Press Statement
Marie Harf
Deputy Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
October 24, 2013
The United States welcomes the establishment of the United Nations Trust Fund to support the resettlement of individuals currently residing at Camp Hurriya in Iraq. We are pleased to announce that the United States plans to provide $1 million to the UN Trust Fund. The Administration will continue to work with the U.S. Congress regarding these funds. The United States hopes other countries will also support this important humanitarian effort.
While Rajavi`s group enjoy endless sources of money, the US act to pay the UN for resettlement was quite surprising and seems a bit deceptive to me.
A glance at the group’s propaganda campaigns in Europe and in Iraq proves that money is the last thing that the MEK needs. Here are some examples.
In the annual gathering of the MEK in France in June, thousands of people enjoyed an absolutely free trip to France including meals and housing with the sole condition of attending Maryam Rajavi’s speech.
In the same festival, paid speakers are invited whose rates are some times as high as 40k.
Advertisements (paid) for the event are given to international media to be broadcasted and published.
MEK’s recent campaigns also prove the group is being well financially supported.
Recently an ad was placed and broadcasted by CNN in support of the group’s demands in Iraq. (How much was it? Don’t ask me, ask CNN.)
And in another example, while the Rajavis continuously complain about the situation of their members in Iraq, and claim that the Iraqi government does not allow them to bring goods into Camp Al Hurriyeh (Liberty), photos show that a tremendous amount of purple cloth, billboards, banners and other printed material are being used for their show of protests. It means that they have access to buy whatever they need including propaganda material.
As a former member of the MEK, I always knew that the group is quite rich. Now I am surprised to see that the US wants to donate another million for the group.
The group is rich enough so that if its leaders want, they can easily finance the resettlement of all 3000 people remaining in Iraq.
Arash Pirooz,IranInterlink