IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 650 
Providing for the safety and security of the Iranian dissidents living in 
Camp Liberty/Hurriya in Iraq and awaiting resettlement by the United 
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and permitting use of their 
own assets to assist in their resettlement. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 17, 2016 
Mr. POE of Texas (for himself, Mr. HIGGINS, Mr. SIRES, and Mr. SHERMAN) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Providing for the safety and security of the Iranian dis-
sidents living in Camp Liberty/Hurriya in Iraq and 
awaiting resettlement by the United Nations High Com-
missioner for Refugees, and permitting use of their own 
assets to assist in their resettlement. 
Whereas approximately 2,000 unarmed members of the Ira-
nian opposition movement, the Mujahedin-e Khalq 
(MEK) reside in Camp Liberty/Hurriya awaiting resettle-
ment by the United Nations High Commissioner for Ref-
ugees (UNHCR), which has recognized them as ‘‘persons 
of concern’’ and ‘‘in need of international protection’’; 
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Whereas these residents oppose the clerical regime in Tehran 
and, as a result of that opposition, live in constant dan-
ger of attack from pro-Iranian forces; 
Whereas these residents moved from the former Camp Ashraf 
to Camp Liberty/Hurriya, which is adjacent to the Bagh-
dad International Airport, following a December 2011 
Memorandum of Understanding reached between the 
United Nations and the Government of Iraq, and bro-
kered by the Government of the United States, for the 
express purpose of resettling them as refugees to third 
countries; 
Whereas the residents left behind valuable personal property 
and assets at Camp Ashraf, under the explicit agreement 
that they would retain title to such property and assets; 
Whereas in 2004, the United States recognized the residents 
as ‘‘protected persons’’ under the Fourth Geneva Conven-
tion and pledged to protect the residents until their final 
disposition; 
Whereas the United States turned over control and responsi-
bility of the residents to the Government of Iraq in early 
2009, as reflected in the United States Embassy State-
ment on Transfer of Security Responsibility for Camp 
Ashraf of December 28, 2008; 
Whereas the residents have come under attack several times 
since their relocation to Camp Liberty/Hurriya; 
Whereas Iraqi forces who bear responsibility for guarding the 
camp have failed to protect its residents from repeated 
attacks; 
Whereas most recently, during the evening of October 29, 
2015, the residents of Camp Liberty came under rocket 
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attack, with 80 missiles killing 24 residents and injuring 
dozens more; 
Whereas Secretary of State John Kerry strongly condemned 
the October 29 attack, describing it as a ‘‘brutal, sense-
less terrorist attack’’, and calling for ‘‘find[ing] the per-
petrators and hold[ing] them accountable for the attack’’; 
Whereas the United Nations Secretary-General strongly con-
demned these attacks and called for the perpetrators to 
be brought to justice; 
Whereas the UNHCR described the attacks as ‘‘most deplor-
able’’; 
Whereas 140 residents have died as a result of the attacks, 
7 have been abducted, and more than 1,300 wounded; 
Whereas groups affiliated with the Iranian regime’s Revolu-
tionary Guard Qods Force have claimed responsibility for 
attacks and warned that more would follow if the resi-
dents did not leave Iraq; 
Whereas Iraqi security forces are permanently stationed 
around Camp Liberty/Hurriya, despite their past violence 
against the unarmed residents; 
Whereas the security of Camp Liberty/Hurriya is clearly in-
adequate to protect the residents from armed assault and 
rocket attack; 
Whereas the residents are opposed to the development in Iran 
of a nuclear weapons capability and have provided valu-
able intelligence concerning efforts by the Government of 
Iran both to establish a nuclear weapons capability and 
to supply paramilitary groups in Iraq with Improvised 
Explosive Devices (IEDs) and Explosively Formed Pro-
jectiles (EFPs); 
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Whereas the United States Department of State in its Au-
gust 29, 2012, statement stated, ‘‘The United States also 
reiterates its commitment to support the safety and secu-
rity of the residents throughout the process of their relo-
cation outside of Iraq’’; 
Whereas hundreds of the residents have been resettled to Eu-
rope; 
Whereas the Government of Albania has generously resettled 
hundreds of residents from Camp Liberty/Hurriya in 
Iraq to Albania in demonstration of international soli-
darity in caring for a vulnerable population; and 
Whereas the residents have been unable to access or sell their 
property remaining at Camp Ashraf for the purposes of 
supporting themselves or funding their resettlement: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) condemns the attacks against the residents 
of Camp Liberty/Hurriya; 
(2) urges the Government of Iraq to bring to 
justice those responsible for the attacks; 
(3) calls on the Government of the United 
States to work with the Government of Iraq to bring 
Camp Liberty/Hurriya to the same level of protec-
tion as that of the adjacent Baghdad International 
Airport to deter future attacks on the camp and en-
sure safety and security of the residents; 
(4) calls on the Government of the United 
States to work with the Government of Iraq to en-
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sure that the personnel responsible for providing for 
the security of Camp Liberty/Hurriya are adequately 
equipped and vetted to ensure that they are not now, 
and have not been previously affiliated, directly or 
indirectly, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard 
Corps Qods Force or other organizations responsible 
for past attacks; 
(5) urges the Government of Iraq to ensure ac-
cess to food, clean water, medical assistance, elec-
tricity, equipment, and such supplies that are nec-
essary to sustain the residents; 
(6) calls on the Government of the United 
States to work with the Government of Iraq to make 
all reasonable efforts to facilitate the residents’ ac-
cess and ability to sell their property and assets re-
maining at Camp Ashraf for the purpose of funding 
their costs of living and resettlement out of Iraq; 
(7) urges the Government of the United States 
to work with the Government of Iraq and the United 
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 
to ensure that Camp Liberty/Hurriya residents, 
without exception, are safely resettled outside of 
Iraq and Iran according to the terms of the Decem-
ber 2011 Memorandum of Understanding; and 
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(8) calls on the Government of the United 
States to work with the Government of Albania and 
the UNHCR to facilitate and provide suitable loca-
tions for housing of the remaining Camp Liberty/ 
Hurriya residents in Albania until such time when 
the residents become self-sufficient in meeting their 
residential needs in Albania. 
Æ 
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