![](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2013\/11\/20131101-wh-6-200.jpg\" "\\"20131101-wh-6-200\\"")
Source: The Wall Street JouranlWASHINGTON \u2014 More than 1,000 demonstrators marched in front of the White House Friday to protest President Barack Obama\u2019s meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.<\/p>\n
Source: The Wall Street Jouranl
WASHINGTON \u2014 More than 1,000 demonstrators marched in front of the White House Friday to protest President Barack Obama\u2019s meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.<\/p>\n
The Iraqi leader was meeting Mr. Obama to cap a visit to Washington, where he was seeking approval for new military equipment and other aid.<\/p>\n
However, Mr. Maliki is unpopular among many Iranian dissidents in the U.S. and elsewhere who hold him responsible for attacks against camps in Iraq that house Iranian exiles, including one in September that killed dozens. The Maliki government has denied any responsibility for the attack.<\/p>\n
During the White House visit, former U.S. legislators joined in demands that Mr. Maliki be held accountable and that his forces release seven people abducted during the September attack.<\/p>\n
The protesters and their supporters waved flags and toted signs reading \u201cMaliki = Dictator\u201d and \u201cStop Violating Human Rights.\u201d Protesters also urged Mr. Obama to keep U.S. promises to ensure the safety of Iranian dissidents in the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a matter of American honor at stake,\u201d former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, appearing in support of the dissidents, told the Journal. \u201cIf Maliki is not prepared to be an honest partner, then there\u2019s no reason for the United States to prop him up\u2014if in fact he\u2019s going to be an Iranian agent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Addressing the protesters, Mr. Gingrich urged Mr. Obama to instruct the State Department to \u201ccut the red tape\u201d and issue U.S. visas to more than 3,000 Iranian refugees who remain in Iraq.<\/p>\n
The refugees, once supported by Iraq, are no longer welcome there and the United Nations is working to resettle them.<\/p>\n
Supporters criticized the administration for continuing to send financial aid and weapons to the Iraqi government when it has violated an agreement with the UN to provide for the safety of the Iranian refugees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t be allowing him to disregard human rights and simple U.S. agreements \u2026 and think that he can come back and ask for more American tax dollars and sacrifice,\u201d former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D., R.I.) told the Journal. \u201cIt just doesn\u2019t add up.\u201d<\/p>\n
The rally was organized by Iranian dissidents who are supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which backs the Mujahedin-e Khalq, or MEK, which until last year was classified by the U.S. as a terrorist organization.<\/p>\n
Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, said by teleconference that Mr. Obama \u201cbear[s] a greater amount of responsibility\u201d for the fate of the refugees following his meeting with Mr. Maliki.<\/p>\n
Afal Afzalnia, an Iranian-American whose brother was killed in the September attack, said he hopes the rally puts pressure on the Obama administration to \u201cat least ask [Maliki] what happened to the broken promises.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the president should have cancelled his meeting with Mr. Maliki.<\/p>\n
White House spokesman Jay Carney, asked about the demonstration and the September attack, said it was a subject of the meeting Friday between Messrs. Obama and Maliki.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe remain deeply concerned about the fate of the individuals abducted from Camp Ashraf as well as the security of the residents remaining in Iraq at Camp Hurriya,\u201d Mr. Carney said. \u201cWe are pursuing these matters actively and daily.\u201d<\/p>\n
Members of the Syrian American Council also attended the rally to protest Mr. Maliki\u2019s role in allowing the Iranian government to send weapons to the Assad regime.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow the Syrian opposition to the Assad regime is fighting on two fronts\u2014against [President Bashar al-Assad] and al Qaeda extremists from Iraq,\u201d said Kenan Rahmani, a Syrian-American citizen who is a member of the Council<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Source: The Wall Street JouranlWASHINGTON — More than 1,000 demonstrators marched in front of the White House Friday to protest President Barack Obama’s meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":40963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[175],"class_list":{"0":"post-15126","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-updated"},"yoast_head":"\n