.Cleric's release may end Alan McMenemy hostage saga in Iraq
Hopes rose today that an Iraqi terror group may finally release the body of British hostage Alan McMenemy after it emerged that a militant cleric has been freed from jail in Baghdad.
Qais al-Khazali was released from Iraqi custody late last night, according to an anonymous source from Asaib Ahl al Haq (League of the Righteous), a Shia militant group of which he is a leading member.
The news prompted speculation that the remains of Mr McMenemy, the fifth and final British hostage still held by the group, are likely to be released imminently to Iraqi authorities, as demands made by the AAH for the release of the hostages have now been met.
The computer expert Peter Moore was released alive last week, after al-Khazali was handed from American custody to Iraqi authorities, and the bodies of three of the four security guards who were seized alongside Mr Moore were handed over after the release of Laith al-Khazali, brother of Qais, in June.
Mr Moore and his four guards were kidnapped at the Iraqi Finance Ministry by up to 100 men two months after British Forces arrested al-Khazali, the former head of Moqtada al-Sadr's office in Baghdad.
The bodies of three of the guards, all of whom had military backgrounds, were returned to the British Embassy in Baghdad last year. The remains of Jason Swindlehurst, 38, and Jason Creswell, 39, were returned in June and the body of Alec MacLachlan was handed over in September. Mr McMenemy, 34, from Glasgow, is still unaccounted for, but he is also believed to have been killed by the kidnappers.
Although British, Iraqi and American authorities have denied that a deal had been made with the hostage-takers for the release of the captives, reports suggest that al-Khazali had been treated differently from other prisoners released from US custody.
A member of the Supreme Judicial Council told The Times that all prisoners handed over by American forces should have their cases examined by a panel of judges, to establish whether any charges exist against them, before they are freed completely.
This process, he went on, usually takes between four and six weeks, but al-Khazali was handed over by the Americans less than a week ago. His case was not heard by a judge, although Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said last night that he was no different from other prisoners and that it was for the judiciary to decide his fate.
Anonymous government sources described him as an “exceptional case”, and the anonymous AAH member said that he had been released as part of an “agreement that was meant to be very secret”.
The British Embassy in Baghdad and Foreign Office in London declined to comment on any developments, saying they would not be drawn into discussing operational details.
Timesonline
Qais al-Khazali was released from Iraqi custody late last night, according to an anonymous source from Asaib Ahl al Haq (League of the Righteous), a Shia militant group of which he is a leading member.
The news prompted speculation that the remains of Mr McMenemy, the fifth and final British hostage still held by the group, are likely to be released imminently to Iraqi authorities, as demands made by the AAH for the release of the hostages have now been met.
The computer expert Peter Moore was released alive last week, after al-Khazali was handed from American custody to Iraqi authorities, and the bodies of three of the four security guards who were seized alongside Mr Moore were handed over after the release of Laith al-Khazali, brother of Qais, in June.
Mr Moore and his four guards were kidnapped at the Iraqi Finance Ministry by up to 100 men two months after British Forces arrested al-Khazali, the former head of Moqtada al-Sadr's office in Baghdad.
The bodies of three of the guards, all of whom had military backgrounds, were returned to the British Embassy in Baghdad last year. The remains of Jason Swindlehurst, 38, and Jason Creswell, 39, were returned in June and the body of Alec MacLachlan was handed over in September. Mr McMenemy, 34, from Glasgow, is still unaccounted for, but he is also believed to have been killed by the kidnappers.
Although British, Iraqi and American authorities have denied that a deal had been made with the hostage-takers for the release of the captives, reports suggest that al-Khazali had been treated differently from other prisoners released from US custody.
A member of the Supreme Judicial Council told The Times that all prisoners handed over by American forces should have their cases examined by a panel of judges, to establish whether any charges exist against them, before they are freed completely.
This process, he went on, usually takes between four and six weeks, but al-Khazali was handed over by the Americans less than a week ago. His case was not heard by a judge, although Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said last night that he was no different from other prisoners and that it was for the judiciary to decide his fate.
Anonymous government sources described him as an “exceptional case”, and the anonymous AAH member said that he had been released as part of an “agreement that was meant to be very secret”.
The British Embassy in Baghdad and Foreign Office in London declined to comment on any developments, saying they would not be drawn into discussing operational details.
Timesonline
posted by madtom at 2:21 PM
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