Upon the request of Maryam Rajavi and based on assurances provided by the U.S. State Department Ashraf residents went to Camp Liberty
security of transfer of Ashraf residents, and protection of property of the residents at Ashraf and subsequent to six days of intense negotiations with the U.N. and U.S. authorities, 42 Ashraf residents, including those who were wounded in the September 1 massacre, agreed to be transferred from Ashraf to camp Liberty. Their convey reached to Liberty in the early hours of Thursday, September 12.
Mrs. Beth Jones, the Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs in her letter to Rajavi dated September 6 wrote: “… We insist that the perpetrators of this barbarous act be brought to justice and that everything possible be done to find those who are missing., …. we urge you to accept the UNAMI plan whereby the surviving residents can be safely and without delay relocated under UN supervision, and on UN armored buses, as soon as possible…. If you accept this approach, the United Nations will help facilitate the safeguarding of the property at Ashraf through your retention of a trusted local security firm. The U.S. Embassy will do its utmost to support these efforts…. We finally take note of the Government of Iraq’s agreement with UNAMI to install large T-walls pursuant to a UNAMI-provided security plan, as well as additional measures”.
Rajavi wrote in response:”I want to draw your attention to the need for the expeditious provision of security needs for the relocation of the residents of Ashraf to Liberty…. as soon as the residents of Ashraf are relocated to Liberty, the Iranian regime will focus on continuing its attacks on Camp Liberty and their defenseless residents. In this regard, the most important issue is to return 17,500 four-meter-tall T-Walls, the transfer of urgent medical equipment, helmets and protective vests for 3,000 residents from Ashraf to Liberty. After these steps are taken, all Ashraf residents will go to Liberty”.
When buses carrying the residents reached the city of Khalis, it was targeted by an explosion. But luckily there was no casualty. According to the agreement of the residents with the U.N., for the sake of protection of the residents, all parties were supposed not to announce the news of transfer until the convey arrived to Liberty. But Major General Jamil, the police chief of Diyala province, who was the commander of the September 1 massacre, informed the journalists affiliated to the Iranian regime as well as forces affiliated to the IRGC terrorist Qods Force, including Katai’b Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl Haq in the afternoon of September 11 and took them to Ashraf with police escort.
The 42 Ashraf residents who survived the September 1 massacre and mass executions went to camp Liberty while threats against camp Liberty has intensified on the one hand and the promises and commitments by the U.S. and U.N. have not been implemented on the other. Thus, in order to prevent more massacres, the Iranian Resistance once again calls on the U.S. Government and the U.N. to implement the following measures immediately:
1- Release of the seven hostages who were abducted by Iraqi forces on September 1
2- Permanent presence of UN Blue Helmets and UNAMI monitoring team at Camp Liberty
3- Providing the minimum security requirements at Liberty that have been brought to the attention of the U.S. and U.N. repeatedly, including returning of 17500 protective four-meter-tall T-Walls, transfer of helmets and protective vests of the residents and medical equipment from Ashraf to Liberty, 150, 2-by-2-meter individual bunkers, double-layering trailers’ roofs, permission for construction at Liberty, and expanding the area of Liberty.
Residents of camp Liberty and Iranians in Geneva, London, Berlin, and Ottawa have been on hunger strike since September 1 in order to achieve these objectives. Today marks the 12th days of their hunger strike.
In an open letter to the Secretary of State John Kerry dated September 11, 35 American dignitaries including 10 retired generals, 5 U.S. military officers who were responsible for protection of Ashraf, former Speakers of the House of Representatives, former presidential candidates, former Secretaries, and Ambassadors, called for immediate stationing of the U.N. Blue Helmet forces at Camp Liberty.
In the meantime in a conference at the European Parliament on September 11, a number of leaders of the parliament called for immediate release of the hostages, stationing of UN Blue Helmets, and providing security requirements of camp Liberty. Two Parliamentary groups of the European Parliament, European People’s Party (EPP), and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ADLE) , in separate statements called for immediate release of the hostages by the Government of Iraq and stationing of international forces at camp Liberty.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
September 12, 2013
