After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Camp Ashraf was under the protection of the US army. However, with the pull out of US troops from Iraq, the camp was handed over to the Iraq government, which sympathizes with the Iranian regime. This lead to the United Nations and U.S. State Department brokering a deal in 2009, with the Iraqi government to move the residents of Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty.  Some of the residents disagreed with the relocation, as they felt it was a ploy by the Iraqi government to exert more control over the residents. 

Consequently, “In September of 2013, an Iraqi SWAT team entered Ashraf and murdered 52 custodians, kidnapped seven more, and forced complete relocation to Camp Liberty”. Recently, the Iraqi government denied trucks carrying food, fuel, hygiene products and medicine into Camp Liberty. This lead to a eight day blockade by the Iraqi government, as they stopped essential food and supplies from coming into Camp Liberty. Moreover, this week on July 4th the Iraqi military and its militias fired 50 rockets into Camp Liberty killing dozens and wounding hundreds more. During this time the West remained silent, and when asked to look into the attack the United Nations and the U.S. State Department repeated their normal excuse, that “there is no evidence the Iraqi government was involved”. The U.S. is familiar with these excuses, as “even after the 2013 Ashraf massacre, U.S. State Department made the “no evidence” claim in spite of photographs, video footage, and statements from survivors proving beyond all doubt that the Iraqi SWAT team entered Ashraf from the adjoining Iraqi military compound while under direct observation of Iraqi guards and police”. Subsequently, despite the recent blockade and assault on Camp Liberty, no Western power has taken the matter seriously.

Meanwhile, the Government of Albania has long since agreed to accept all of Camp Liberty’s residents. Thus, “several months ago, the U.S. State Department provided the United Nations with all necessary funding to commence mass moves and quickly finish the resettlement process”, but they haven’t yet relocated a single person in the time since.