PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, September 12, 2013
WASHINGTON – Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released a letter he sent on Sept. 6 to Secretary of State John Kerry calling on the United States to investigate the fatal Sept. 1 attack on residents of Camp Ashraf, Iraq, and to make efforts to protect the survivors.
“While I am relieved that survivors of the Sept. 1 attack have been moved to Camp Hurriyah, I call on the government of Iraq to take measures to ensure their safety and to bring the perpetrators of this attack to justice,” Levin said.
The Sept. 6 letter is the latest in a series Levin has sent to Kerry and his predecessor, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, seeking U.S. efforts to protect thousands of Iraqi residents of Iranian descent who have been subjected to repeated acts of violence. The government of Iraq has pledged to protect those residents, but the Sept. 1 attack resulted in the deaths of more than 50 people.
The full text of Levin’s letter follows:
September 6, 2013
Honorable John F. Kerry
Secretary of State
2201 C St. NW
Washington, DC, 20520
Dear Secretary Kerry:
I am deeply disturbed by the reports of the slaughter of more than 50 Camp Ashraf residents on September 1st. The brutal killing of the residents, members of the Iranian dissident group Mujahideen-e Khalq (MEK), is abhorrent and should be widely condemned.
How is this attack possible, given the Government of Iraq’s commitment to protect the residents of both Camp Ashraf and Camp Hurriyah? I urge the State Department to investigate on an urgent basis the events surrounding the attack and request that the Department update me as new information develops.
I understand that the State Department is pressing the Government of Iraq to secure Camp Ashraf to prevent any further harm to the MEK residents there. Please keep me informed on the status of those residents and efforts to ensure their safety.
Sincerely,
Carl Levin
Chairman