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| Iraq |
| MKO Sez Tehran Army Attacking It in Iraq |
| 2003-05-02 |
| Armed Iranian rebels based in Iraq accused Tehran's army on Friday of making cross-border raids and ambushing its troops on a daily basis. The commander of the People's Mujahideen's [Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization - MKO] Ashraf base said Iranian forces had killed 28 Mujahideen in attacks throughout the northeast of Iraq since the start of the U.S. war to oust President Saddam Hussein. If true, Iran is going out of it's way to give us an excuse to wack them. The Mujahideen, which has several camps in Iraq, has sought to overthrow Iran's Islamic government for more than two decades. The Iranian government denies its troops have entered Iraq. "Nope, must have been, er, Laplanders." The United States, which like Iran labels the Mujahideen a terrorist group, bombed its troops during the Iraq war. But it agreed a cease-fire last month that allowed them to keep their weapons if they withdrew inside their bases. Tehran says the cease-fire shows the U.S. has double standards in its war on terrorism. U.S. troops have established camps in Baquba about 22 miles from the 17-year-old Ashraf base where Mujahideen fighters train with tanks, artillery guns and simulated computer war games. A few U.S. special forces drove in trucks through the 40 square-kilometer base on Friday and a helicopter flew above some 100 women fighters, aged 18 to 65, as they practiced gun drills. I have read a few stories that suggest that this is more of a surrender in place than a ceasefire or recognition. "The only thing we want is for the world to recognize our legitimate right to fight the terrorist Iranian regime," the base's female commander Pari Bakhshai said. "Our activities are absolutely independent of anything that happens in Iraq. Our only enemy is the Iranian regime," added Bakhshai, a former tank gunner dressed in an olive-green suit and head-dress. The Ashraf base is located about 100 km from the Iranian border and 90 km northeast of Baghdad. Bakhshai said there had been no indications from Washington that it would drop the terrorist label for the group despite the cease-fire. The Iranians are really bent out of shape over our not disarming this group. Maybe we're fishing with them as bait? |
| Posted by:Steve |