HEZBOLLAH ATTACKS MEK IN IRAQ

Camp Liberty

The Camp Liberty refugee compound of the Mujahedin Khalq, more commonly known at the MEK, was attacked yesterday, with mortars and rockets, resulting in a reported six dead, and fifty wounded. A claim of responsibility for the attack, and a promise of future attacks, were made by Hezbollah in Iraq, a branch of the Specially Designated Global Terrorist organisation in Lebanon.

The United Nations and the United States have deplored the attacks, and called upon the Iraqi Government to render immediate medical care, and open an investigation. The MEK accused the Iraqi Government of complicity in the indirect fire attack, which came after Iraq removed the protective blast walls surrounding the camp, a former US military base. The MEK had moved to Liberty, from Camp Ashraf, at which time the United States removed the organisation from its terrorist list. The UK and EU had previously delisted the MEK, which has claimed that it has disarmed, and is seeking change in Iran purely through nonviolent means.

Many observers consider the MEK, whose attacks in Iran during the Shah's reign killed a number of Americans, no friend of the United States or the West. It is an organisation with no popular support in Iran. The MEK, which fought on the Iraqi side during the Iran-Iraq War, is regarded as a cult whose leaders demand absolute obedience from its members.Though it has reportedly spent millions of dollars in the United States, for prominent lobbyists, to obtain its delisting as a terrorist organisation, and it has a number of supporters here, its value as an ally against the regime in Iran is questionable.

The other issue is whether this attack will come back on Hezbollah, from another interested party. Obviously, both the USA and Israel will take note of this incident, coming outside of Hezbollah's base. Will there be some sort of response ? We cannot say, but nobody wants a Hezbollah clone operating in Iraq.