Diyala governor reacts to regime’s disinformation campaign against Ashraf

NCRI, 16 December 2010 – The governor of Iraq’s Diyala province has said that the Iranian regime’s preposterous accusations that the residents of Camp Ashraf are responsible for recent terrorist bombings in Diyala are completely false and will be liable to legal action if continued.
In a series of hysteric reactions to a wave of support around the world for the residents of Ashraf and condemnations of the regime’s meddling in Iraq, the regime has used its media outlets like al-Alam TV, Fars news agency tied to the Revolutionary Guards and a chain of its intelligence ministry websites to falsely claim that the “Diyala governor has blamed the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran for the recent bombings in this province.”
The governor of Diyala, Abdol-Naser al-Mahdawi, released an official statement dismissing the allegations and cautioning those who release such reports that they will be liable to legal action.
“In a special statement to the media, Dr. Abdol-Naser al-Mahdawi, the Diyala governor, described as false claims by some media outlets accusing the opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran of having a hand in recent bombings in the province,” the statement said.
Mahdawi added, “The members of this organization have been disarmed and are besieged by security forces and multi-national forces. They are under international protection and all sides are monitoring them. They all know that members of this organization do not have any opportunity to carry out any activities.”
“The presence of the PMOI on Iraqi soil in northeastern Diyala in Khalis is subject to international conventions. Local governments have no say in the matter which falls completely in the context of the central government’s responsibilities,” he said.
The statement added, “Diyala’s governor stressed that press coverage should be accurate and said the media would be responsible for any subsequent legal actions against them.”