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Most Americans — even journalists — spent this
July 4 with their families, enjoying the outdoors, grilling and watching
fireworks displays. That’s probably why so few people heard about the rocket attack on a small
camp in Iraq, housing over 1,000 Iranians. Ironically, the camp is called “Camp
Liberty.”
Although the underreported attack left 50
people wounded, several key politicians took notice and have responded.
U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) condemned the
attack in a statement. “Sadly,
this is not the first time the residents of Camp Liberty have been the victims
of horrific attacks,” McCain said. “And I remain deeply concerned about their
safety. While I am pleased by the State Department’s effort to expedite the
residents’ resettlement to a safe location, this latest attack demonstrates the
need for the United States and Iraq to do more to ensure the security of Camp
Liberty during this process.”
To understand the importance of Camp Liberty
and why it faces continued threats, it would be best to look at a recent rally
in Paris, France.
On July 9, the National
Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) brought together more than
100,000 people in support of a free Iran. The event
focused on working toward a democratic Iran, no longer bound by the current
theocratic regime. A bipartisan group of
Americans spoke at the gathering including politicians, generals and activists.
Even former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) took the stage.
NCRI is the umbrella organization for a number
of anti-regime political movements from Iran. The largest and most well-known
branch is the People’s Mujahedin of Iran,
or MEK. The people attacked in Camp Liberty are connected to this group.
Maryam Rajavi, the President of the People’s Mujahedin of
Iran, speaks at the “Free Iran” annual gathering of Iranian communities in
Paris, France. | Photo: AP
The MEK has a unique relationship with
America. In 1997, it was added to the U.S. terror list under President Bill
Clinton, allegedly at the request
of the Iranian regime during negotiations. In 2012, a bipartisan group of
congressmen worked to remove the group from
the list, citing the MEK’s help with U.S. intelligence efforts in Iran, as well
as no recent history of terrorist activities and the political motivations for
placing the group on the list in the first place.
Almost every American speaking at NCRI
mentioned Camp Liberty. Former White House director of public liaison Linda Chavez
said, “Let’s honor and commend the bravery and dedication of Camp Liberty
residents.” Francis Townsend, a former homeland security adviser to President
George W. Bush, brought up the bipartisan advocacy on the part of Americans.
“We’re not done with that work until the last person leaves Camp Liberty, we
will not be stopped,” Townsend said.
It makes sense that Americans feel connected
to what happens at Camp Liberty, since the location is a former U.S military
base. The residents of the camp were evicted from their former location, Camp
Ashraf, also a U.S. base.
Ashraf, a city and then a base, was
established by the MEK in 1986, when their
members fled persecution in Iran and began setting up a militarized presence in
Iraq. The U.S. assumed control of the base after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The MEK
relinquished its weapons in 2004 and received protected status under the Fourth
Geneva Convention.
Retired Colonel Wesley Martin
was the first U.S. military official to serve as base commander in 2006. During
his time at Ashraf, Martin developed a professional relationship with the MEK,
and when his tour of duty ended he continued to stay in communication with the
group’s leaders on behalf of the State Department and the Pentagon. But when
President Obama pulled out of the Status
of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Iraq in 2009, U.S. support for camps such as
Ashraf went away as well. The camp was turned over to Iraq’s government.
Due to numerous conflicts and Iraq’s desire to
close the camp, the United Nations stepped in.
Attempts at mediation with Iraq failed and in 2011, Martin Kobler, head of the
United Nations’ Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) took over. He altered the UN’s policy toward
the MEK, leaning on their designation as terrorists. He shifted from seeking
human rights assistance to a plan for relocation. This goal was much more
acceptable to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
So in 2012 the residents of Ashraf were
forcibly moved to Camp Liberty, which was smaller and less hospitable than the
previous location. In fact, a working group of the UN Human Rights Council
called the status of the MEK at both Camp Liberty and Camp Ashraf “arbitrary detention.”
Once the 3,400 members of MEK were moved to
their temporary transit location, they fell under the care of the UNHCR (United
National High Commissioner on Refugees).
U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is leading the charge in
Congress to protect and relocate the residents of Camp Liberty. | Photo: AP
Martin worked with the American side,
attempting to resolve the status of the MEK. “Ambassador Daniel Fried [then
Assistant Secretary of State] personally assured us… The plan was as soon as
they come in we’ll process them in and go back to Iran.” Martin noted, “But
they didn’t want to go back to Iran obviously.” Fortunately, the UNHCR sought a
third placement country.
But Camp Liberty didn’t end up being a
short-term project at all. Four years later, the camp still exists with around
1,300 residents. Martin says the plan was to move out 200 people at a time, but
instead the groups have been closer to 40.
Martin places the blame on the UN. He says
American politicians, all the way up to the White House, want to see the
relocations completed. Martin admits he has differences with the Vice
President, but added: “I know Joe Biden wants it resolved.”
About the United Nations’ failure to move
forward Martin said, “The UN is a bureaucratic organization. The UN moves at
the pace of a startled snail, and the other thing, in all honesty, the UN is
not a pure origination, there are a lot of political motivations.”
One of the reasons the U.S. wants to see the
Liberty situation resolved is because of the continued attacks against the
camp. The July 4 missiles weren’t the first. Four rocket attacks occurred in 2013, the camp was
blockaded in 2014 and more attacks
linked to Iranian paramilitary groups happened in 2015. Many lost their
lives and the remaining camp residents are still at risk.
Martin insists the United States needs to
follow through with its own recommendations. “All we gotta do is put them on
busses, put them on planes, get them to Albania,” he said.
“And then no problems, [the Albanians] were happy to take them.”
In the meantime, Martin says the U.S. State
Department should be more involved. “They should be monitoring the camp on a
daily basis,” he said.
Last month’s attack and the political rally
brought Camp Liberty back into international focus. The UNHCR released a report
congratulating itself on the relocation work done so far. But Americans, like
McCain are taking more aggressive action. The senior senator from Arizona
pushed a resolution, S.Con.Res.42, to
the Foreign Relations committee. It passed unanimously, and now heads to the
Senate for a floor vote.
This kind of soft pressure has proved
effective in the past. According to Martin, larger groups of Iranians have been
transferred out of the camp in recent weeks (though he worries another attack
is likely to happen). The bipartisan support of humanitarian efforts to rescue
people in Camp Liberty give the U.S. an even stronger voice on the issue, one
expected to end by 2017.
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