rssIraqi Police Raid Camp of U.S.-Protected Cultists Whom Saddam Sponsored
Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 4:53 pm
- 5 Comments
In one of the more bizarre subplots of the Iraq war, the United States has for years protected thousands of members of the Mujahideen-e-Khalq, an Iranian organization chartered by Saddam Hussein to carry out terrorist attacks against Iranian targets. The MEK has a cultish aspect to it — Elizabeth Rubin wrote a great and detailed profile of the organization several years ago — and the State Department officially designates it a terrorist group. That said, there’s no evidence, as far as I’m aware, that any of the 3000 or so people at Camp Ashraf in Iraq have done anything wrong.
Still, for years the Shiite-led Iraqi government, which has a great deal of antipathy toward the anti-Iranian organization, has wanted access to the MEK facility. The United States has resisted, for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is that the military feared the Iraqi security forces would abuse the camp’s inhabitants. And today, in an evident exercise of sovereignty under the Status of Forces Agreement, Iraqi police breached Camp Ashraf and ran wild. The Washington Post has what it claims to be video from inside the camp. It’s ugly.
The Post quotes an MEK member saying the camp is currently “under siege.” Defense Secretary Bob Gates visited Iraq today. Does Gates know about this? Could he stop the assault? Or are these the wages of Iraqi sovereignty?
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5 Comments
Comment posted July 28, 2009 @ 9:31 pm
The notion that they are a terrorist organization is a joke. They havent been armed for 6 years, which should automatically preclude them from the list. Moreover, armed struggle against an illegitimate and repressive regime which executed tens of thousands of innocent people for their political beliefs, is not terrorism. Finally, the cult claims are all a result of iranian regime propaganda. Don't do their bidding.
Comment posted July 28, 2009 @ 9:42 pm
Who is this MORON spencer ackerman. Classic American jerk.
Comment posted July 28, 2009 @ 10:14 pm
When MEK's biggest American supporters are neocon nuts like Daniel Pipes, you're in trouble…
Comment posted July 29, 2009 @ 12:03 am
what sort of non-sequitur bs argument is that? the group is calling for free and democratic elections in iran. who gives a shit what daniel pipes' motivation for supporting the group is. there are equal numbers of people on the left who support them.
Comment posted July 30, 2009 @ 2:33 pm
Good article. The MEK is a terrorist cult as they sided with the worlds most hated criminal, Saddam, in a time when Saddam's army was at war with their own country. They did so just to democratically get elected as Iran rulers!!! What a shame. The MEK is a terrorist cult as they helped Saddam army to put down Kurdish rebellion after what Saddam did to them in Halabcha in nothern Iraq. The MEK is a terrorist cult as they helped Saddam's Army to supress the Shia uprising in southern Iraq. The whole world was/is aware of the brutality in wars with its neighbors, using chemical weapons, and in dealing with his own people, again using chemical weapon. I beleive MEK, after having thouroughly trained under Saddam, would use chemical weapon to get democratically elected in Iran. Wake up MEK supporters, don't waste your time anymore.
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