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Iraq Raids Camp of Exiles from Iran: Move Seen as Sign Tehran Is Eclipsing American Influence

[Washington Post] Ernesto Londono and Greg Jaffe - Iraqi troops and police carried out a bloody raid Tuesday on the camp of an Iranian opposition group that the U.S. has long sheltered, marking the Iraqi government's boldest move since it declared its sovereignty a month ago and offering the latest sign that American influence is waning as Iranian clout rises. The Mujaheddin-e Khalq, or MEK, has supplied information about Iran's nuclear program to the U.S., but the group has long been an irritant to the Islamic republic, which has repeatedly asked the government of neighboring Iraq to expel MEK members. The way Baghdad deals with the group is widely seen as a signal of whether Iraq is more heavily swayed by Iran or by the U.S. Kenneth Katzman, a senior Iraq expert at the Congressional Research Service, called the raid "very serious" and said it was disturbing that it coincided with U.S. Defense Secretary Gates' visit. Clashes continued Wednesday. Provincial governor Abdul Nasir al-Mahdawee of Diyala province said eight Iranians were killed and at least 400 were injured.
2009-07-30 06:00:00
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