The historic declaration of 3 million Iraqi Shiites on expulsion of the Iranian regime and removal of restrictions from the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) was extensively covered by media. Following is the excerpts of the media coverage:
Al-Jazeera TV, June 14, 2008-In the PMOI congress, delegations from the southern tribes participated who presented the signatures of three million Iraqis of the south to the PMOI rejecting the Iranian presence in Iraq’s soil.
Maryam Rajavi inaugurated the congress held by the PMOI in Ashraf, in Diyala province, through her video message from Paris. The fourth congress of this organization was witness to the great presence of representatives of more than 130 cultural and human rights parties and organizations.
Sheikh Walid Jassim, chairman of the Association of National Democratic Tribes, said to Al-Jazeera: We, the Shiite signatories of this declaration announce our demands as follows:
1 – Expulsion and eviction of all members and elements of IRGC, Iranian Intelligence and terrorist Qods Force from all governmental and nongovernmental organs particularly security system and police.
2 – Closure of Iranian embassy and consulates across Iraq.
Al-Jazeera TV added: the efforts of opposition organization PMOI for demonstrating Iranian regime’s meddling in Iraq is not limited to just this congress; this organization has declared in many occasions and statements with reliable evidences that this extensive and active meddling exists in Iraq’s key offices and ministries since the Iraq war in 2003.
Al-Jazeera reporter added: It is not possible to reduce the value of presence of the great number of participants in this congress. We observed 135 political currents from political parties and cultural and humanitarian organizations as well as tribal sheikhs that delivered millions of signatures; we are talking of about 3 million southern Shiite Arab citizens who ask for ending Iranian presence in Iraq.
Al-Arabiya TV, June 14, 2008–the Solidarity Congress of the Iraqi people was held with the presence of representatives of 135 political parties, societies and syndicates to oppose Iran’s meddling in Iraq. The participants asked for stopping Iran’s meddling in Iraq and removing restrictions from the PMOI as the decisive factor in the strategic balance in the strategic equation against Iran’s influence.
Al-Arabiya reporter added: More than 3 million Iraqi Shiites sent their signatures along with their representatives of tribal sheikhs and religious personalities to the congress.
Dr. Saleh Mutlaq, leader of the Arabic Front for National Dialogue: Most of the crowd here are from southern Iraq. I decided to participate to shake their hands for their lasting decision made against sectarianism and against the Iranian regime’s meddling in Iraq.
Dr. Abdullah al-Jabouri, chairman of the National Front for Salvation of Diala, said to Al-Arabiya: The first message that our Iraqi Shiite brothers gave to the Iranian regime is that they must get out of Iraq; the second message was the unity of all the nationalist political currents.
One of the sheikhs said: Those who have come here have no identity but united Iraqi identity.
Another sheikh said: We condemn Iranian regime’s meddling in Iraq, we, Arabs, Christians, Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites are united and we won’t accept any meddling.
Al-Arabiya added: Besides the tribal sheikhs and Iraqi political and religious personalities the European Parliament representative, Paulo Casaca, and a number of PMOI leaders participated in this congress too.
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Asharq al-Awsat, Baghdad, June 15, 2008 –
Southern tribal Sheikhs and representatives of Iraqi parties participated in a congress with the PMOI and signed a statement asking to stop Iran’s meddling in Iraq.
On Saturday, the Solidarity Congress of Iraqi People was held in Ashraf City in Diyala province with cooperation of Iraqi tribal societies and the PMOI. In this conference more than 135 Iraqi parties and societies as well as one thousand southern and central Iraqi tribal sheikhs participated.
The representative of European Parliament and Dr. Saleh al-Mutlaq and representatives of the National Accord Movement headed by Ayad Allawi , Conference of Ahal al-Iraq, Iraqi Islamic Party, National Dialogue Council, Iraqi Turkmen Party of Justice and Islamic Unity Party had participated in this congress.
Sheikh Majid Nasser al-Hiyani, from Karbala province, said: the situation in Karbala has caused many of the tribal sheikhs take part in this congress to express their opposition against Iran’s’ blatant meddling, he asked for removal of the limitations from the PMOI because it is the Iranian Resistance representative.
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Al-Qabas, Baghdad, Ashraf City, June 15, 2008 – The participants in the Solidarity Congress of Iraqi people which held in Ashraf City, said to Al-Qabas: The Arab countries must hear our voices and end to the Iranian regime’s meddling in Iraq.
The declaration of r 3 million Iraqi Shiites regarding the necessity of eviction of the Iranian regime and its agents from Iraq and also removing the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) has been supported by tens of Iraqi parties and political and social currents since January 2008.
On invitation of the PMOI, the Solidarity Congress of Iraqi People held its fourth gathering of its annual session in the Ashraf city on Saturday. In this annual meeting, representatives of 135 parties, societies, institutions, and associations as well as political, cultural and guild centers participated with a thousand of their representatives.
Among the participants were Dr. Saleh Mutlaq, leader of the Arabic Front for Iraqi National Dialogue and a number of members of the Iraqi National Accord Movement political bureau. Other guests included representatives of parties and political entities of Iraqi National Parties Coordination Committee, Conference of Ahal al-Iraq, Islamic Party, Iraqi Council for National Dialogue, Iraqi Turkmen Party of Justice, Islamic Unity Party, as well as parliamentarians, tribal sheikhs and political, social and religious personalities. On behalf of the European Parliament, Mr. Paulo Casaca, Co-Chair of the Friends of a Free Iran, participated in this congress.
Mrs. Amira al-Eqabi, head of the Institution of Protection of Environment said: The objective is a brave resistance and lack of appeasement with the Iranian regime that tries to get power from what is going on in Iraq to assemble it in the other Arab countries, she stressed of the significance of the declaration that is signed by more than 135 parties, associations and institutions and said: the Arab world should be called on more opening to the PMOI like what the British Court of Appeal and the European Parliament did.
