Sunday, March 18, 2007
Weapons cache found at Sunni MP's house
Security, Politics
(AFP) - Iraqi security forces seized a cache of weapons, including a sniper rifle, and arrested seven suspects in a raid on the house of a leading Sunni parliamentarian, officials said Sunday. Brigadier General Qassim Mussawi, spokesman for Iraqi forces in Baghdad, also said that four cars taken from Dhafer al-Ani's house had been tested by "non-Iraqi experts" and found to contain traces of explosives.
Ani is a former spokesman for Iraq's biggest Sunni movement, the Islamic Party, which is part of the government of national unity. It was not clear whether Ani was in his west Baghdad home on March 8, when the raid took place, and he was not reported among those detained. Mussawi said the forces found "65 Kalashnikov assault rifles and other weapons and seized four vehicles.
"We have dealt transparently with the detainees and released six of them, because we do not have enough evidence against them," he added. "We're still holding one of them who had a sniper rifle inscribed with a verse from the Koran -- 'If you shoot, and find your target, it is not you who shoots, but God'," he said, referring to a slogan popular with insurgents. Mussawi said the vehicles were impounded at the Office of Criminal Evidence and had tested positive for traces of the powerful explosive TNT.
Speaking at a separate news conference, Iraq government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh, told reporters that the search proved that Iraqi officials would investigate anyone suspected of breaking the law, whatever their rank. "If lawmakers break the law we will deal with them according to the law; they will be treated according to the law," he said.
The Islamic Party's website confirmed there had been a raid, in a statement that said the weapons were properly licensed and accused Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of ordering the raid.
Ani is a former spokesman for Iraq's biggest Sunni movement, the Islamic Party, which is part of the government of national unity. It was not clear whether Ani was in his west Baghdad home on March 8, when the raid took place, and he was not reported among those detained. Mussawi said the forces found "65 Kalashnikov assault rifles and other weapons and seized four vehicles.
"We have dealt transparently with the detainees and released six of them, because we do not have enough evidence against them," he added. "We're still holding one of them who had a sniper rifle inscribed with a verse from the Koran -- 'If you shoot, and find your target, it is not you who shoots, but God'," he said, referring to a slogan popular with insurgents. Mussawi said the vehicles were impounded at the Office of Criminal Evidence and had tested positive for traces of the powerful explosive TNT.
Speaking at a separate news conference, Iraq government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh, told reporters that the search proved that Iraqi officials would investigate anyone suspected of breaking the law, whatever their rank. "If lawmakers break the law we will deal with them according to the law; they will be treated according to the law," he said.
The Islamic Party's website confirmed there had been a raid, in a statement that said the weapons were properly licensed and accused Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of ordering the raid.
Labels: Brigadier Qassim Moussawi, Dhafer al-Ani, Iraqi Islamic Party
