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Backgrounder: Camp Liberty & Martin Kobler

Upcoming Report to the United Nations
On July 16th, Special Representative for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, Martin Kobler, is expected to make his final report on his mission to Iraq and the situation in Camps Ashraf and Liberty. This document should help provide visibility into the complicated situation for the Iranian dissidents living in Iraq and the tragedy that has come of their liberation by the American-led forces after the toppling of Saddam Hussein. The Iranians living in these camps were forced from their homes in Iran as a result of being members of an anti-Ayatollah political resistance called the MEK, PMOI and NCRI terms used almost interchangeably. The UN assistance mission in Iraq acts as a paid agent of the Al Maliki government in Baghdad. Former US. Amb to UN John Bolton

What are the MEK, PMOI and the NCRI?

In 1979 several patriotic factions joined to topple the ruthless dictator known as the Shah of Iran. From the revolution emerged a theocracy ruled by the Ayatollah Khomeini. Those who resisted the religious aspect of the revolution belonged to a movement known as the Mujahidin-e-Khalq (MeK), aka Peoples Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI), who fought the Ayatollah for the soul of Iran. Defeated, thousands of the MeK fled Iran for Paris, France where their political arm, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) is based today. The NCRI is a government in exile, led by Maryam Rajavi who was elected on a ten-point platform of free speech, association and gender equality. Every year, a great gathering in Paris takes place where almost 100,000 exiles meet to work towards a free and secular government in Iran. This years gathering heard elected officials and luminaries from around the world condemn the actions of Martin Kobler and or the UN and American failures at Camps Ashraf and Liberty, including Rudy Giuliani, Gen. George Casey, Gen. Hugh Shelton, Former DCI Porter Goss, PJ Crowley, former Speakers of the House Newt Gingrich and Dennis Hastert; Patrick Kennedy, current Congressmen and women, Sheila Jackson Lee, Ted Poe, Emanuel Cleaver and others. Video of their remarks is available.

What are Camps Liberty and Ashraf?

In 1986, the French government capitulated to Hezbollah demands that France deport the NCRI dissidents in exchange for the release of French hostages in Lebanon. The enemy of the Iranian theocracy, the Americans and their puppet Saddam Hussein accepted the dissidents in to Camp Ashraf, Iraq. The facility has become more of a After the American-led coalitions liberation of Iraq in prison than a camp. 2003, the Government of Iraq (GoI) favored Shia Muslims, Gen. Jim Jones, fmr people more sympathetic to the Iranian government. National Security Ironically, the United States switched position on the Advisor to President administration of Iraq isolated its former allies and Obama

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empowered more pro-Iranian political forces. Those forces are, naturally, predisposed to hate and violence toward the pro-western NCRI dissidents and demanded that Camp Ashraf be diluted. The Americans forced thousands of people, under the promise of continued safety and normalcy, to Camp Liberty in Iraqs capital of Baghdad. German diplomat, Martin Kobler was made Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and charged with ensuring that the Iraq government comply with Geneva Convention rules and keep faith with the promises made to the residents regarding safety, security and quality of life.

Who is Martin Kobler?

Mr. Kobler is a German diplomat who has served at the pleasure of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on a number of assignments. Tragically for the people trapped in Camp Liberty, Koblers current assignment has been at best an abject failure and perhaps even politically motivated sabotage. His mission is antagonistic to the ruling religious party of Iraq on a per se basis because he is supposed to hold the Iraqi administration accountable for the safety and security of the residents in Camps Liberty and Coincidence or Conflict of Ashraf. Rather than holding their feet to the fire, he Interest? has jumped in to bed with Maliki and reported During Koblers mission, Iraq misinformation, propaganda and has whitewashed welcomed Germanys new the Iraqi failure to carry out their obligation for the Ambassador to Iraq, Mrs. M artin safety and welfare of the men, women and children Kobler, Brita Wegener. trying to survive their isolation at Camp Liberty. Just this year alone there have been two rocket and mortar attacks on Camp Liberty located in the capital city of Baghdad, not out in the desert where 10 have died and nearly one hundred were wounded. The GoI does not permit residents in Camp Liberty to own mobile phones, computers or have access to the internet because the ruling Shia Muslims prefer to keep them isolated, and Martin Kobler has aided that Iraqi isolation plan with myths, half-truths and misrepresentations. A former American commander there has reported as much. U.S. Colonel Wesley Martin, U.S. Army (ret.), who once commanded security in Camp Ashraf, prepared a detailed report, INVESTIGATIVE REPORT concerning Camp Liberty Residents Allegations Against UNAMI Monitor Massoud Durrani, released May 31, 2013. In it he writes, "[Kobler envoy] Massoud Durrani is a problem. His behavior against the residents adds further strain on 3,100 who have enduring enormous physical and mental torture since the Iraqi government assumed security responsibilities of the MeK population. "United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Under Secretary for Political Affairs Ambassador Jeffrey Feldman should immediately stop considering Martin Kobler as a reliable source of information and instead order an independent investigation."

Shame on Martin Kobler! Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani
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