US welcomes relocation of Iranian dissidents in Iraq

Transfer of 680 Iranian dissidents from Camp Ashraf to the former US military base in Baghdad called Camp Hurriya marks a "significant milestone" for the humanitarian situation in Iraq, the State department said Sunday. "Today, the seventh convoy of approximately 680 Camp Ashraf residents arrived safely at Camp Hurriya. This convoy represents the last major relocation of residents from former Camp Ashraf to Camp Hurriya and marks a significant milestone in efforts to achieve a sustainable humanitarian solution to this issue," the State department said in a statement. The dissidents are from the People's Mujahideen Organization of Iran (PMOI), listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the US State Department, was once sheltered by former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and fell out of favor with Baghdad after the Iraqi dictator's downfall. The US thanked the Iraqi government for sheltering and accommodating PMOI members, saying "We count on Iraq's continued adherence to the December 25, 2011 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United Nations that provides a path for the safe relocation of former Ashraf residents out of Iraq," the statement read. The United STates pledged to work with the international community to support a permanent relocation of the residents from Iraq.