of the residents have now relocated to Camp Liberty, but the place belies its name. Not only do the refugees lack freedom of movement or the right to have visitors, Camp Liberty lacks adequate water, sanitation and electricity, making life nearly unbearable for its residents. The residents have asked permission to be able to bring construction vehicles, large generators, specially equipped vans for the elderly and disabled and personal belongings and cars from Camp Ashraf, but the Iraqi government has prevented them from doing so despite assurances to the contrary.
In December 2011, the U.N. signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Iraq guaranteeing humanitarian protection for the residents of Camps Ashraf and Liberty. But MEK members fear that the report to be presented to the U.N. this week on whether the MOU is being observed will not fully reveal the dire conditions under which residents in Camp Liberty live. Yet, the U.N. and the U.S. government continue to push for the remaining residents of Camp Ashraf to leave their belongings, their vehicles, and the comfortable living conditions in which they have lived for two decades and resettle in Camp Liberty, which lacks basic infrastructure and humane living conditions.
The MEK have asked for basic guarantees if they are to abandon Camp Ashraf for Camp Liberty: to be allowed to bring air conditioners, trucks, forklifts, vans for the disabled, and passenger cars; to build footpaths, ramps and porches or awnings on buildings for shade; to connect Camp Liberty to the Baghdad water supply or allow residents to pump water and purify it on the premises; to allow residents to sell and buy from local merchants; and to negotiate with the Iraqi government for sale of the property and assets remaining in Camp Ashraf.
There are many humanitarian crises in the world today, and few of them have easy solutions. But the crisis at Camps Ashraf and Liberty are resolvable -- but only if the U.S. and U.N. insist that the residents of those camps be accorded their rights.
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10 Comments
Majid Biabani in Honolulu
Friday, July 20, 2012 at 5:13 AM
I have read many articles and opinions on this issue but none have been able to hash out the facts and put everything in perspective as your opinion piece. I thank you Mrs. Chavez for your concern and care about this issue. It may sound strange to many that with all the mayhem in the world why would the plight of 3400 refugees in a desert in Iraq be so important. The fact of the matter is these people are the most dedicated, educated Iranian dissidents who have been fighting against the Iranian clerics for 26 years. They hold the key to the future Iran. An Iran where democracy rules and there is equality of gender and religion. A non nuclear Iran, an Iran that is in peace with all her neighbors. The eyes of all Iranians patriots inside and outside of Iran who are fed up with the mullahs tyranny is on the fate of these people. It is very disappointing to see that the State Department and the United Nations are advocating imprisonment of these refugees. The fact of the matter is that instead of trying to find a solution and engage Government of Iraq on their non compliance with the signed Memorandum of Understanding they keep pressuring the residents and threatening them with another massacre. This shameful behavior by State Department and Martin Kobler must come to an end and they must realize that they have to pressure Iraq to respect their part of the deal.
Sammy in Kansas
Friday, July 20, 2012 at 10:17 AM
If anything gets done about this, the U.S. will have to do it. The U.N. is the most impotent organization this world has ever seen. Why we continue to support this joke is beyond me.
