US had prior knowledge of assault

Camp Ashraf is a camp in Iraq in which Iranian dissidents live. They have lived in Iraq for decades. They are the MEK and it was considered a terrorist organization by many countries and organizations such as: Iran, the United States, England, the European Union, etc. When the US invaded Iraq in 2003, they began protecting Camp Ashraf. The US government would declare them protected persons under the Geneva Conventions. The US never took them off the terrorist list but the European Union and England removed the terrorist designation.



In 2009, the US turned over control of Camp Ashraf to Nouri al-Maliki's government after getting assurances from him that he would not assault the camp or ship the dissidents back to Iran. July 28th Nouri proved what a liar he was by launching an assulat that resulted in at least 11 deaths, hundreds injured and thirty-six residents hauled away.



British MPs have gone public about warning the US prior to July 28th that Nouri was planning an assault.



It turns out, the US needed no warnings. They had prior knowledge of the assault. C.I. reported Friday on an exchange between US House Rep. Ted Poe (pictured below with actress Christina Ricci at a RAINN benefit) and US Ambasador to Iraq Chris Hill.







The following exchange took place September 11th during the US House Foreign Relations Committee hearing.


US House Rep Ted Poe: Excuse me, just to clarify the question -- or the answer -- was this before or after the security forces came into Camp Ashraf that we got this assurance?

Chris Hill: This uh, was before, because our -- The UN mandate for the -- for us to run -- to be responsible for uh this camp ended at the end of 2008 -- after 2008 -- that is, starting January 1, this year -- it is the sovereign and sole responsibility of the Iraqi government and because of that, we sought from them written assurances that they would treat them humanely and that they would not forcibly repatriate them where they would be -- they could be -- tortured or persecuted based on their religious or political beliefs.

US House Rep Ted Poe: It doesn't appear that they have been treated humanely if eleven of them were murdered and thirty-six others were arrested.

Chris Hill: Well on July 28th, Iraqi forces went in to try to set up a uh police station. They regarded that as uh an exercise of their sovereignty because Ashraf is in Iraq.

US House Rep Ted Poe: Did we know about that before it happened?

Chris Hill: We -- I understand that -- They told us that -- Yes, they were going to do this.


Chris Hill testified the US had prior knowledge of the assault. That the United States government was informed of the assault before it took place. It should have been big news. (C.I. thought it had been due to the number of reporters at the hearing and two that she spoke with after the hearing concluded.) Instead, it just got ignored.