BAGHDAD — Iraq has pledged to crack down on the Iranian opposition
as part of its security cooperation with Teheran.
Officials said the Baghdad government planned to eliminate the presence
of the Mujahadeen Khalq, the leading Iranian opposition group. More than
4,000 Mujahadeen members have been housed in military camps
in eastern Iraq since the toppling of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003, Middle East Newsline reported.
"We will no longer permit the members of that terror organization to
create problems for Iraq's good neighbor, Iran, from Iraqi soil and we are
quite determined to confront them effectively," Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister
Ahmad Chalabi said.
Chalabi has held talks in Teheran in an attempt to forge closer ties
between Iran and Iraq in the political and security realms. He said
Iraq would implement a new anti-terrorism law that would end the activities
of the Mujahadeen.
"In accordance with Iraq's Anti-Terrorism Law, no armed group or
organization which is in the
list of world terrorist organizations, including the MKO, can remain armed
in Iraq as of the date the law takes effect," Chalabi said.
The law was expected to take effect in mid-November. So far, the United
States has refused to deport the thousands of Mujahadeen members to Iran,
where they face prosecution.
Chalabi's assurances come in wake of numerous demands by Teheran for the
extradition of Mujahadeen fighters. Iran has blamed the Mujahadeen for
numerous bombings and other attacks in Iranian cities.
Teheran has also accused the U.S.-led coalition of encouraging Arab and
Kurdish unrest in western Iran. Iran said British Army units helped train
insurgents in the Arab revolt in the southeast province of Khuzestan in
2005.
"Iraq would no longer be a ground for launching attacks against any of
its neighbors," Chalabi said.