US Congress Resolution requires from Iraq Indemnification for MEK Members in Albania

A senior delegation of US senators went to Tirana (Albania) this week to meet Maryam Rajavi, who heads the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a political coalition calling for regime change in Iran and considered the main threat to the ruling mullahs. The high-profile visit comes at a time when Washington has slapped major new sanctions on Iran. This latest visit sends a strong signal to Tehran. The USA have not only keep supporting the Iranian opposition, but five US congressmen have even made a resolution to appeal the Iraq government for an indemnification of the former residents of the Ashraf Camp and Freedom Camp, since their properties were given to individuals close to the government. In a special resolution, it requires from Iraq to compensate 2700 MEK members so they can afford their new life in Albania. The resolution has been deposited in the American Congress. The value of their properties goes up to USD 600 million, starting from houses, cars and other assets that they had built while living in the Ashraf and Freedom Camp. Camp Ashraf was the relocation site of the Iranian resistance movement Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) until 2009 and was under protection of the US. After the 2,700 MEK were relocated to Albania, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) agreed that the properties in the camp belonging to MEK members would remain in their possession and could be sold by them. However, the government of Iraq prohibited the MEK members from selling their properties, which were seized by “groups affiliated” with it. The resolution says that even though the US government had agreed with Iraq and the UN Mission in Iraq to allow their properties to be sold by their owners, the Iraqi government has sold them to other persons. Recently, several US politicians, all belonging to the Republican Party, have visited some time the MEK in Albania. In nearly all these cases, their visit were not made public by the US Embassy or the Albanian government. It remains to be seen if Iraq will be ready to compensate the members of the Iranian resistance. USA recognize the opposition as a legitimate representative of many Iranians who seek democracy in their country. The opposition can be a very powerful tool to pressure Tehran without the need for direct military confrontation.