By James Morrison
The Washington Times
Tuesday، November 12، 2013
More than 6، 700 Iraq i tribal leaders this week urged President Obama and the U.N.to force Baghdad to free seven Iranian dissidents taken in an assault on a refugee camp more than two months ago.
The letter was signed by Iraq i sheikhs، lawyers، clerics and other professionals in the first sign that Iraq i citizens are angered by the Sept. 1 assault on Camp Ashraf ، north of Baghdad . Iraq i gunmen killed 52 unarmed Iranian dissidents and took six women and one man as prisoners.
“The hostage taking is a disgrace for us، and we call on the U.S.government to force [Prime Minister Nouri al – Maliki ] to free the hostages، ”they said in their letter.
They called the attack a “brutal crime ”and accused Mr. al- Maliki of trying to “escape responsibility ”for the assault
Mr. Obama met with Mr. al- Maliki on Nov. 1، and White House spokesman Jay Carney said the administration is “very concerned about the fate of the individuals abducted ”from Camp Ashraf .
More than 3، 000 dissidents earlier were resettled to Camp Liberty، a refugee compound near the Baghdad International Airport. The dissidents are the former armed wing of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran ، which the Iranian regime has targeted for destruction.
