The US State Department Positioned on the Wrong Side of History
Secretary Hillary Clinton! Who’s to be held accountable for the death of my brother who was killed by Iraqi forces when they raided Ashraf in July 2009?
Are you aware that we, in Camp Ashraf, are paying the price for the “goodwill gesture” the State Department made to the mullahs in labeling the MeK? We are paying the price with our bodies and souls, with the pierced hearts and blood soaked bodies of our beloved!
Can you even begin to imagine how my heart was scarred when I stood before the dead body of my beloved brother and 46 other friends in Camp Ashraf? They had all trusted the U.S. government and had relinquished their weapons, as part of an effort to ‘secure’ Iraq, and were hence rendered defenseless before the Iranian regime and its proxies in Iraq – hoping that in return the U.S. would remain committed to protecting them. Indeed my heart has been scarred; a deep scar, as deep and as painful as the lessons learned in history, to be sadly enough, repeated again when justice is compromised time and again for meager political gains. As the beacon of hope for a nation yearning for freedom, what is the crime of the Iranian people’s resistance and residents of Ashraf? Is it not the simple fact that they have persisted in their struggle for freedom and for having their sacrificed everything?Ever since the responsibility for our security was handed over by the U.S. government in 2009, we, the 3,400 Iranian dissidents residing in Camp Ashraf, Iraq, including 1000 women, have consistently been subjected to acts of aggression, non-stop psychological torture, a comprehensive and inhumane siege, violence and murder at the hand of the Iraqi government. Iraqi forces have injured more than a third of the residents. Injuries that have yet to heal in light of hindrances by the Iraqi Committee for Suppression of Ashraf in denying the residents access to proper medical treatment. I, myself, was injured twice during the course of these hostilities. During this period, since 2009, and in the course of two deadly attacks perpetrated by Nouri Al Maliki, the Iraqi PM at the behest of the Iranian regime, we have lost 47 of our dearest friends. The henchmen justify their crimes against residents of Ashraf by saying, “you are on the U.S. terror list!”
It goes without saying that this designation is a betrayal of the Iranian people and their just resistance movement which is striving for freedom and democracy and only serves the Iranian regime - the leading state sponsor of terrorism – by conceding to the wishes of the mullahs and it lacks any legal merit.
Almost a year has passed since a Washington district court of appeals ordered the State Department to reevaluate its decision to list the MeK. But unfortunately, and since there are elements within the State Department who are have positioned themselves on the wrong side of history, nothing has changed in the futile policy of appeasing the mullahs. In the meantime, the Iranian people and their resistance continue to pay the price with their blood, each and every day. The bitter fruit of maintaining the MeK on the list is consolidation of the mullah’s grip on power; a gift to the Iranian regime, Iraq, and anyone else who hopes that one day the residents of Ashraf are annihilated and, each day, they are conspiring to realize this dream.
While expressing my deepest discontent at this unjust designation, I ask Secretary Clinton to immediately remove the MeK from the list. The list is the proper place for the terrorist regime ruling Iran not the Iranian resistance. Delisting the MeK, also, guarantees the security and safety of residents of Camp Ashraf and sends a message of solidarity to the Iranian people: the U.S. State Department, as in nations affected by the “Arab Spring”, supports them in their struggle for democracy and freedom.
Delisting the MeK has been delayed long enough and keeping them on the list is no longer acceptable. Each second and each day that passes, and they remain on the list, we suffer another cherished human life.
Having signed an agreement with each and every resident of Ashraf, including my brother Hanif, the United States is specifically responsible for protecting their lives; a responsibility it has, unfortunately, turned its back on when it was needed the most – when the residents were attacked and under a barrage of gun fire and explosion of grenades and when they were rammed by humvees and armored personnel carriers – instead of protecting them, America stood idly by and looked on as the blood of innocent people was spilled in Camp Ashraf. The U.S. government will be held accountable for any foreseeable atrocity that occurs in Ashraf.

Comments (3)
A heart wrenching story. This episode is one of betrayal of Iranian people and their resistance. It is sad when we look at the Iranian history and the role of United States in the popular uprisings. In 1953 it was the Unites States that orchestrated the coup against Dr. Mossadegh's government bringing the Shah and 35 more years of dictatorship leading to the Mullah's theocracy. President Obama apologized to the Iranian nation in his speech at Cairo university but here we are again another turning point in Iranian people's struggle against tyranny and dictatorship and again United States is playing the cards to keep the despots in power. Despite the promise of protection to the Ashraf residents United States has abandoned them to the criminal Iraqi forces doing the bid for the Mullahs in Iran. In two separate attacks 47 have been massacred and over a 1000 wounded. The Spanish International Criminal Court has indicted Maliki and three of his generals for crimes against humanity. If the United States does not act responsibly to the promise they had given the residents and by the end of 2011 Maliki forces massacre the rest of the residents rest assured that Mrs. Clinton and whomever else responsible for keeping the Mojahedin on the terror list of United States will be indicted to the Spanish International Criminal Court for contributing to crimes against humanity. Let us hope that they rise to the occasion and accept their responsibility and accordingly.
Posted by majidbia2 | September 16, 2011 2:28 AM
it is time for the United States to take its moral and legal responsibility to protect them in Ashraf and de-list them so they can overthrow the Iranian regime.
Posted by Juergista | September 16, 2011 5:33 AM
It is very hard to watch the videos of attacks by Malliki's forces on july 28,29 2009 and last april 2011. Is this the democracy and freedom promissed to Iraqis? Is this the reason that, about 50000 Americans died and thousand wounded. Mrs Clinton is this soverignthy of Iraq? killing and attacking Iranian refugees are part of it; and American troops stand by on the side and turn their face from them when Mojahedin asked them to stop Iraqis of killing them, shame on this conspiracy. did not your government promissed and signed a contract with every single of Mojahedin in the Camp Ashraf to protect them till final resolution? Wikileaks has exposed US and Eroupean countries how they have tried to keep Mojahedin in the list for the politcal reasons and to make Moullahs happy. shame on you and state department. Delist Mojahedin. Iranain people are watching you and have not forgotten the coup against Dr. Mosadegh by CIA.
Posted by mina | September 16, 2011 9:35 AM