Mojahedin Khalq leaders claimed that Iraqi forces attacked their hospital inside Camp Ashraf (now Camp New Iraq) on December 25 and injured several MKO members during the operation. A source in Iraq’s Interior Ministry who is familiar with the MKO’s standoff at the camp told Iran-Interlink privately, “Mojahedin Khalq and their backers can claim whatever they like. They can use their propaganda machine in the US and EU as they wish but it is clear to everyone that the Iraqi police neither attack hospitals nor steal equipment from hospitals. I know that during the time of Saddam, the Mojahedin did all sorts of things including many horrifying criminal acts, but we no longer live under the dictatorship of Saddam, we are now open to the world and everything is clear to those who choose to see”.
According to Iran-Interlink’s reports from this camp, the Iraqi police had been informed that criminal activities were taking place inside the camp and had been dispatched to investigate. Unfortunately upon their arrival, the Mojahedin Khalq refused to allow them access and started fighting with them. At the same time some MKO were seen to be deliberately injuring themselves only later to accuse the Iraqi police of using heavy handed tactics.
Three people have died during the past two months as a result of not receiving early medical attention because the MKO has refused them access to proper medical care. One more person has been killed by hanging (the MKO explains this as a suicide in protest at the families coming to visit them!). This situation is unacceptable. There is a right and an obligation to investigate these deaths.
Iran-Interlink is in receipt of reports that the leaders of the cult are preparing to kill or force the terminally sick people to commit suicide only to put the blame on Iraq so that they can continue their criminal activities backed by some in the western capitals.
Iraq is a sovereign country. Iraqi will not allow the Mojahedin Khalq to remain in the country to carry out the dirty work of their backers in the US, EU or Israel.
According to the Interior Ministry source, while the Government of Iraq is committed to the human rights of every individual, including the MKO members in this camp, it is also committed to putting an end to this ridiculous situation of a camp where there is no school, no marriage, no work, no registry, no children, no visiting rights, and so on. This may have been accepted during the time of Saddam or during the Americans being in charge of the camp, but it is no longer acceptable in this new Iraq.