Labour MEP John Attard Montalto, who has just returned from a European Parliament (EP) mission to Iraq, yesterday called on the EU to increase its presence there if it wants to contribute to the stabilisation of this war-torn country.
Speaking during a press conference yesterday in Strasbourg, Dr Attard Montalto recounted his experience describing Iraq as a “state in total chaos” and a “continuous war zone.”
“What we have seen is unimaginable. Baghdad is in total chaos where no one is really in control. They have only four hours a day of electricity... Even though on an official mission, we were checked and searched almost every hundred metres,” he said.
The four-member delegation of MEPs was denied access to Camp Ashraf – home to some 3,500 Iranian dissidents – by the Iraqi authorities.
Last month more than 35 people were killed there by the authorities. Although the brutal attack on the camp was condemned by the UN, Dr Attard Montalto said the 35 bodies were still lying on the ground without having been given a proper burial.
The EP delegation to Iraq was the first of its kind since the Allied invasion in 2003 and the overthrow of former President Saddam Hussein.
Due to the safety of the four MEPs, which apart from Dr Attard Montalto included also Mario Mauro from Italy, Jelco Kacin from Slovenia and Struan Stevenson from the UK, the EP kept the mission under wraps and only announced it when the four MEPs arrived safely back to Brussels.
The EU’s presence in the country was harshly criticised by Dr Attard Montalto.
“The EU has a total of three people in Baghdad and the whole of Iraq, working from two-and-a-half rooms in a British compound. We can’t be taken seriously in the country if we keep this poor presence,” he said.
The Labour MEP said that from discussions his delegation held with the main authorities of Iraq, including the President and the high command of the US forces, it was clear that Iraq wanted more Europe and not less.
“Iraq looks at the EU very positively and this became clear from our presence there. However, if the EU wants to contribute it must increase tremendously its presence in the country.” In 2009, the US military handed responsibility for the camp to Iraq’s Shia-led government, which has repeatedly vowed to close it. Last month Iraq said the People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI) must leave Iraq by the end of the year.
However, the dissidents are not welcome in Iran and risk being killed.
The US and Iran consider the organisation as terrorist.