A new 'axis of evil' - Iraq helping Iran to help Syria
by Muriel Turner
The revelation in The New York Times that the Iraqis are helping Iran skirt the economic sanctions imposed on Tehran makes it clear that the result of the Iraq invasion is hardly what was envisioned when the mission began. Sure, we got rid of a tyrant. But now we have a government that is totally beholden to the mullahs in Iran. This is more evident now by Iraq helping Iran to help Syria. How is that for an axis of evil? Iraq is allegedly laundering money for Iran to help it overcome the sanctions and is permitting Iran to fly over Iraqi airspace to ferry supplies to Syria, so Bashar Al-Assad can continue to massacre his own citizens.
The Iraq-Iran relationship has been common knowledge to a group of Iranian exiles that have been living in peace in Iraq for a quarter century. Since the United States-led invasion, they had been safe under the protection of American troops. But when those troops withdrew, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's administration became free to allegedly carry out the nefarious schemes of its sponsors, the mullahs who rule Iran and who are fearful of any opposition - especially that of the People's Mujahedin of Iran or PMOI/MEK, the exiles who had resided in Camp Ashraf.
Twice, Iraqi forces stormed Ashraf with the most recent raid causing 49 deaths and the wounding of 1,000 more. Then Maliki ordered Ashraf cleared, with its residents dispersed around Iraq or returned to Iran; where they faced death or a fate worse than death. The United Nations and US brokered a deal to allow these folks to relocate to a former American army base near Baghdad, called Camp Liberty, where liberty is one thing they surely do not have. Indeed - they lack electricity, running water, sewage facilities and all basic humanitarian needs – all of which they had been promised by the UN and the US.
Nonetheless, more than two-thirds of them have made the move, to show their good faith when no other parties have done so. And as announced by the charismatic Iranian resistance leader, Maryam Rajavi - as another sign of goodwill, 400 more residents will move from Ashraf to Liberty soon. Given the evidence of Iraq's complicity in Iran's misdeeds, it is time for the US and UN to abide by their commitments.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised to be influenced by the MEK's show of good faith in moving to Camp Liberty, as she considered lifting the organization's listing among foreign terrorist organisations. It is time for her to follow through and not wait for the October 1 deadline set by the US Court of Appeals for the DC circuit. The PMOI is not a terrorist organisation and never has been. The designation was only the result of a failed attempt by the US State Department to appease supposed 'moderates' in Tehran, moderates who never existed. The terrorists in the region are those in power, who have been spreading terrorism across the region and worldwide by supporting Assad to continue his blood-drenched rule and pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Also, the UN should insist on improved conditions at Camp Liberty and should start processing the 4,300 transferees as refugees to be relocated in third countries. The two actions go hand in glove, as the terrorist listing gives the Iraqis an excuse to mistreat the Iranian Resistance members. No wonder the mullahs in Tehran fear the resistance. They see the rumblings across the Middle East, from the Arab Spring to the Syrian uprising. They have witnessed demonstrations within Iran, as the people are growing increasingly restive over living conditions and lack of freedom.
The winds of change clearly are coming. And the words of Thomas Paine become increasingly pertinent: "Lead, follow, or get out of the way." The Iranian Resistance is not seeking troops or even weapons. It is confident it can establish freedom within its homeland's borders, if only its shackles are removed. Without the terror label, it can mobilise Iranian dissidents from far and wide - and within the country - to restore the country to its role as a beacon of freedom. At the same time, Maliki will be left without a benefactor and Iraq too can join the family of free nations.
In this whole episode, the role of Europe is crucial. European Union leaders must press the UN and US to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of these recognised 'asylum seekers' and open their doors, welcoming them as the best hope for a genuine regime change in Iran - and a safer and more peaceful world.
Baroness Turner of Camden was deputy speaker of the British House of Lords until 2008 and is currently a member of the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom
Iraq's descent into another sectarian civil war, prompted by its leader's determined efforts to marginalise the Sunni population, has become an embarrassment to the US, writes Struan Stevenson
Archbishop Desmond Tutu called today for George W. Bush and Tony Blair to be tried in the Hague for their alleged deceptions and stating that this has only strengthened the position of godfather of international terrorism - Iran's rulers.
Baroness Turner's article sheds more light on the situation. It is a disgrace that the Barack Obama administration is doing nothing to stop Iraq from doing Tehran's bidding in the region. European leaders must take a leading role there before it is too late. After all, Iran and its terrorists are much closer to Europe than the US.
