Embassy Row

Iranian complaints

Former Iranian rebels now under “coalition control” in Iraq fear a new Iraqi government will deport them to Iran to face the vengeance of a brutal theocracy, unless the Bush administration protects them, a Washington lawyer said.

A “forced repatriation [to Iran] would be tantamount to a death sentence,” said Steven M. Schneebaum from the firm of Patton Boggs.

He has planned a 1 p.m. press conference today at the National Press Club to discuss the status of the 3,800 men and women of the People’s Mujahideen organization, which fought the Iranian regime from camps within Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

Under the Clinton administration, the State Department classified the People’s Mujahideen as a terrorist organization, but the group has many congressional supporters who applaud its attempt to overthrow the Iranian regime. The rebels, who used Iraqi base camps since 1986 without U.S. objection, were added to the terrorist list as the Clinton White House was trying to improve relations with Iran.

In May 2003, U.S. forces surrounded the camps and reached a disarmament agreement with rebels, after Saddam’s regime was toppled.

Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said at the time, “It is not a surrender. It is an agreement to disarm and consolidate.”

He also said the cooperation “should lead to a review of whether they are still a terrorist organization or not.”

The former rebels are under what a U.S. spokesman called “coalition control” in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.

Mr. Schneebaum last month appealed to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell to explain the group’s legal status.

“They are not prisoners of war; indeed, they are not prisoners at all,” he wrote to Mr. Powell. “They are being protected by American forces pursuant to a voluntary memorandum of understanding signed by both parties.”

U.S. military officials and FBI agents have questioned some of the rebels several times, but have not explained the purpose of the interrogation, Mr. Schneebaum said.

In December, the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council declared the Iranian rebels terrorists and pledged to expel them and seize their assets.

In January, however, an Army general told the rebels “unequivocally” that they will not be forced to return to Iran, Mr. Schneebaum said.

Mr. Schneebaum will be joined today by David J. Scheffer, a former U.S. ambassador for war crimes, and specialists on human rights and terrorism.

Saudi condemnation

Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan finds himself issuing statements against terrorist attacks almost on a monthly basis, as Islamist extremists continue to target the desert kingdom.

He is almost repeating himself, as he strives to find the right words to denounce “evildoers” and appeal to Americans to see Islam as a religion of peace.

The weekend brought another somber statement after terrorists killed two Americans, two Britons and an Australian in the city of Yanbu.

“This is a cowardly act carried out by criminals, who have turned their backs on their faith and on all humanity,” Prince Bandar said. “Acts of terrorism have no justification and violate the principles of every faith, including Islam.”

He expressed his sympathy for the relatives of the victims and added that many Saudis also have been killed by terrorists in attacks in the past year.

“The Saudi people have suffered at the hand of terrorism and are galvanized in the fight to combat terrorism in all of its forms,” he said.

“God willing, we will succeed in ridding our nations of these evildoers.”

• Call Embassy Row at 202/636-3297, fax 202/832-7278 or e-mail jmorrison@washingtontimes.com.