What is Camp Liberty and why is there a bipartisan push to save it ?
The following text about the threats posed to members of the main Iranian opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI or MEK) in Camp Liberty in Iraq.
Most
Americans — even journalists — spent this July 4 with their families, enjoying
the outdoors, grilling and watching fireworks displays. That’s probably why so
few people heard about the rocket attack on
a small camp in Iraq, housing over 1,000 Iranians. Ironically, the camp is
called “Camp Liberty.”.
Although
the underreported attack left 50 people wounded, several key politicians took
notice and have responded.
U.S.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) condemned the attack in a statement. “Sadly, this is not the first time the residents of Camp
Liberty have been the victims of horrific attacks,” McCain said. “And I remain
deeply concerned about their safety.
To
understand the importance of Camp Liberty and why it faces continued threats,
it would be best to look at a recent rally in Paris, France.
On July
9, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
brought together more than 100,000 people in support of a free Iran.
NCRI is
the umbrella organization for a number of anti-regime political movements from
Iran. The largest and most well-known branch is the People’s Mujahedin
of Iran.
Ashraf,
a city and then a base, was established by the MEK in 1986, when their members
fled persecution in Iran and began setting up a militarized presence in Iraq.
The U.S. assumed control of the base after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The MEK relinquished its weapons in 2004 and received
protected status under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
So in
2012 the residents of Ashraf were forcibly moved to Camp Liberty, which was
smaller and less hospitable than the previous location.
Once
the 3,400 members of MEK were moved to their temporary transit location, they
fell under the care of the UNHCR (United National High Commissioner on
Refugees).
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