Saturday, February 24, 2007
Mass protest over arrest of SCIRI leader's son
Politics, Security
(Reuters) Iraqis took to the streets of Shi'ite towns and cities on Saturday to protest over the detention by U.S. troops of the eldest son of Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, one of Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite leaders. There were no reports of violence. The U.S. military said Ammar al-Hakim was held on Friday because members of his convoy were acting suspiciously at a border checkpoint while returning from Iran.
The incident could strain good ties between Washington and the elder Hakim's Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the dominant party in the Shi'ite-led government. SCIRI supporters held protests in Najaf, Kerbala, Basra, Kut and other towns in the mainly Shi'ite south of Iraq, witnesses and local media said.
The incident could strain good ties between Washington and the elder Hakim's Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the dominant party in the Shi'ite-led government. SCIRI supporters held protests in Najaf, Kerbala, Basra, Kut and other towns in the mainly Shi'ite south of Iraq, witnesses and local media said.
Ammar al-Hakim told reporters on Friday U.S. troops said his passport had expired. He said the document was valid. "The way I was arrested was disrespectful and not appropriate for a political and religious figure like me. They cuffed my hands and blindfolded my eyes. They raised their weapons against me," he said after his release. Hakim was released within hours and U.S. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad sought to contain any political fallout by saying on Friday "we do not mean any disrespect" to the family.
Labels: Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, Ammar al-Hakim, Iran-Iraq border, SCIRI