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because it is the Iranian Resistance representative.
AL-SEYASSAH, Kuwait, June 15, 2008
Three million Iraqi Shiites asked for the expulsion of Iranian ambassador and getting prepared for extensive operation against the insurgents
three million Iraqis asked for the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador from Baghdad and the closure of all Iranian consulates all over Iraq for being used for terrorist operations.
In the declaration read by Sheikh Walid Jassim, one of the sheikhs of Al Qadisiyah province, the participants asked for the removal of restrictions from the Ashraf residents and return of all PMOI properties according to The Hague Conventions.
Kuwait TV, June 14, 2008
Congress of Iraqi People asked for the expulsion of Iran and its agents from Iraq.
Iraqi News Agency, June 14, 2008
PRESS STATEMENT-Declaration by 3,000,000 Iraqi Shiites
Expulsion of Iranian Regime from Iraq – Removal of Restrictions from the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran
On Saturday, 14 June 2008, the Solidarity Congress of Iraqi People held its fourth gathering of its annual session in the Ashraf city. In this annual meeting, representatives of 135 parties, societies, institutions, and associations as well as political, cultural and guild centers participated with a thousand of their representatives.
In this congress, the declaration of over 3 million Iraqi Shiites on the need for expulsion of the Iranian regime and its agents from Iraq, and the removal of restrictions from its strategic counterbalance, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, was read.
Al-Babeliya TV, June 14, 2008
The Fourth Solidarity congress against Iranian regime’s meddling in Iraq’s internal affairs was held in Diyala province
The Fourth Solidarity congress against Iranian regime’s meddling in Iraq’s internal affairs was held in Diyala province.
The participants in the congress expressed their solidarity for confronting what they called” the Iranian regime’s effort to disintegrate Iraq, and underscored that should Iran continue its meddling, Iraq would face a dreadful threat.
Al- Rafedain TV-June 14, 2008
Solidarity Congress of the Iraqi People asked for the expulsion of Iranian regime
In a nationalistic and honorable stance, the “Solidarity Congress of Iraqi People” held its fourth session of annual congress in the city of Ashraf in Diyala province with the presence of over 135 party, association , Syndicate and political, social, cultural and guild centers as well as the presence of one thousand representatives of these currents as well as a big number of tribal sheikhs and political, social and religious figures.
The participants asked for the closure of the Iranian embassy and consulates in different parts of Iraq.
Ilaf website, June 14, 2008
Annual session of Solidarity Congress of Iraqi People was held today in Ashraf City
The Solidarity Congress of Iraqi People held its fourth gathering of its annual session in the Ashraf city today. In this annual meeting, representatives of 135 parties, societies, institutions, and associations as well as political, cultural and guild centers participated with a thousand of their representatives.
Paulo Casaca, representative of EP, Saleh Mutlaq, representative of Iraqi National Accord Movement political of Ayad Allawi, representatives of parties and political entities of Iraqi National Parties Coordination Committee, Conference of Ahal al-Iraq, Islamic Party, Iraqi Council for National Dialogue, Iraqi Turkmen Party of Justice, Islamic Unity Party, as well as a number of tribal sheikhs participated in this congress.
Al-Ghad website, June 15, 2008
Solidarity Congress asked for the expulsion of the Iranian regime and its agents from Iraq
the Solidarity Congress of Iraqi People in the fourth gathering of its annual session in Ashraf city, the home to the PMOI between the two provinces of Baghdad and Diyala, asked for the expulsion of the Iranian regime and its agents from Iraq and removal of restrictions from the PMOI.
Al-Malaf Website, June 14, 2008
Three million Iraqi Shiites asked for the expulsion of Iranian regime from Iraq and removal of restrictions from PMOI
on Saturday, over 3 million Iraqi Shiites asked for the expulsion of Iran from Iraq and also the expulsion of all members of the terrorist Quds force from all governmental and non-governmental organizations, especially the security organizations and the police. They also asked for the removal of restrictions from the PMOI that has a major role in the strategic balance before the Iranian regime.
INB TV, June 15, 2008
Tribal Sheikhs dedicated signatures of 3 million southern Iraqis to PMOI supporting their demands
The Southern Iraqi Tribal Sheikhs asked for ending the Iranian presence and closure lf Tehran’s embassy and consulates in the country because the Iranian regime uses these centers for advancing terrorist activities and imposing Iranian regime’s sovereignty.
These demands announces in the fourth congress of the annual Solidarity Congress of the Iraqi People in Ashraf Camp in Diyala province. The tribal Sheikhs dedicated signatures of 3 million Iraqis from southern Iraq which confirms their demands.
Aljeeran website
Iraq, Ashraf City, June 14, 2008
Expulsion of Iranian Regime from Iraq – Removal of Restrictions from the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran
The Solidarity Congress of Iraqi People held its fourth gathering of its annual session in the Ashraf city. In this annual meeting, representatives of 135 parties, societies, institutions, and associations as well as political, cultural and guild centers participated with a thousand of their representatives.
Dr. Saleh Mutlaq, leader of the Arabic Front for Iraqi National Dialogue and a number of members of the Iraqi National Accord Movement political bureau were guests to this congress. Other guests included representatives of parties and political entities of Iraqi National Parties Coordination Committee, Conference of Ahal al-Iraq, Islamic Party, Iraqi Council for National Dialogue, Iraqi Turkmen Party of Justice, Islamic Unity Party, as well as parliamentarians, tribal sheikhs and political, social and religious personalities. On behalf of the European Parliament, Mr. Paulo Casaca, Co-Chair of the Friends of a Free Iran, participated in this congress.