Chairman Reid and members of the Canadian Parliament subcommittee, once again, I appreciate working with you. In the spirit of the camaraderie that we do have, I am joined by Dr. BioDun Ogundayo, who will translate the French for me. He teaches French here at the University of Pittsburgh Bradford campus.
Ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate this opportunity to address with you the situation in Camp Liberty and in Iraq. I regret that we are not able to be physically together today. It is always a pleasure working with you.
Since we last met, the Mujahideen-e-Khalq residents have completely left Camp Ashraf. On September 1, 2013, a murderous assault was conducted on the camp and against the 101 property custodians left at Camp Ashraf per joint agreement between the Government of Iraq, the U.S. Department of State, and United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq. The smoke from the rifles and the explosions had barely settled before the U.S. state department and other supporters of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki commenced declaring that there was no evidence that the Government of Iraq was involved.
As the senior force protection and anti-terrorism officer for all coalition forces in Iraq and the former base commander of Camp Ashraf, I state that there is no way the Iraqi government could not have been involved. Camp Ashraf is in the middle of nowhere. Nothing and nobody can get within five miles of that camp without being seen by the Iraqi tower guards.
In a swarming attack formation, the assault force, wearing Iraqi special weapons and tactics uniforms, came from the Iraqi compound located directly north of the MeK compound. Their body movements were developed in the United States: Weaver stance, low ready. Those assault forces or their trainers had been educated by American special response team specialists. They copied our movements too well to have been trained by anyone else.
Armed with rifles with silencers and with various explosives, including American explosives dated 2006, the assault team moved with total precision throughout the camp. Unarmed residents were gunned down, several shot in the head while their hands were already secured behind their backs. More were murdered in the medical aid station while being treated for wounds already received. MeK leaders, especially, endured multiple rounds fired into their heads. These murderous attacks, accompanied by explosions and rising smoke from equipment and vehicles being destroyed, lasted for two hours.
With military precision and total coordination, this assault force departed in the same direction it came, to the north, to the Iraqi compound. With it went several hostages, driven out in a vehicle stolen from Camp Ashraf. Survivors of the massacre were later able to photograph the vehicle immediately outside an Iraqi military building, yet defenders of Nouri al-Maliki claim that no evidence exists to prove the Iraqi government was involved.
On the first day of the attack, only one locally stationed United Nations observer showed up. He toured the massacre site, but that was it. It took three days for somebody from the U.S. state department to show up, and then, once again, only to tour the massacre site. Never was an on-site investigation completed. No bullet casings were ever picked up and no inspection of explosive materials ever performed.
None of the basics expected of a professional investigation were conducted. It is easy to claim that no evidence exists when there is no proper investigation.
In the past year, Camp Liberty has been hit with four precision rocket attacks. Loss of life continues to mount. Each time Maliki's supporters claim that there is no evidence the Iraqi government was involved. Also each time, these supporters jump on al-Battat's claim that his Iraqi Hezbollah performed the attacks, even though al-Battat has yet to correctly state the number of rockets fired. Each time, he claimed responsibility for less than half of the total ordnance that struck the camp. The true attackers know how many rounds were fired. Furthermore, even in Iraq, rogue militias do not freely drive around in vehicles mounted with 280-millimetre rocket launchers.
We hear the news reports about the al-Qaeda problem in Iraq. The true problem is Nouri al-Maliki's genocide, which has forced the Sunni population to make a last stand. Attached to my testimony are three excellent articles from Struan Stevenson, member of the European Parliament and president of the delegation for relations with Iraq.
Mr. Stevenson totally understands the problems that Iraqi citizens are facing.
Meanwhile, over 2,900 former residents of Camp Ashraf are now at Camp Liberty. Over two years ago, Mayor Giuliani referred to this as a concentration camp. Last time I testified before you, I called it an extermination camp in waiting. The waiting is over. Scores have already died from the rocket attacks. Others have died while being denied access to timely medical support. Their sewage tanks are rupturing. Food shipments are being blocked from entry until the perishable cargo has rotted. Repair items already purchased are not being allowed into the area. The use of their forklifts and rented cranes is being impeded, and simple tools like shovels have to be hand-made inside the camp. Daily harassment from Iraqi intelligence officers is a never-ending story.
Then we have the issue of force protection equipment. After the first rocket attack, senior intelligence officer Colonel Sadiq had all 17,500 T-walls removed from the camp. The walls had proved to be very effective in saving lives. It has been an uphill battle and never-surmountable...[Technical difficulty--Editor]...for the residents to have the walls returned. Protective bunkers for the residents are suffering the same fate. Attached is a matrix I recently developed concerning the status of their force protection equipment.
In closing, what the residents are enduring is nothing short of despicable. These residents have been constantly lied to and lied about. They have suffered dearly, and have picked up the tab for these lies, often with their lives.
I sincerely appreciate this opportunity to once again testify before you, and look forward to your questions.