Tahar Boumedra – True Objective of Ashraf Relocation Idea

Tuesday, 09 April 2013 16:39

Brussels, March 27 2013 - Thank you Mr. President and I promise that I will be very short. I am speaking on the capacity of the former chief of the UNAMI office and special representative advisor on Ashraf related issues.

I took the lead for planning a dignified exit of the Ashraf residents from Iraq. I started a process that we are going to hear today. I would like to remind everyone that my statements are part of public records now. I could tell you that the real objectives that are not announced are very cynical.

I am not going to go into many details but my former colleagues in the United Nations do very well know the true objectives of the relocation idea. For that reason, I warned everyone at the United Nations that further attacks will take place and further bloodshed will happen. At the United Nations, we criticized the special representative of the Secretary General for doing what he is doing.

I take the opportunity today, because I think I did it quite well yesterday, to tell you that recently I crossed path to the personal assistant to Mr. Kobler by accident. When former colleagues meet, it is common for them to discuss certain issues. I told him that they have badly failed in this mission and you have failed the promise to the residents of Ashraf. I mentioned to him that it is time to hand over this process to the real mandate of the United Nations agency, the UNHCR. I also reminded him that the true objective of the relocation, which as a former colleague of mine was well aware of it.

The real objective was to put the residents of Camp Ashraf in a prison called Camp Liberty which we made it look great by providing false information. Unfortunately he had reported such a conversation to Kobler. He called me asking for a meeting. I stressed that this meeting should take place with the resident’s representative and their lawyers. I am not their lawyer and there is no reason for me to meet with Mr. Kobler. He invited me for lunch and with apology, I had to pass on the invitation, again because there was nothing to talk to them about.

Later that day, in a message to the Camp leadership, Kobler had written that based on a very good conversation that my representative had with Mr. Boumedra, he wants a direct discussion with the Camp leadership.

This is another example of how things are being manipulated and how persistent Mr. Kobler is in fabricating the truth.  I think it is certainly time for the UNHCR to take the matter in its hands and deal with it properly, away from the political manipulation we have witnessed. The UNHCR is a humanitarian organization and this is a humanitarian situation.

The ones who would like to address this issue with political objectives, should hand in the process to UNHCR because crimes have been committed. On the two previous attacks on Jul 2009 and April of 2011, I was on a fact finding mission and did the body count. We should not wait for similar tragedies to happen. This case should be handed to the UNHCR. Thank you for your attention.