In a letter to General Petraeus, Tom Tancredo, U.S. Congressman from Republican Party warned of Ashraf City protection transfer by the US is clear violation of the US commitment to the international laws. Parts of this letter read: Members of the MEK in Ashraf have been under the protection of our troops and protected persons in accordance with the fourth Geneva Convention. As such the principle of non-refoulement should apply to them.

“Over the past five years the United States correctly overtook the responsibility for the protection of Camp Ashraf. It is my understanding that during this period the MEK was very helpful to our troops in Iraq in terms of exposing Iran’s destructive behavior in Iraq. I am also informed that they have been very helpful in encouraging the Iraqi people including the Sunnis and Shiites to participate in the political process which has proved vital for restoring security in Iraq.

“In my view, handing over the MEK to Iran (which is essentially what transferring their security responsibilities to the Iraq’s security forces would mean) could be a recipe for disaster.

“In that vein, I would ask that you personally intervene in this matter so that we can alleviate what may otherwise be a potential human catastrophe. I hope you will help ensure that our troops protect the residents of Camp Ashraf from the state sponsors of terror in Tehran.”