Thursday, March 22, 2007
Released Mahdi Army leader in talks with al-Maliki
Politics, Security
(BBC) - An Iraqi militia leader once branded a major security threat has appeared in public alongside Iraq's prime minister after being freed from US custody. Ahmed Shibani is a senior aide to radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr, whose political movement plays a key role in Iraq's power-sharing coalition. Mr Shibani met Nouri Maliki hours after Iraqi government officials said they were talking with insurgent groups. The US-led coalition said Mr Shibani could help moderate extremism in Iraq. In a statement, the coalition said leaders judged that Mr Shibani "could play a potentially important role in helping to moderate extremism and foster reconciliation in Iraq."
Mr Shibani was seen being photographed with the prime minister and was also interviewed on Iraqi TV. Iraqi news reports say negotiations for his release appear to have been carried out by the Iraqi government. The US military jailed Mr Shibani at a military prison more than two years ago after detaining him during an uprising against the occupation in the Shia town of Najaf.
On Wednesday Saad Yousif al-Muttalibi, of Iraq's Ministry of National Dialogue and Reconciliation, said the government was talking to a range of insurgent groups. And Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi told the BBC there was no option but to hold talks with all armed groups, with the exception of Iraq's al-Qaeda movement.
Mr Shibani was seen being photographed with the prime minister and was also interviewed on Iraqi TV. Iraqi news reports say negotiations for his release appear to have been carried out by the Iraqi government. The US military jailed Mr Shibani at a military prison more than two years ago after detaining him during an uprising against the occupation in the Shia town of Najaf.
On Wednesday Saad Yousif al-Muttalibi, of Iraq's Ministry of National Dialogue and Reconciliation, said the government was talking to a range of insurgent groups. And Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi told the BBC there was no option but to hold talks with all armed groups, with the exception of Iraq's al-Qaeda movement.
Labels: Ahmed Shibani, Iraq's Ministry of National Dialogue and Reconciliation, Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Nouri Al-Maliki, Saad Yousif al-Muttalibi
