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Iraq
Mujahedeen Khalq Negotiating Surrender
2003-05-09
You can relax now, Fred
An armed Iranian opposition group operating northeast of Baghdad was negotiating its surrender Friday after the U.S. military ordered it to lay down weapons or face destruction, American officials said. The Mujahedeen Khalq, which operated for years from Saddam Hussein's Iraq in its efforts to undermine Iran's religious regime, was surrounded by U.S. forces outside this town northeast of Baghdad, said Lt. Col. Robert Daldivia of the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division. "As far as I know, they are agreeing to capitulate at this time," said Capt. Josh Felker, public affairs officer of the 4th Infantry's Warhorse Brigade. He said Gen. Ray Odierno, the 4th Infantry's commander, was in the Mujahedeen Khalq's main camp, Camp Ashraf, to negotiate the surrender. U.S. military talking points about the negotiations, obtained by The Associated Press, gave the following guidance: "MEK forces will be destroyed or compelled to surrender, leading to disarmament and detention."
Short and to the point, guess we kept State out of it.
Not an awful lot of points to talk about there...
Under the U.S. orders, the Mujahedeen Khalq must disarm, though they can keep their personal arms temporarily for self-defense. They will be barred from manning checkpoints on the roads around Baqubah and must go to containment areas, Felker said. Thousands of Mujahedeen Khalq are believed to be in the area, although the United States says it is unsure of the exact number.
Well, grab all you can...
The Mujahedeen Khalq, or People's Warriors, operated in prewar Iraq with Saddam Hussein's blessing. They have several camps near Baqubah, 45 miles from Baghdad. U.S. troops said they had been prepared for full-scale combat before the negotiations began. The United States signed a truce on April 15 with the Mujahedeen Khalq, allowing the group to keep its weapons to defend itself against Iranian-backed attacks. At the time, the U.S. State Department called the agreement "a prelude to the group's surrender." "This has been in the works for a while. The cease-fire was a stepping stone to the capitulation agreement," Felker said.
That's what I thought.
But reports of roadblock confrontations in recent days suggested the group had continued playing an active, armed role in the region — a challenge to the United States' authority as Iraq's military occupier. U.S. military commanders "don't want two armed forces in the area," Felker said.
Nope
Bust 'em up, put 'em out of business, turn the head cheeses over to Iran for disposition, and mark 'em off the list of terrorist organizations.
Posted by:Steve

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