By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, August 27 -- Things are overheating, literally, in the move in Iraq from Camp Ashraf to Camp Liberty.
Earlier today, after Ashrafis say they were left to wait three hours in temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, violence broke out. Photos of beaten Ashrafis, including an older man bleeding from the head, have been sent to Inner City Press.
Inner City Press understands that the UN acknowledges that personnel of its mission, UNAMI, were present on the scene, and that some Ashrafis were hospitalized. This contradicts the claim by Gorges Bakoos, an adviser to Iraq's premier, there there was no violence, nor any injuries. But see:
The Ashafis say the incident was triggered by "Captain Haidar."
The UN understands that relocation of the 400 Ashrafis will continue tomorrow, provided "things don't heat up further." They decline comment, on the theory that responses only bring more replies. But it would seem that some of the below should be responded to:
--In addition to going through detector, the Iraqis conducted body search of almost every resident;
--Many of the residents belongings including computers were not approved during the inspection. Even some computer accessories were stopped without any justification;
--the Government of Iraq has not allowed the generators to be transferred to Camp Liberty. There is no justification for such prohibition. The Government of Iraq is now laying claim to all generators; and
--The Iraqis are not even transferring the trailers for the disabled. As you recall for months Kobler was making propaganda about Iraq generosity for allowing disabled trailers to be transferred. The Iraqis are now promising that they will transferred them next time.
We'll see.
