Monday, March 05, 2007
Top officials with links to armed groups to be arrested
Politics, Security
(AP) Iraq's prime minister says U.S. and Iraqi authorities are working together to arrest and prosecute Iraqi politicians and top officials suspected of links to armed extremist groups. "There is coordination between us and the (U.S.-led) Multinational Forces (that) started at the beginning of this year ... to determine who should be arrested and the reasons behind arresting them," Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told The Associated Press in an interview Saturday.
His comments were in response to a question about whether lists had been prepared of senior Iraqi officials, politicians and lawmakers targeted for arrest. Al-Maliki said Iraqi authorities would begin preparing cases against unspecified officials and would refer them to investigative judges, who under the Iraqi legal system can issue indictments like American grand juries.
The prime minister gave no further details, such as how many people were targets of investigations or any specific names. He also did not specify when cases would be forward to investigative judges. U.S. officials would not comment on the purported lists or even confirm if they exist, citing a policy not to discuss intelligence operations.
His comments were in response to a question about whether lists had been prepared of senior Iraqi officials, politicians and lawmakers targeted for arrest. Al-Maliki said Iraqi authorities would begin preparing cases against unspecified officials and would refer them to investigative judges, who under the Iraqi legal system can issue indictments like American grand juries.
The prime minister gave no further details, such as how many people were targets of investigations or any specific names. He also did not specify when cases would be forward to investigative judges. U.S. officials would not comment on the purported lists or even confirm if they exist, citing a policy not to discuss intelligence operations.
Deputy Health Minister Hakim al-Zamili was arrested Feb. 9 by U.S. and Iraqi soldiers for allegedly diverting millions of dollars from his ministry to the Shiite militia, the Mahdi Army. Iraqi officials give various estimates about the number of people on the list, ranging from 50 to more than 100. The discrepancy could not be explained, but it could be due to changes in the list based on intelligence operations or linked to an effort by Iraqi leaders to pare the list down for political reasons.
Labels: armed extremist groups, arrest, politicians
