Apr 4, 2004, 8:31 PM

MKO Terrorist Group to Be Expelled from Iraq Next Year: Minister

TEHRAN, April 4 (Mehr News Agency) — “We accept our responsibility, we have decided to expel the members of the group -the Mujahedin-e- Khalq Organization (MKO)- from the Iraqi soil. But, the execution of the decision is the duty of the coalition forces, it will be carried out by the next year,” said Iraqi interior minister on Sunday.

The Iraqi interim Interior Minister Nuri al Badran added that the expulsion should be in coordination with the United Nations, Geneva conventions and the UN treaties in this regard.

He also noted that the coalition forces in Iraq are preparing the grounds through which the Western countries would admit the members of the group into their countries.

Al Badran asserted that as far as the Iraqi officials are concerned the Mujahedin issue is finished.

The Iraqi interim interior minister who is currently in Iran termed the issue of the Iranian pilgrims as his main reason for the visit.

The toppled Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein harbored terrorist MKO members during its war against Iran. MKO has done many terrorist acts within Iran, killing President Mohammad-Ali Rajaei and Prime Minister Mohammed-Javad Bahonar in 1981.

Saddam used the MKO as a military force to suppress the Iraqi Kurds in the north and Shiites in the south.

MKO has been branded as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department and the European Union.

Iran has announced that it will give amnesty to all those MKO members who have not committed any crimes against the Iranian nation.

RA/MS

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MNA

News ID 5175