CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING IRAN’S ROLE IN THE REGION CASE OF CAMP LIBERTY

CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING IRAN’S ROLE IN THE REGION CASE OF CAMP LIBERTY

HOUSE RAYBURN-GOLD ROOM
NOVEMBER 5, 2015

SPEAKERS:
CHAIRMAN ED ROYCE (R-CA)
RANKING MEMBER ELLIOT ENGEL (D-NY)
CONGRESSWOMAN ILEAN A ROS-LEHTINEN (R-FL)
CONGRESSMAN MIKE COFFMAN (R-CO)
CONGRESSMAN TED POE (R-TX)
CONGRESSMAN DANA ROHRABACHER (R-CA)
CONGRESSMAN TOM MCCLINTOCK (R-CA)
CONGRESSMAN BRAD SHERMAN (D-CA)

CONGRESSMAN TED POE (R-TX):Thank you very much. I consider you my friends. And it’s not good what is taking place with your friends and your families in Iraq. Recently in a bipartisan way, September 21st, we asked John Kerry—members of the House of Representatives—to allow the folks in Camp Liberty to have protective gear, helmets and other equipment to protect themselves from expected attacks on the camp. That was September 21st. And then we didn’t get a response from Secretary Kerry. Btu we did get a response from the bad guys and 24 folks in Camp Liberty have been killed since this letter was written, now 139 individuals, the seventh attack on Camp Liberty.

And our government, in my opinion, is twiddling its thumbs in the protection of Camp Liberty. I am really tired of all the politically correct statements by the State Department, and the State Department trying to play nice with the Iranians and play nice with the Iraqis. Because what has happened, people have died while the State Department twiddles its thumbs. Now it’s real simple, we want the person in charge of Camp Liberty in the Iraqi government to be gone. [applause] He is a failure. His job is to protect the residents and he cannot do that or he won’t do it, he needs to go. And Iraq needs to replace that individual with someone who will actually do what they are supposed to, secure the security of the people in Camp Liberty. And the United States needs to push harder on the Iraqi government to do this, and insist on it, and take no for no answer. This is a dangerous situation. Even though the event occurred last year where these people died, the State Department hadn’t been to the camp. Well, why not? They say it’s too dangerous to go. Well if it’s too dangerous for the State Department to investigate it, don’t you think it might be too dangerous for the folks in Camp Liberty to be there? [applause]

So Mr. Kerry and the State Department need to get with the program to help resettle those folks in Camp Liberty to other places in the world where their security and safety will be secure. And that’s what we ought to do. Seven attacks since we have started this discussion about Camp Liberty. Interesting name. Camp Liberty. No liberty in Camp Liberty. Maybe it’s time we liberate Camp Liberty and let those folks go to where they want to go throughout the world. So, we will continue to press the State Department. I agree with the chairman, behind all of this is the Iranian government, doing what they can to make that area, Camp Liberty, unsafe for the people that are there. So no more diplomatic talk. Solve the problem. Protect the folks. Help them relocate to other parts of the world. And we need to do that whether the Iranian government or the Iraqi government like it or not. And that’s just the way it is. Thank you very much. [applause]

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