BY Keyvan Salami
A number of prominent members of the United States House of Representatives have submitted a new resolution concerning the rights of those members the People’s Mujahidin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK) residing currently in Camp Liberty near Baghdad Airport for adoption in Congress. The resolution “H. RES. 650” was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on March 17. It is sponsored by Rep. Ted Poe and co-sponsored by Democratic Reps. Brian Higgins, Albio Sires, and Brad Sherman.
The MEK members have repeatedly been attacked since 2009. In seven deadly assaults 140 members have lost their lives and more than 1,300 have been wounded. The latest one, on October 29 was carried out aiming a mass murder and a mass destruction, deploying 80 heavily strengthened missiles causing 24 killed, hundreds injured and destruction of large sections of the camp. These attacks occurred despite assurances for protection provided in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by both the United States government and the United Nations and also the Iraqi government. The Iraqi side, however, has fallen largely to fulfill this obligation and has failed to launch any investigation with respect to those who caused the attacks, those who collaborated with the agents of the Iranian regime in order to kill those in Camp Liberty.
Therefore, the members of MEK in this camp now find themselves in a dangerous situation. The Camp’s residents, having been forced to entrust their security to the Iraqi government, are at risk of further attacks being carried out by the Iranian government and its proxies.
The bi-partisan resolution proposed by Rep. Poe, would be a major step forward towards ensuring safety and safe resettlement of the residents.it asks the U.S. administration to work with the Government of Albania and the UNHCR to facilitate and provide suitable locations for housing of the remaining Camp Liberty residents.
Athwart the mullahs’ status quo in Tehran who after the JCPOA and the recent elections are deeply entangled with factional crises and regional isolation, MEK has begun receiving the righteous consideration it deserves after a decade of bitter renunciation and deprivation. Challenging the diehard terrorism under the tag of religion will eventually welcomes genuine democratic options.