US PRIORITIES IN DISARRAY

US PRIORITIES IN DISARRAY

Stes de Necker

US House of Representatives Approves Resolution to Fund and Equip Syrian Rebels

MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti)

The United States House of Representatives passed a resolution authorizing $500 million to go to training and equipping moderate Syrian rebels to fight against Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East.The resolution passed Wednesday in a vote of 273-156.

The Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) or Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), is a Sunni jihadist group that has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012, expanding its attacks to northern and western regions of Iraq in June 2014.

It is a fact that the Syrian situation is certainly critical, but how the US determines their priorities remains a mystery.

The Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) or Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), is a Sunni jihadist group that has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012, expanding its attacks to northern and western regions of Iraq in June 2014. The militants have seized vast areas in both countries and proclaimed an Islamic caliphate on all the territories under their control.

On the other hand there is the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK).

Prior to the 2003 U.S.-led war in Iraq, the PMOI publicly declared its neutrality and played no part in the conflict. In the early part of the invasion, as a result of quid pro quo between Washington and Tehran, PMOI bases were repeatedly bombed by Coalition forces, inflicting dozens of casualties and enormous structural damage.

In April 2003, US forces signed a cease-fire agreement of "mutual understanding and coordination" with the PMOI. Finally in May 2003, as a result of negotiations between the PMOI and US forces led by General Ray Odierno, the PMOI agreed to a "voluntary consolidation" and disarming of its forces in exchange for US protection of Camp Ashraf and its residents.

After an extensive 16-month investigation of every member of the PMOI in Camp Ashraf by seven different US government agencies that began after the US agreement, PMOI members were found not to have violated any US law [New York Times, July 27, 2004]. In addition, the US Government declared them to have been "non-combatants" during the 2003 war.

In 2004 the US led Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I) formally recognized all the residents of Camp Ashraf (which were later moved to Camp Liberty near Baghdad) as "Protected Persons" under the Fourth Geneva Convention [Coalition Statement, July 2004], and U.S. forces took up their protection.

In January 2009, despite strong opposition by the residents and several legal opinions by distinguished jurists, the camp's security was transferred to Iraq without any credible guarantees.

Today these refugees must survive the most terrible living conditions in Camp Liberty.

Residents have no freedom of movement, and Iraq has banned them from having access to their relatives, human rights activists, parliamentarians, reporters and any foreign visitor in Liberty or Ashraf.

Heavy medical restrictions are imposed on the camp residents, and this has led to the death of two residents by the start of 2013. The ground is gravel, and there are no pavements. The GoI does not permit contractors into the camp to build stable ramp entries for the disabled.

Residents are not allowed to use machinery and the GoI prevents them from transferring their forklifts from Ashraf to move items and do construction work in Camp Liberty. The residents are therefore forced to carry heavy loads by hand leading to numerous injuries.

Iraq refuses to connect the camp to the national electricity grid, and the few power generators that are in the camp are dilapidated. By December 2012, Liberty residents had paid $3.5 million for fuel for generators at the camp to provide electricity and $2.5 million for a water supply project.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on 23 November 2012 described conditions at Camp Liberty as synonymous with that of a detention centre and in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This was the second opinion adopted by the Working Group detailing abuses at the camp. Another opinion issued on 17 July 2012 found similar abuses taking place.

In 2012 the residents signed a deal with a British company to sell their moveable and fixed property for approx. $525 million, but this deal was blocked by the GoI which is trying to steal and misappropriate all the property.

The question remains how the US determines their priorities.

Why does the US not comply with their contractual obligations towards the residents of Camp Liberty who are in dire need of help and how is it possible that the House of Representatives can approve $500 million funding to aid rebel forces in Syria, (with whom they have no contractual obligations), but not come to the rescue of 3000 Iranian dissidents who have always been loyal and supportive of US policy?

IT IS TIME FOR THE US TO GET THEIR PRIORITIES IN ORDER!