Published: December 12, 2011
Op-Ed Contributor
Iraqi Prime Minister To White House: "Just Let Me Finish Them Off! OK?"
By Arman Naffissi
On December 12, the White House will be hosting an awkward guest: Nouri Maliki - the Baghdad strongman. The cheerful greetings, the smiles, and handshakes before the cameras, can hardly hide the anxiety this meeting holds for the two men.
Maliki knows, all too well, that in this meeting, neither oil contracts nor the number of soldiers America will be allowed to maintain in Iraq, will top the agenda; nor will it be Iraq's internal political impasse - where as opposed to a coalition government, with everyone getting an equal share; the victors of Iraq's recent parliamentary elections have been sidelined and the reins of power are, now, in the hands of a despot. What's bound to stir emotions at this meeting is the issue of 3400 Iranian dissidents in a camp, situated 90 km north of Baghdad, known as Ashraf.
Maliki, so indebted to Tehran for the role it played in influencing political factions in Iraq to bring him to power once again; can't help but fulfill their every wish, and in return has promised to finish off the Iranian dissidents in camp Ashraf; who are the most formidable alternative to the religious dictatorship.
Following a two year long siege of the camp, which included an embargo on fuel and medical services, and after carrying out two deadly attacks against the camp - in July of 2009 and April of 2011 - now, the Iraqi Prime Minister has truly drawn a "death line" to have the camp shut down by the end of 2011 (only 20 days after his meeting with Barrack Obama) and its residents dispersed to different locations(including a prison) and subsequently extradited to Iran or gradually 'dealt with' under different pretenses.
Maliki's counterpart is equally concerned about the prospect of this issue being raised in the White House. The last two massacres in Ashraf were so masterfully choreographed by Maliki that any neutral bystander would agree that America's consent was obtained beforehand. The July 2009 massacre happened a short period after a similar visit to the White House.
Furthermore, Maliki met with Robert Gates - Secretary of Defense at the time - on the very day the attack took place. In addition, a day before the April 8, 2011 attack, Robert Gates was the guest of honor at the Prime Minister's palace in Baghdad. According to American officials, on both occasions Maliki informed the Americans about his intention to attack camp Ashraf and their approval was obtained.
Of course, after each attack, when things were over and done with, the Americans confessed that they'd never imagined dozens would lose their lives as a result of their agreements! Revealing just how clever Maliki is in employing diplomatic jargon and political chicanery to achieve his goals.
Like the previous two occasions, this time too, Maliki will try to convince his American counterpart that he has but one choice: launch another attack.
As he did in prior attacks, he'll surely provide assurances that during the assault the residents' rights will be fully observed. The Iraqi Prime Minister will, therefore, be waiting for the Washington strongmen to give the go-ahead and utter the word "O.K."
But what makes things different, this time around, is that the previous two massacres have outraged the international community.
Just a few days ago, the UN Secretary General's Special Representative to Iraq, Mr. Martin Kobler, during his remarks before the UN Security Council about the situation in Ashraf - which he described as 'complicated but not insurmountable' - renounced any use of violence as 'unacceptable'.
It goes without saying that the prospect of closing the camp and relocating the 3400 Iranian dissidents - known for their resoluteness in upholding their principles, despite the cruel repression they've experienced at the hands of the mullahs during the past three decades - without resorting to violence is farfetched and should be ruled out in advance.
Therefore, not only will president Obama think twice before nodding "O.K.", but he will also try to obtain the Iraqi Prime Minister's consent that such an attack never takes place.
What president Obama should understand is that playing with words that bear hidden intentions may lead to a massacre resembling the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
With this said, it is clear that the US best be using all its resources to firmly instruct, without any courtesies, its guest - who is incidentally occupying a position partly because of support extended to him from Washington - that he shouldn't do what he's not supposed to.
Arman Naffissi is a writer and a caricaturist in Camp Ashraf.
* The views of Opinion writers do not necessarily reflect the views of NewsBlaze
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