BAGHDAD, Iraq – U.S. troops detained the eldest son of Iraq’s most influential Shiite politician for nearly 12 hours Friday as he crossed back from Iran – the same route Washington believes is used to keep powerful Shiite militias flush with weapons and aid.
Even though the U.S. ambassador issued a rapid apology, the decision to hold Amar al-Hakim risks touching off a backlash from Shiite leaders at a time when their cooperation is needed most to keep a major security sweep through Baghdad from unraveling.
It also highlights the often knotty relationship between U.S. military authorities and Iraq’s elected leaders, whose ties to neighboring patrons – Syria backing Sunnis, and Iran acting as big brother to majority Shiites – add fuel to sectarian rivalries and bring recriminations from Washington about alleged arms smuggling and outside interference.
Al-Hakim’s father, Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, met with President Bush at the White House in December. He is the leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI, the country’s largest political force.
The bloc carries the strongest voice in the 275-seat Parliament and holds critical sway over the fate of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. It also maintains very close ties to Iran, which hosted the elder al-Hakim and other SCIRI officials before the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Washington has repeatedly accused Iran of funneling weapons to militants, including lethal roadside bombs that have targeted U.S. troops.
In Basra, police said they arrested a suspected Sunni insurgent with links to al-Qaida. Issa Abdul-Razzaq Ahmed, 22, was on the Iraqi Interior Ministry’s most-wanted list, accused of financing and recruiting fighters, said provincial police commander Gen. Mohammed al-Moussawi.
The U.S. military, meanwhile, said three U.S. soldiers were killed Thursday in combat in volatile Anbar province, but did not give specific locations or circumstances for the deaths.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.