Posted on 07/30/2009 12:44:04 PM PDT by ConservativeJen
Iraq's government acknowledged on Thursday that seven Iranian exiles were killed when Iraqi forces took control of their camp this week north of Baghdad.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh earlier denied anyone died in the clashes between Iraqi forces and protesters who tried to block their entry into Camp Ashraf, home to the People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran
Iraq, Iran and the United States call the dissident group a terrorist organization. Iraq's Shi'ite Arab-led government wants to close the camp and send residents back to Iran or to a third country.
Dabbagh, on Thursday, said seven people had died but disputed residents' accounts of how the deaths occurred.
"Five of them threw themselves in front of Iraqi police vehicles ... That's not death by shooting, but by rioting."
Dabbagh said the other two people were shot by PMOI snipers inside the camp when they tried to leave.
Some human rights groups and supporters in the West have been highly critical of the way Iraq has handled Ashraf.
They say closing the camp and driving residents out against their will would violate international human rights law.
The PMOI was given shelter in Iraq by former leader Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Arab who fought a bloody eight-year war against Iran in the 1980s.
The PMOI surrendered most of its weapons to U.S. forces after the 2003 invasion of Iraq but its presence remains a source of friction between Baghdad, Washington and Tehran.
"We welcome the move (raiding the camp), although it was late," Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani as quoted as saying by state television on Wednesday. "We hope the Iraqi government not to let these terrorists to remain in Iraq."
The group began as leftist opponents of Iran's Shah but fell out with Shi'ite clerics who took power in the 1979 revolution.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Go to this previous thread and read my posts 12 and 13 for details on the MEK/MKO/PMOI murders of Americans.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2304294/posts?page=13#13
The MEK (Mojahedeen Khalq - trained by Arafat’s PLO) trail of blood against Americans:
In the 1970’s they launched a terror campaign against the Shah’s forces and Americans.
In 1970 they tried to kidnap US Ambassador McArthur.
In 1972 they almost succeeded in assassinating US Air Force General Price.
In 1973 they killed US Army Colonel Hawkins (shooting him at gun point) and in 1975 murdered US Air Force Colonel Turner.
1976 they murdered three American civilians from Rockwell Int.
They also killed an Imperial Iranian Gendarmerie colonel in 1975.
Their ideology is: Ali, Hossein (the Shia Imams), Marx and Engels.
The MEK/MKO Rajavi cultists are the scum of the earth, and being (wannabe) rivals of the mullahs doesn’t redeem any of their crimes and evil goals.
The MEK also supported the hostage taking of the US embassy in Tehran.
Death to the MEK.
Thanks for the info!
I’d never heard of this group before, and your thread didn’t come up when I did a search. Looks like a nasty bunch of characters.
Agreed on all....but, of course, this was not what the U.S. government wanted. The Iraqis did it primarily because the Shi’ite government in Baghdad is pro-Iran.
Sure. But the MEK and their various front groups deserve to be squashed like bugs either way. Regardless of Iraq’s motivation.
It's becoming less frequent, but it still happens.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.