SaeedIbadi in London
Friday, July 20, 2012 at 11:14 AM
What a remarkable article, thanks so much for your effort. Just for those who read this interesting piece I would like to offer comment on recent report by Mr. Martin Kobler to UNSC that I am sure the Iranian regime was very pleased about it but it is extremely disturbing to me and all other humanitarians to see that he practically pave the way for a 3rd brutal massacre of the camp residents. Please read the following for verification of my understanding. I am sorry if it is a bit long. So I have divided it in to 3 parts
Remarks of Martin Kobler at the UN Security Council against Ashraf residents sets the stage for the third massacre Expressing gratitude for the Government of Iraq and ignoring systematic violation of its commitments, is tantamount to deliberately closing eyes to realities and rights of asylum-seekers and international humanitarian laws and standards Government of Iraq has refrained from providing 75 percent of the list of minimum humanitarian requirements including water and power, utility and passenger vehicles, forklifts, necessary equipments and materials for construction of porches, facilities for patients, and prevention of sale of goods of Ashraf residents
Every fair minded individual would have been shocked and deplored by the gratitude and appreciation that Mr. Martin Kobler expressed at the UN Security Council session yesterday regarding the flexibility that the Government of Maliki has shown vis-a-vis Ashraf residents. His remarks on "difficulties in maintaining dialogue between UNAMI and the residents and between the residents and the Government of Iraq…" are absolutely untrue. The residents and their representatives have consistently welcomed dialogue with UNAMI and officials of the Government of Iraq. They only refrained to take part in meetings that are chaired by an individual who has tortured and murdered the residents and is under international prosecution, subsequent to three months of futile attempts, in order to prevent further creation of crisis and tension. Mr. Kobler apologized to the residents for taking the same individual with him to Ashraf as the chairman of a meeting last January.
SaeedIbadi in London
Friday, July 20, 2012 at 11:17 AM
Part 2 "I would like also to highlight that the Camp residents despite initial difficulties have shown good will and cooperation recently in the relocation process. The residents have, indeed, come a long way. It is difficult to abandon a place where one has lived for more than two decades". Subsequent to the above remarks, 800 other Ashraf residents have been transferred to Liberty and as such, 2/3 of Ashraf residents have been relocated. Also, less than a month ago, in his June 23 statement Mr. Kobler thanked the residents and stated: "2,000 residents have been relocated to Camp Hurriya in a peaceful and orderly way, with only 1,200 remaining. On this occasion, I would like to thank both the Government of Iraq and the residents for their cooperation”. This is while nothing has been done to resolve the issue of water that is currently provided by the residents from 12 Kilometers away at 55 degree Celsius involving huge costs. Kobler had previously written on several occasions that the Government of Iraq has made a commitment to connect the water of the camp to city water network prior to the month of Ramadan (July 20) or to allow the residents pump the water from a canal that is 150 meters way and to purify it. (including" Preparation for Move 6" document May 28, 2012/ Article 2/ and "Note to the File" June 1st, 2012 about the meeting in the Liberty with Mr. Bakoos and the residents' representatives on May 31) Mr. Kobler did not even feel the need to mention the systematic violation of commitments of the Iraqi government (280 violations in Camp Liberty from Feb 18 to Jul 4, 2012), the refusal of 30 legitimate and legal demands of the residents according to the UNHCR statements, selling or transferring of residents' properties to Liberty, returning the residents' confiscated properties to them, purchasing fuel at the same price it is being sold to Iraqi citizens, transferring of women's utility vehicles which were returned to Ashraf at the middle of the way to Liberty, transferring the generators which belong to the residents, 10 vehicles for every 400 resident according to previous agreement and even 5 lift trucks for 3300 residents that 2000 of them have to carry heavy loads on their arms and shoulders in camp Liberty. This while, in his June 23 statement he underscored:
SaeedIbadi in London
Friday, July 20, 2012 at 11:18 AM
Part 3 "SRSG Kobler will continue to urge the Government of Iraq to respond positively to the residents' legitimate and reasonable demands with respect to humanitarian issues, in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law". Previously on December 6, before the UN Security Council Mr. Kobler committed that " any workable solution must be acceptable to both the Government of Iraq and to the residents of Camp Ashraf. A solution must respect Iraqi sovereignty, on the one hand, and applicable international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law on the other hand" this is what Mr. Kobler has never fulfilled. In addition, he has never denied the explicit remarks of the Security Advisor of the Government of Iraq about intervening the Iranian regime in the Ashraf dossier. The Security Advisor of the Government of Iraq stated in the Iraqi official television on April 24: “Mr. Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Iraq, has talked in details with Iraqi and Iranian parties through the Iranian Embassy or other channels communicating with Iran in order to provide the requirements for implementation of the understanding which has been agreed on between him and Iraq to close camp Ashraf and put an end to the presence of this organization on Iraqi territory. Talks included the mechanisms and Iran’s role in what has to be done to solve this matter…" According to professional researches of experts of International organizations "by any standard, Camp Liberty is a prison and the residents have been subjected to arbitrary detention. " Kobler declared in the UN Security council session: -" Responsibility also falls on many international supporters. It is of great importance that they contribute to positively to influence the residents position". -"I also appeal to Camp residents to abide by Iraqi laws and avoid provocation and violence. Time is running out to find sustainable solution. The government's patience is wearing thin….".
