IRAQ: Iraqi military defends killing at least ten people during crackdown on Iranian exile camp

Record ID: 345438

  • Title: IRAQ: Iraqi military defends killing at least ten people during crackdown on Iranian exile camp
  • Date: 10th April 2011
  • Summary: CAMP ASHRAF, DIYALA PROVINCE, IRAQ (APRIL 9, 2011) (REUTERS) CONVOY OF IRAQI MILITARY HUMVEES AND BUS CARRYING JOURNALISTS DRIVING TOWARDS FRONT GATE OF CAMP ASHRAF RESIDENTS OF CAMP HOLDING UP PHOTOS OF APPARENT VICTIMS AND SIGN CONDEMNING VIOLENCE AS THEY SHOUT "KILLERS, KILLERS" COLUMN OF IRAQI MILITARY VEHICLES DRIVING TOWARDS FRONT GATE OF CAMP IRAQI SOLDIERS GUARDING CAMP WASTELAND, DOTTED WITH TORCHED TENTS AND CARAVANS THE MILITARY SAID RESIDENTS HAD BURNT DOWN. MORE OF BURNT DOWN CARAVANS AND TENTS JOURNALISTS WITH DEFENCE MINISTRY SPOKESMAN MOHAMMED AL-ASKARI, GENERAL ALI GHAIDAN, COMMANDER OF IRAQI GROUND FORCES AND OTHER IRAQI COMMANDERS AT CAMP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DEFENCE MINISTRY SPOKESMAN MOHAMMED AL-ASKARI, SAYING: "There were an inappropriate behaviour, attack and provocation. Armed forces who were there to provide necessary protection were threatened and insulted. They (residents of camp) acted in a way, which is against the law as if they were not in Iraq and as if they were uncovered by the Iraqi law." JOURNALISTS WITH IRAQI COMMANDERS AT CAMP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GENERAL ALI GHAIDAN, COMMANDER OF IRAQI GROUND FORCES, SAYING: "The riot police has also used batons and stones in streets because they were adamant to make the mission of the (Iraqi) forces a hard one . Their numbers were very big." JOURNALISTS WITH IRAQI ARMY COMMANDERS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GENERAL ALI GHAIDAN, COMMANDER OF IRAQI GROUND FORCES, SAYING: "Causalities who were admitted to hospital were 18 residents and nine army members, including three officers and the rest were soldiers. Most of the 18 cases were suffering from injuries by sticks and most of the injuries were minors and they were discharged (from hospital). We gave a report at 0200 a.m. and after 0200 (o'clock) six cases were admitted to hospital in addition to the previous 18 ones, thus bringing the number to 24 cases which had been evacuated to Baquba hospital." CONVOY OF IRAQI MILITARY VEHICLES DRIVING/ VEHICLES OF RIOT POLICE AT CAMP AND RESIDENTS OF CAMP HOLDING UP SIGNS AND SHOUTING "KILLERS, KILLERS" PHOTOS OF APPARENT VICTIMS HANGING ON FRONT GATE OF CAMP IRAQI ARMY COMMANDERS VISITING TWO WOUNDED ON STRETCHERS
  • Embargoed: 25th April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq, Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA3TV1D1TJ0ROV0BCPK0F3ZWDRF
  • Story Text: Dozens of exiled Iranians shouted "Killers! Killers!" at Iraqi soldiers guarding their desert camp on Saturday (April 9) as top military brass defended a violent crackdown in which at least 10 people were killed.
    Some 3,500 people live in the dusty, 25-year-old camp, base of the People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran (PMOI) guerrilla group that opposes Iran's Shi'ite cleric leaders.
    Stuck in Iraq since the 1980s when Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein gave them shelter, the camp residents are a thorn in the side of the current Baghdad government which has close ties with Tehran and wants them out.
    Iraqi forces clashed with camp residents on Friday, triggering an international outcry.
    Details remain sketchy, but the PMOI says 33 people died in what it calls a "murderous attack" on defenceless people. A hospital source said at least 10 were killed, most from gunfire. Washington blamed the Baghdad government for the bloodshed.
    Major-General Ali Ghaidan, commander of Iraqi ground forces, told reporters invited to tour the camp that three residents were killed. He said fighting was provoked by residents and broke out after government forces tried to reclaim land from the camp and return it to farmers who owned it.
    "Put the killers on trial," residents shouted at a group of journalists bussed in to Camp Ashraf, located in the restive Diyala province about 90 km (55 miles) northeast of Baghdad, in an area largely inaccessible to journalists.
    Men, women an children held up photos of apparent victims, and signs condemning the violence.
    "Stop right here and let us tell the crimes," one banner said in English. But heavily armed soldiers held the residents back from the media and pushed them behind a metal gate. Journalists were not allowed to speak to them.
    Defence Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said security forces had come in peace, but said, "Our military forces were provoked, threatened and insulted."
    "There were an inappropriate behaviour, attack and provocation. Our armed forces who were here to provide necessary protection were threatened and insulted. They (residents of camp) acted in a way, which is against the law as if they were not in Iraq and as if they were uncovered by the Iraqi law."
    Ghaidan said soldiers fought back when camp residents armed with knives, batons and metal bars threatened them. He said anti-riot troops fought back using batons, smoke bombs and water cannons. He denied the firearms had been used.
    "The riot police has also used batons and stones in streets because they were adamant to make the mission of the (Iraqi ) force a hard one," he said He said that three residents had been killed when they were run over by military vehicles and 24 people were wounded including members of the Iraqi armed forces. He gave no details.
    "Causalities who were admitted to hospital were 18 residents and nine army members, including three officers and the rest were soldiers. Most of the 18 cases were suffering from injuries by sticks and most of the injuries were minors and they were discharged (from hospital). We gave a report at 0200 a.m. and after 0200 (o'clock) six cases were admitted to hospital in addition to the previous 18 ones, thus bringing the number to 24 cases which had been evacuated to Baquba hospital," he said.
    Thaier Ahmed, a 44-year-old local farmer, brought to the camp by the military to speak to journalists, said his family had owned the land since 1947. He said that the past government took it away and gave it to PMOI and that his family was used to grow wheat and barley and use some of it for grazing.
    Ashraf has been a sore point for Washington, Baghdad and Tehran for years. Iran, Iraq and the United States consider the PMOI a terrorist organization.
    The group surrendered weapons to U.S. forces after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The fate of Ashraf's residents has been in question since Iraq took over the camp from U.S. forces in 2009 under a bilateral security pact.
    Rights advocates said earlier this year the United Nations and the United States should take on protection of the camp to avert a tragedy which could lead to the deaths of residents.
    Ad Melkert, U.N. special envoy for Iraq, urged the country at Friday's Security Council debate to allow the United Nations UNAMI mission to monitor the situation at the camp.
    The Defence MInistry took the visiting journalists on a tour of the camp perimeter, but only in the area taken back by the military which was largely a wasteland, dotted with torched tents and caravans the military said residents had burnt down.
    Reporters could only view the main camp from a distance, obscured by a mud wall. Little was visible apart from a mosque, whose minarets rose above the camp.
    As the bus carrying the journalists drove towards the front gate to leave, camp residents pushed through the security barriers and hurled themselves at the vehicle, knocking at the windows and calling to the reporters.
    "Traitors!", they shouted. "Traitors!"
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