.Son of Sunni Leader Arrested in Iraq
BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraqi troops arrested the son of a leading Sunni politician and dozens of his associates after a car bomb was discovered near his compound and keys to the vehicle were found on one of his bodyguards, U.S. and Iraqi officials said Friday.
Five U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi civilian were injured when they detonated the car bomb near the compound of Adnan al-Dulaimi, leader of the biggest Sunni bloc in parliament, the U.S. military said.
The arrests threaten to inflame sectarian tensions at a time when U.S. officials are pushing Iraqi politicians to take advantage of a decline in violence to forge power-sharing agreements among Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.
Al-Dulaimi's bloc, the Iraqi Accordance Front, accused Shiite-dominated security forces of "creating and marketing this crisis" to undermine U.S. efforts to organize Sunni tribes against al-Qaida.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh acknowledged that the case "has a political aspect" but "the law must take its course."
"Investigations are under way with the people arrested and if there is enough evidence against someone else, then that person should undergo the legal process," al-Dabbagh said. "Al-Dulaimi is not above the law."
A U.S. statement said the incident unfolded Thursday night after American and Iraqi soldiers went to investigate the slaying of a member of a U.S.-backed volunteer security force about a block from al-Dulaimi's compound in the Adil district of west Baghdad.
Two suspects were seen entering the compound, the U.S. said. American and Iraqi authorities detained eight of al-Dulaimi's security guards.
As security forces swarmed around the area, they discovered a rigged car bomb on the street outside al-Dulaimi's compound. One of the eight security guards had the keys to the vehicle in his pocket, the U.S. said.
Hours later, Iraqi security forces raided al-Dulaimi's house, arresting his son Maki Adnan al-Dulaimi and about 30 other people, Iraqi officials said.
Iraqi security forces surrounded the house, a move the U.S. said was for the elder al-Dulaimi's personal safety. Al-Dulaimi complained that he was under virtual house arrest.
"I will wait until Saturday morning and if the ban on my family continues, then I will consider the government's measure as a house arrest," al-Dulaimi told The Associated Press.
Al-Dulaimi is considered a Sunni hard-liner and frequently accuses the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of favoring the Shiites. Al-Dulaimi was instrumental in the Sunni decision to abandon six Cabinet posts last August because of differences with al-Maliki.
But Sunni leaders accused the government of a politically motivated campaign against al-Dulaimi and his Iraqi Accordance Front, which controls 44 of the 275 seats in parliament.
Mohammed al-Daini, a lawmaker from a rival Sunni faction, accused Iraqi military and government leaders of planting the car bomb to discredit al-Dulaimi.
"We must work together to save the sinking ship instead of fabricating false accusations," al-Daini said.
Dhafer al-Ani, a member of al-Dulaimi's party, described the arrests as a "barbaric act" and demanded that "Iraqi and occupation forces" lift "the siege of al-Dulaimi's house" and free those arrested.
But some Shiite clerics and lawmakers insisted there should be no special favors for al-Dulaimi, who they have long suspected of links to insurgent groups.
"Adnan al-Dulaimi and his office are the source of intimidation in Iraq," Sheik Nasir al-Saadi told his congregation during Friday prayers at a Shiite mosque in Sadr City. "We want Iraqi authorities to keep an eye on this man."
Prominent Shiite cleric and lawmaker Jalaleddin Sagheer said the government should show no favoritism to al-Dulaimi because of his position within the Sunni community.
The arrests are likely to widen the gulf between Shiite and Sunni politicians and complicate U.S. efforts to encourage them to enact power-sharing deals to guarantee long-term stability in Iraq after the U.S. military begins drawing down its forces next year.
American officials have said violence is down 55 percent nationwide since June after about 30,000 U.S. reinforcements sent by President Bush arrived to curb sectarian violence.
But the Americans have expressed bitter disappointment that security gains have not been matched by political progress among the sectarian parties.
Also Friday, an American soldier was killed when a bomb exploded during security operations in Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, the U.S. command said.
MyWay
Five U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi civilian were injured when they detonated the car bomb near the compound of Adnan al-Dulaimi, leader of the biggest Sunni bloc in parliament, the U.S. military said.
The arrests threaten to inflame sectarian tensions at a time when U.S. officials are pushing Iraqi politicians to take advantage of a decline in violence to forge power-sharing agreements among Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.
Al-Dulaimi's bloc, the Iraqi Accordance Front, accused Shiite-dominated security forces of "creating and marketing this crisis" to undermine U.S. efforts to organize Sunni tribes against al-Qaida.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh acknowledged that the case "has a political aspect" but "the law must take its course."
"Investigations are under way with the people arrested and if there is enough evidence against someone else, then that person should undergo the legal process," al-Dabbagh said. "Al-Dulaimi is not above the law."
A U.S. statement said the incident unfolded Thursday night after American and Iraqi soldiers went to investigate the slaying of a member of a U.S.-backed volunteer security force about a block from al-Dulaimi's compound in the Adil district of west Baghdad.
Two suspects were seen entering the compound, the U.S. said. American and Iraqi authorities detained eight of al-Dulaimi's security guards.
As security forces swarmed around the area, they discovered a rigged car bomb on the street outside al-Dulaimi's compound. One of the eight security guards had the keys to the vehicle in his pocket, the U.S. said.
Hours later, Iraqi security forces raided al-Dulaimi's house, arresting his son Maki Adnan al-Dulaimi and about 30 other people, Iraqi officials said.
Iraqi security forces surrounded the house, a move the U.S. said was for the elder al-Dulaimi's personal safety. Al-Dulaimi complained that he was under virtual house arrest.
"I will wait until Saturday morning and if the ban on my family continues, then I will consider the government's measure as a house arrest," al-Dulaimi told The Associated Press.
Al-Dulaimi is considered a Sunni hard-liner and frequently accuses the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of favoring the Shiites. Al-Dulaimi was instrumental in the Sunni decision to abandon six Cabinet posts last August because of differences with al-Maliki.
But Sunni leaders accused the government of a politically motivated campaign against al-Dulaimi and his Iraqi Accordance Front, which controls 44 of the 275 seats in parliament.
Mohammed al-Daini, a lawmaker from a rival Sunni faction, accused Iraqi military and government leaders of planting the car bomb to discredit al-Dulaimi.
"We must work together to save the sinking ship instead of fabricating false accusations," al-Daini said.
Dhafer al-Ani, a member of al-Dulaimi's party, described the arrests as a "barbaric act" and demanded that "Iraqi and occupation forces" lift "the siege of al-Dulaimi's house" and free those arrested.
But some Shiite clerics and lawmakers insisted there should be no special favors for al-Dulaimi, who they have long suspected of links to insurgent groups.
"Adnan al-Dulaimi and his office are the source of intimidation in Iraq," Sheik Nasir al-Saadi told his congregation during Friday prayers at a Shiite mosque in Sadr City. "We want Iraqi authorities to keep an eye on this man."
Prominent Shiite cleric and lawmaker Jalaleddin Sagheer said the government should show no favoritism to al-Dulaimi because of his position within the Sunni community.
The arrests are likely to widen the gulf between Shiite and Sunni politicians and complicate U.S. efforts to encourage them to enact power-sharing deals to guarantee long-term stability in Iraq after the U.S. military begins drawing down its forces next year.
American officials have said violence is down 55 percent nationwide since June after about 30,000 U.S. reinforcements sent by President Bush arrived to curb sectarian violence.
But the Americans have expressed bitter disappointment that security gains have not been matched by political progress among the sectarian parties.
Also Friday, an American soldier was killed when a bomb exploded during security operations in Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, the U.S. command said.
MyWay
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