SaeedIbadi in London
Friday, July 20, 2012 at 11:19 AM
Part4 It is very surprising that despite all the extensive international protests to his biased conduct in favor of Maliki's Government and the Iranian regime against its opposition, including protests by the churches in the UK and the US, the US congress and the Council of Europe and more than 4,000 parliamentarians in 46 countries as well as International Union of Lawyers, Mr. Kobler pointedly asked the Ashraf supporters to side with him and the Government of Iraq to exert more pressure on defenseless residents in order to give up their minimum rights and legitimate and legal demands. During his remarks in the UN Security Council, he saw no need to remind that 49 Ashraf residents were killed and more than 1000 wounded in the July 2009 and April 2011 raids and he has also forgotten the UN commitment for an investigation in this regard. Instead, he warned defenseless resident not to resort to violence and provocations! Mr. Kobler's remarks in the UN Security Council were so partial that the Iraq Ambassador only sufficed to say: "As Mr. Kobler mentioned, the Iraqi government has shown flexibility to relocate these people". Mr. Kobler's positions in the UN Security Council against Ashraf residents, coupled by expressing his gratitude to patience and flexibility of Maliki, ignoring the systematic violation of Iraqi government's commitments stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding that Government of Iraq had signed with Mr. Kobler, is deliberately putting blind eyes on the truth and the rights of asylum-seekers as well as humanitarian standards and International Humanitarian Law will without any doubt pave the way for the third massacre in Ashraf.
Army Officer (Ret) in Kansas
Friday, July 20, 2012 at 2:46 PM
"There are many humanitarian crises in the world today, and few of them have easy solutions. But the crisis at Camps Ashraf and Liberty are resolvable -- but only if the U.S. and U.N. insist that the residents of those camps be accorded their rights."
Actually, ALL humanitarian crises have easy solutions - oppressors simply have to stop oppressing. Easy-peasy. Here's the rub: "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." - H. L. Mencken.
Mona's solution is for the U.S. and U.N. to insist that the residents of those camps be accorded their rights.
We did that. The Iraqis are not complying and/or are dragging their feet. First, ask any soldier who's been in CENTCOM and he'll tell you that NOTHING is easy there. "Insha'Allah" is the linguistic equivalent of an American teenager saying, "Whatever." Also, Arabs and Persians have been whacking each other since Cyrus the Great overran Susa in 540 B.C. Call me a skeptic about the idea that a strongly-worded letter from the U.N. is going to do the trick this time.
Army Officer (Ret) in Kansas
Friday, July 20, 2012 at 2:48 PM
Edit: "Mona's solution" should be "Linda's solution."
MNIce in Minnesota
Friday, July 20, 2012 at 5:52 PM
The Shi'ite-dominated Iraqi government is becoming a puppet for the Iranian mullahs.
Farhad in Paris
Saturday, July 21, 2012 at 6:07 AM
I totally agree with Linda. It is the responsibility of the US and UN to secure the wellbeing and protection of the residents of Camps Ashraf and Liberty. The US signed an agreement with each resident to protect them until their final disposition and the UN signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Iraqi government as late as last December to arrange for the safe transfer of Ashraf residents to Camp Liberty. It seems none of these should be responsible authorities are honoring their commitments and pressure on the defenseless refugees rising to move to a prison camp. Any further bloodshed in Ashraf or Liberty would blamed on the US first and UN next and the current Adminstration will be held accountable.