NCRI - On April 6, the Al-Malaf website reported that a source inside the Iraqi defense ministry has revealed that the attack on Camp Ashraf was directly ordered by the office of the Commander in Chief of the Iraqi armed forces. Various political factions condemned this attack and described it as a violation of human rights, and the American Embassy called the attack inhumane and unjustified.

A source inside the Iraqi ministry of defense said that the defense ministry has not been officially informed of this attack.

He added: “Our information indicate that Nouri Al-Maliki, the Commander in Chief, unexpectedly ordered the commander of Iraq’s 5th division by the phone to attack Camp Ashraf.” He said that the armed forces carried out the orders of the Commander in Chief and did not act on their own.
 
The source did not provide details because, according to him, he was not authorized to do so. Regarding this issue, Iraq’s various political factions condemned the attack on Camp Ashraf.

The office of Ayad Allawi’s, leader of Al-Iraqia, expressed its concerns about the attack and called the attack “a violation of international conventions and a dark spot on Iraq’s human rights record.”

Ms. Intesar Allawi, a member of Al-Iraqia said: “The manner in which Ashraf was attacked and the fact that it was done without informing the Parliament or other government agencies demonstrate that this was a personal decision. She emphasized that the attack violated international laws and was a dark spot on the human rights process in Iraq.

Mahmoud Osman, a member of the Kurdish Coalition faction expressed his regret about the attack.

During a telephone interview Osman said: We regret this attack and consider it untimely, because our country is in difficult times now and we need tranquility, not crisis. He reiterated that the Kurdish coalition had no prior knowledge of the attack. Ha called for immediate retreat of the Iraqi forces from the camp since “the international law did not allow such actions which violate human rights.”

Regarding the attack on Camp Ashraf, the American Embassy in Baghdad asked the invading forces to immediately leave Ashraf.

A source at the American Embassy said in a telephone conversation that the American Embassy in Baghdad condemns such actions and considers such actions shameful spots on Iraq’s human rights record, because such attacks are inhumane. He added that the embassy would continue its contacts in this regard, but did not describe the nature of the contacts.

Iranian opposition, PMOI/MEK said on Sunday the Iraqi forces partially occupied Camp Ashraf, northeast of Baghdad. The Iranian Resistance called on the United Nations to immediately interfere in favor of retreat of the invading forces.