Nothing . . . but “Treason”

By Mohammad

Some politicians argue that the recent final nuclear deal will bring tempting changes in Iran that make the world safer for its habitants. Well, they can wait and see, but speaking of changes we should not overlook the fact that credits should be given to the Iranian regime for bringing some changes to our world.

Ayatollahs have already introduced new idioms into the Iranian culture. Phrases such as “carton sleepers”, “arrest for unveiling”, “kidney or eye or even a child for sale”, “poverty” . . .  along with “whipping”, “amputation” and “hanging” are the souvenirs  mullahs have offered to our world. The regime also, bolstered some old words with a heavier font. “Treason” is one of the prevalent phrases reiterated by the regime of Iran.

This article is intended to illustrate one case of treason that is still going on, the carnage that happened in Camp Ashraf, in Iraq, on September 1st 2014.

September 1st marks the second year anniversary of the Camp Ashraf massacre, an under-reported incident that displays the degree of Iranian influence in Iraq. The seriousness of its consequences is when turning a blind eye to regional developments, in favor of some political or economic interests, arises no abhorrence.

United Nations and United States, the most responsible parties for the safety and security of Camp Ashraf residents found it more beneficial to set the table to the interests of Khamenei and Maliki, rather than to see the facts on the ground.  Most lucklessly the obligations have been trampled on, for “nuclear talks with Iran” or “Iraq’s sovereignty”.  It was such a policy that led directly to the massacre on September 1st 2014, which claimed the lives of 52 Mujahedin members living in exile in Iraq, led to the abduction of seven others, and has been followed by endless aftershocks in the form of medical and logistic sieges and repressive measures against the surviving dissidents in their new home of Camp Liberty.

This again demonstrated the short-sightedness of US policy towards both Iraq and Iran that, the people at Camp Ashraf were left alone and defenseless under the watch of Maliki’s forces after the US pulled out of Iraq. This complete leaving behind neglected  the fact that during the occupation, Iranian dissidents (Members of the Iranian opposition PMOI)  in Camp Ashraf had been granted Protected Persons Status and assured by the State Department that they would be kept out of harm’s way.

 In the aftermath of massacre, the scene of crime at Camp Ashraf and the bodies of the 52 killed were visited and recorded by representatives from UN and US. Despite the fact that Videos taken by survivors showed a division of Maliki’s army called as “dirty division”- who were filmed in their known uniforms-, were the perpetrators, surprisingly, the investigations were left to Iraqi government.

It came as a shock when Iraqi government secretly buried the bodies of the 52 victims in an undisclosed location. The burial took place without the knowledge of the victims’ families or U.N. officials assigned to help the Iranian dissidents in Iraq. The secret burial took place despite 164 days of follow up by representatives and lawyers of Camp Liberty residents, human rights defenders, and the families of the victims. Maryam Rajavi, leader of the Iranian resistance against the religious dictatorial regime, underscored that the objective of this secret burial is to destroy the evidence of the crime and to save the culprits from justice. She called on the UN Security Council to refer the case to the International Criminal Court.

Two years has passed since the September 1st, 2014 massacre in Camp Ashraf. Nevertheless neither the United Nations nor the US Government has done any investigations on the crime. The perpetrators have gone free , 7 abducted still missing, whereabouts of the location 52 martyrs were buried still unknown , . . .   .and  . . .  Camp Liberty is still managed by officers assigned by Maliki, who were involved in this or other crimes against its residents. . . . .  Nothing  but “treason”.