Camp Liberty – Iraq: Following serious terrorist threats by Qods Force and the extremely slow resettlement of the residents, their personal protection weapons should be returned for self defence.
The defenceless 2500 Iranian refugees in Camp Liberty near Baghdad airport from the PMOI-MEK face a grave and imperative threat. The Iranian regime’s interventions in Iraq grow by the day and its terrorist affiliated militias have escalated their threats against the Iranian dissidents in Camp Liberty. The record of the past three years shows no prospect for a swift resettlement of these residents. Therefore the ISJ calls on the United States and the United Nations to assume special protective provisions on Camp Liberty.
If the U.S. government is not going to transfer all Camp Liberty residents to the United States immediately, then, considering its direct responsibility for protection of each and every resident, it should hand over part of their personal protection weapons, which it consolidated in 2003, so that the residents could protect themselves against possible assaults by terrorist Qods Force and its militias that have an extensive presence in large parts of Iraq, including Baghdad. This is crucial to prevent further tragedies.
These weapons would offer them the least means of self defence against attacks that the Government of Iraq claims are perpetrated by unknown entities. This is the residents’ basic right to be able to preserve their lives in the current turmoil in Iraq.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras
President of the International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ)
Former Vice-President of the European Parliament (1999-2014)