Arash - Berlin
This is an excellent article by Lady Turner. Thank you.
mir mohammadi - London
Completely right, the EU and US should support the Iranian Resistance and the Iranian people's decades-long struggle for democratic change in Iran - at the expense of the ruling religious dictatorship. Those in Camp Ashraf, MEK and the National Council of Resistance of Iran are the best hope for mobilising the popular dissatisfaction in Iran with the mullahs and to target that anger into genuine and coherent social disobedience - and a civic struggle to bring down the Iranian regime, which everybody agrees will be a huge benefit for the world and peace among nations.
juergista - Stockholm, Sweden
A new 'axis of evil' - what shame for the Barack Obama and David Cameron administrations for handing over Iraq to Iranians and wasting the blood of a lot of British and US soldiers. I don't know what kind of hold on western governments these Mullahs in Iran have, which means they can not even let the opposition goes free because of them. Thank you, Baroness Turner. A very well written article indeed.
Ahmed - London
It does not surprise me that Iraq is doing Iran's dirty work. The evil regimes in the Middle East, that is Iraq, Iran and Syria must be overturned if there is ever to be any peace. It is upsetting that millions of innocent Iraqis have been killed in the war in Iraq only to allow such a regime to take power in that country. Our governments in the west must get their priorities in order so that stability can come to the people in that part of the world.
Amy Scott - London
The Iraqi government murdered nearly 50 unarmed residents and injured hundreds in Camp Ashraf and continuously infringes the human rights of Camp Ashraf and Liberty residents . They are using this terrorist tag to carry out barbaric behaviour. Secretary Clinton's decision to remove MEK from the terrorist list will help to stop these inhuman acts.
Hassan - London
Thank you very much for your brilliant article, once again we are seeing the appeasement policy working.
Ali - Sheffield, UK
"But now we have a government that is totally beholden to the mullahs in Iran." Muriel Turner seems to lack knowledge on Iran. "The mullahs in Iran" are no longer the ones who rule the country. The Revolutionary Guards are much more powerful today. Even Hilary Clinton said at least one year ago that the regime is moving toward a military dictatorship.
How can the author talk about a new "axis of Evil" between Iraq and Iran while supporting a terrorist organisation, whose leader Rajavi kissed Saddam Hussein in the 1980s? I am disapointed to see that Mojehedin-e Kharq's supporter can publish to push for this cult organisation to be delisted so easily.
All my relatives in Iran who hate the regime and were part of the Green movement correctly believe that MeK is worse than IRI. It's obvious that the power of money is above all.
Iraq is Iran's neighbour, it's normal that they want to cooperate. It's not a black and white situation but many people don't look at the complexity of the situation and talk about the issue with ideology and short expressions such as "the regime of the mullahs".
First, Ahmadinejad is not a mullah. Second, there is a power struggle in Iran and it's irrelevant to talk about a regime since there is no unity. Such expressions are good for popular media, but not for professionals.
Frirus
Thank you for an excellent article Baroness Turner. The Arab spring has shown how powerful popular movements can be and this is why Iran has gone to such lengths to try to destroy Ashraf. The world should take this into consideration when dealing with such oppressive regimes.
Peter Dyer - Cambridge
This "article" is nothing more than shameless lobbying on behalf of the the People's Mujahedin of Iran, a former terrorist sect. Far from have been "living in peace in Iraq for a quarter century", it coordinated assassinations and attacks of both Iranian and western targets until 2001. To claim that is has "never been a terrorist organisation" is palpably untrue - it has expressly admitted responsibility for a number of horrendous crimes, aimed at both civilian and military targets.
The title of the piece alone is grossly misleading, as it offers no serious analysis of relations between Iran and Iraq. It is self-evident that deposing Saddam Hussein's Sunni minority regime and installing a majority Shiite democracy would lead to closer ties between Iraq and its neighbour Iran, the only other Shiite majority state in the region, for better or for worse.
There is no absolutely evidence to substantiate Baroness Turner's claims that Iraq is permitting Iran to fly over Iraqi airspace to ferry supplies to Syria. Contrary to Baroness Turner's claims, the UN has confirmed that all of the groups' basic humanitarian needs are being met at Camp Liberty. Careful measures have been put in place to ensure they have full access to electricity, running water and sewage facilities, which is more than can be said for the average Iraqi.
Moreover, consistent with its commitments to both the Iraqi government and the PMOI, the UN immediately began the refugee status determination process for those members who agreed to relocate from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty. This process will be indefinite, however, as long as no third country steps forward to receive members of the group (none of whom are "recognised asylum seekers" as Baroness Turner claims) - and no one has yet done so.
Baroness Turner's quotation of Thomas Paine similarly rings hollow.
The PMOI enjoys no significant support in Iran, primarily because of its previous acts of violence against the Iranian people. By serving as the mouthpiece for the PMOI, Baroness Turner is bringing her own reputation into disrepute and betrays an extremely naive understanding of the situation to put it kindly.
Edward - Stockton
