Iraqis angry at arrest of Shi'ite leader's son
Source: Reuters
(Writes through with president, Sadr, details) By Mussab Al-Khairalla BAGHDAD, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Iraq's president said on Saturday that U.S. soldiers responsible for detaining the son of Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, one of Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite leaders, acted inappropriately and should be disciplined. Ammar al-Hakim's detention for several hours near the Iranian border on Friday sparked protests in Shi'ite cities on Saturday, denouncing the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq. U.S. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad on Friday said he was sorry for the incident. The U.S. military said Ammar al-Hakim was held because his guards were acting suspiciously in an area near the Iranian border where smuggling has happened before. Ammar al-Hakim said he was pushed roughly, blindfolded and handcuffed by U.S. troops. He said the soldiers knew who he was. "I don't think it was something that happened by accident," he told a news conference, adding he would wait for the results of an investigation before rushing to judgment on U.S. motives. President Jalal Talabani "expressed his sorrow for the offence to which al-Hakim was exposed and called for those responsible to be held accountable," a statement said. Talabani "noted that he was treated in an uncivil manner and inappropriately and demanded that U.S. authorities hold accountable those who harmed him and give guarantees such unjustifiable actions will not be repeated with other politicians and national figures." IRANIAN LINKS Ammar al-Hakim's detention could strain previously good relations between Washington and his father's Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the dominant political party in the U.S.-backed Shi'ite-led government. The elder Hakim met U.S. President George W. Bush in December in Washington. U.S. authorities have been courting his movement as a moderate counter-balance to groups such as the Mehdi Army, a militia loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. At the same time, Washington has expressed discomfort with historic ties between Iraqi politicians and Iran, which Washington accuses of providing weapons to militias in Iraq. SCIRI was founded in Iran in 1982. Sunni Arab leaders accuse its military wing, the Badr Organisation, of targeting members of the minority sect, a charge the elder Hakim denies. U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Garver said the convoy was initially stopped because the vehicles met "specific criteria for further investigation in an area where smuggling activity has taken place in the past". "At the time, members of the convoy did not cooperate with Coalition Forces and displayed suspicious activities which subsequently led to Mr. Hakim's detention," Garver said. "Further investigation led to Mr. Hakim's release to Iraqi authorities and the return of his possessions. Mr. Hakim was treated with dignity and respect throughout the incident." (Additional reporting by Claudia Parsons)
| AlertNet news is provided by |  |
