Mr. Nuri Al-Maliki, the prime minister of Iraq, announced that he will soon order the expulsion of MKO members from Iraq.
This organization has nearly 4000 members, based in Camp Ashraf north of Baghdad. A group of MKO leaders left Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein and some others returned to Iran following the issue of public pardon for them. Those who couldn’t go to Iran or Europe have remained in this camp, banned from entering the US or a European country because the group has been on terror list for years and everyone knows the members of the group as "terrorists".
After the fall of Saddam and during past 3 years, Iraqi governments were formed and all pushed coalition forces to expel this group from Iraq because they believe that the presence of these people in Iraq causes the anger of Iraqis. This organization was involved and played a murderous role in suppressing the uprising of Sha’baniah in the south and Kurds uprising in the north. Moreover, new Iraqi government believes that the MKO has close ties with the secret services of the former regime; in this regard, Iraqi officials have presented undeniable documents to coalition forces. Saddam’s secret service (Estekhbarat) used this group as a mercenary force to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs and launched terrorist attacks inside and outside Iran against the interests of this country.
Government has informed the coalition forces that the presence of this organization in Iraq has negative impact on the relations of Iran-Iraq and that "it’s hard to ask Iran to establish broader political-security cooperation with Iran while Iraq hosts the terrorist group of MKO. This terrorist group is still conducting terrorist activities and, by its radio and TV programs, tires to present an unreal image of Iran. However, during past 3 years and after the fall of Saddam, none of Iraqi officials have responded positively to the requests of this terrorist group for staying in Iraq. They all emphasize that its presence in Iraq has a negative effect on two side’s relations.
This organization had an active role in killing Kurds and destroying Kurdistan and some central and southern provinces during 90s and lawyers believe that the leaders and commanders of this terrorist group should be tried in Iraqi courts for the crimes they have committed against Iraqis.
Announcing the decision to expel these terrorist from Iraq, by the Iraqi PM, is turning point in securing stability in Iraq because giving shelter to the groups that have killed the children of this country, those who have destroyed the cities and villages of this country, seems illogical. It’s illogical to ask our neighbors to help us and be good neighbors while we provide shelter for the elements of a terrorist organization that’s plotting against them.
Perhaps one of the main concerns of Iraqi security officials is that the members of this group have formed a joint militia with some Baathist to kill Iraqi citizens and destroy the infrastructure of Iraq. It’s really surprising that Iraqi governments, before that of Mr. Maliki, didn’t expel this group from Iraq.
Some reports indicate that since the fall of Saddam, MKO has been giving secret information to Baathist forces to be used in order to assassinate Iraqi leaders.
Some of officials, from security services, report of MKO’s involvement in terrorist operations, the examples of which are the invasion on "Abu Hanifa Al-Naaman Mosque" in Azamiah district as well as raid on "Al-Sadeq mosque" in "Aur" district a few months ago; these operations were conducted in order to create religious and ethnic differences. During the raid on Abu Hanifa mosque, a number of these terrorist were arrested by the guards of the mosque and when identified as the members of MKO they were handed over to coalition forces before being released by them.
Since the MKO has been (before the fall of Saddam) and still is a threat for Iraqis and its presence in Iraq is interpreted as interfering in the internal affairs of neighboring countries, we believe that the decision of Prime Minister al-Maliki is exactly what Iraqis want and that, this decision before benefiting neighbors is beneficial for Iraq and Iraqis.
Ali Hussein Ali/Sotal Iraq