PRNEWS WIRE
Prominent American and European Politicians Urge UN, US, and EU for Immediate Action for Protection and Well-Being of Ashraf and Liberty Residents and Their Relocation to Third Countries
PARIS, March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Maryam Rajavi: The only way to stop Iran building a nuclear bomb or unprecedented conflict and crisis triggered by the mullahs is regime change by the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance
At an international conference by the French Committee for a Democratic Iran (CFID) held in Paris on Saturday, March 24, speakers from the United States and Europe stressed the need for a firm policy towards the Iranian regime.
In the meeting that was attended by thousands of Iranians dignitaries also called for the protection of the rights of Ashraf and Liberty residents and the removal of the terrorism label on the main Iranian opposition movement, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) by the U.S. State Department.
Speakers at the conference, who had come from the U.S. and Europe for this event included: Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian resistance, Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York and US Presidential Candidate (2008), Michael Mukasey, US Attorney General (2007-2009), Secretary Tom Ridge, the first US Homeland Security Secretary (2003-2005) and former Governor of Pennsylvania; John Bolton, former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Patrick Kennedy, member of the US Congress (1991-2011); Glenn Carle, former Deputy National Intelligence for Transnational Threats; Col. Wesley Martin, former Commander of the MNF-I anti-terrorism unit and commander of Forward Operation Base in Ashraf; Lt. Col Leo McCloskey, Commander of Forward Operation Base in Ashraf until 2008; Günter Verheugen, Commissioner of Europe (1999-2009) and former minister of State in the Department of Foreign Affairs of Germany; Gerhart Baum, former German Federal Minister of the Interior; Klaus Bresser, former Chief Editor of the German Channel 2 TV (ZDF); Jacques Desallangre, Member of French National Assembly; David Amess, Member of British Parliament; Lucio Malan, member of Italian Senate and NATO Parliamentary Assembly; Geoffrey Robertson, Q.C., LL.B., B.C.L., First President of UN Special Court on War Crimes for Sierra Leon and member of the UN Justice Council.
Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian resistance, offered her condolences to the French people, the Jewish society and the families of the victims of the terrorist attacks in Toulouse. She blamed this tragedy on fundamentalism under the guise of Islam, whose roots are found in Tehran and Qom. Warnings had been issued about this phenomenon as far back as 25 years ago and these crimes had nothing to do with Islam, Mrs Rajavi stressed. She said the only means of defeating the fundamentalism and terrorism that hides behind Islam is an alternative based on a democratic and tolerant Islam, and that the PMOI represents this democratic alternative which is the anti-thesis to extremism – an Islam with the message of mercy, freedom, equality, brotherhood, love and co-existence between all religions and all of humanity.
In this conference, which coincided with the Iranian New Year, Mrs Rajavi declared that with global solidarity, it would be possible to make this the year that sees the defeat of the religious fascism ruling Iran. She added that the only solution to prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb or unprecedented conflict and crisis triggered by the mullahs is regime change by the Iranian people and the Iranian resistance.
Mrs Rajavi said: “In order to escape their demise, the mullahs have reverted to war with the Iranian people, the people of the region and the international community. At the centre of these measures is their effort to annihilate the organized resistance which holds the key for change in Iran. Attacking Ashraf is done within this context.”
“The policy of the United States and the European Union, bowing to the demands of the regime over Ashraf and the continuation of unjustified designation of the Mojahedin (MEK) has worked in favour of the Tehran’s mullahs,” she emphasized.
Referring to the transfer of 1200 Ashraf residents to Camp Liberty, Mrs Rajavi said: “This transfer unfortunately has turned to a forcible displacement combined with a lot of harassments and pressures. Despite the repeated calls of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the residents do not have freedom of movement. They are also deprived of meeting their family members and lawyers. Most importantly, the unjustified presence of armed forces within the Camp’s private limits has created constant insecurity for the residents.”
Mrs Rajavi also warned that the presence of armed forces inside the camp strongly adds to the risk of a humanitarian catastrophe. In these circumstances, the UN is expected to return to its real responsibility of defending the victim and the oppressed, or at least to stay neutral between the Iraqi government and Ashraf residents.
Mrs Rajavi described the following steps necessary to continue the transfer of the residents to Liberty and to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in either Ashraf or Liberty:
Police and armed forces are completely removed from Camp Liberty and agreements in this regard are implemented.
The residents have the right to move their movable property to the new site and to sell other property or to transfer it elsewhere.
Obstacles that the Iraqi government has put in place for building infrastructure are quickly removed so that the residents can build their basic necessities, such as a rest place for the patients or paving the walkways for their transportation.
The refugee status recertification of the residents by the UNHCR and their relocation to third countries are expedited.
In his remarks, Mr Giuliani said: “Let me go there (Camp Liberty). Let me see it with my own eyes. In other words, let’s see if my country that I love, the United States of America, is living up to the promise that it made to the people of Ashraf to protect them and to treat them decently or it’s breaking that promise. And if you don’t want to send me, you can send Judge Mukasey or Tom Ridge or Patrick Kennedy or four or five of us and then you can put us before Congress and put us under oath and I assure you, we’ll tell the truth about it and we’ll get this resolved. Are we being misled or is the State Department breaking its promise to the people of Ashraf? Let’s get an answer to it once and for all.”
The former Mayor of New York added: “And right now, the enemy of stopping a nuclear Iran is appeasement. That’s the false notion that made Iran more determined to become nuclear. Let’s stop the appeasement. Let’s stop trying to negotiate. Let’s stop writing letters to the ayatollah. And let’s stand up, united as Americans in saying we are for regime change in Iran and we will take any step necessary to stop Iran from becoming nuclear.”
Tom Ridge began by stating his readiness to join Mayor Giuliani on his trip to Camp Liberty. He went on: “We will continue to stand with the MEK, with the freedom-loving people of Ashraf and Liberty. I want to stand on the right side of history and I do not worry about anything else.”
Mr Ridge described the scenes of attacks on Ashraf, and strongly criticised the US government for trampling on the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Geneva Conventions. He said: “How can my country ignore those vicious attacks? One wonders when last time those responsible for Ashraf looked at those documents.”
He told the UN: “You have not done your job United Nations, and it is about time you did it.”
And he urged the US government: “If you want to send a message to Iran and Maliki about how serious we are, I’ll give you one simple idea: delist the MEK.”
Michael Mukasey said: “This conference should be broadcast to the State Department. Then they would see that Mrs Rajavi opened this conference by extending her condolences to the Jewish community in Toulouse.”
The former U.S. Attorney General ridiculed the ‘unnamed sources’ at the State Department, saying: “Why anonymous? What are they afraid of? They fear, but we have no fear. We do not hide our names.”
And he told Iranians in audience: “Right prevails in my country and I hope it will not be long before right will prevail in your country.”
Patrick Kennedy strongly criticized the UN and said: “We want action, no more words.” He expressed solidarity with the residents of Camp Liberty, adding: “All of our thoughts are with people in Camp Liberty who are being treated as prisoners and not refugees.”
Philippe Douste-Blazy, Special Adviser and Deputy to the UN Secretary General and French Foreign Minister from 2005 to 2007, also voiced his support for the goals of this conference via a video message.
SOURCE: French Committee for a Democratic Iran (CFID).