Iraqis took to the streets of Shi'ite towns and cities yesterday
to protest over the detention by US 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 US 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.
US military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Garver said
in a statement the convoy was stopped because the vehicles met
"specific criteria for further investigation in an area where
smuggling activity has taken place in the past."
"At the time, members of the convoy did not cooperate with
Coalition Forces and displayed suspicious activities which
subsequently led to Mr. Hakim's detention," Garver said.
"Further investigation led to Mr. Hakim's release to Iraqi
authorities and the return of his possessions. Mr. Hakim was
treated with dignity and respect throughout the incident.
"Unfortunate incidents such as this occasionally occur as Iraq
endeavors to secure its borders," he said.
Washington accuses Iran of providing weapons to Shi'ite militias
in Iraq. Security forces closed the border with Iran for several
days earlier this month.
Ammar al-Hakim told reporters on Friday US 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 US ambassador Zalmay
Khalilzad sought to contain any political fallout by saying on
Friday "we do not mean any disrespect" to the family.
'American foolishness'
Up to 1,000 protesters gathered in Iraq's second biggest city,
Basra, marching through the streets and chanting "Death to America"
and "Death to Britain."
Abdul-Kareem al-Jazairi, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim's Basra
representative, said the incident highlighted "American
foolishness."
"He is a well-known figure and to claim he was arrested by
mistake is nonsense. We consider this an American attempt to create
chaos in Iraq," he said.
Demonstrations in Kerbala and Najaf also drew hundreds of
people, and the SCIRI-run television channel Furat showed footage
on Saturday of protests in several other towns.
US forces have recently arrested a number of Iranians in Iraq,
including several who were seized at Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim's compound
in Baghdad. They were later released.
SCIRI was founded in Iran in 1982 and its continued links to
Shi'ite Islamist Iran are a source of concern for Washington, which
accuses Iran of fuelling violence in Iraq.
SCIRI's military wing, the Badr Organisation, fought with Iran
in the 1980-88 war against Saddam Hussein, ousted in 2003 by a
US-led invasion. Sunni leaders accuse it of targeting members of
the minority sect, a charge Hakim denies.
US and Iraqi forces launched a major security crackdown in
Baghdad this month, vowing to deal even-handedly with Shi'ite
militias as well as Sunni Arab insurgents.
Washington has courted the elder Hakim in its efforts to
stabilize Iraq and create a moderate Shi'ite bulwark against the
growing influence of radical anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada
al-Sadr. The elder Hakim held talks with US President George W.
Bush in Washington in December.
(Chinadaily.com.cn via agencies, February 25, 2007)
