BAGHDAD: US forces arrested a top Shiite official in Iraq’s government as he stepped off a plane in Baghdad, a political ally said yesterday, and a US military intelligence official linked the man to a June bombing that killed four Americans and six Iraqis.
Ali Al-Lami’s arrest raised fresh concerns about Iranian and Shiite militia influence in the top ranks of Iraq’s leadership. Without naming Al-Lami, the US military in Iraq said the suspect arrested Wednesday evening is believed to be a senior leader of “special groups” — Iranian-backed militiamen in Iraq.
Al-Lami’s detention could also further discredit attempts by the Shiite-led government to keep top supporters of Saddam Hussein out of senior government jobs. Al-Lami was in charge of that task, as head of a committee that screens former Baath party members.
He and his family were returning to Baghdad from Lebanon, where he underwent medical treatment, when he was arrested at the city’s international airport, said Qaiser Watout, a member of Al-Lami’s committee. US troops were waiting for Al-Lami as the plane’s doors opened, Watout said, adding that his family was allowed to proceed.
“We condemn this act,” Watout said. “Al-Lami was a moderate official and we are surprised by his arrest.” The US military confirmed it arrested a senior Shiite figure Wednesday, but would not release the name or say whether it was Al-Lami. The military said the man, who was known to travel to Iran and Lebanon, was detained after his plane landed at the airport.
The US military intelligence official in Iraq confirmed Al-Lami’s arrest. He said he has received several reports about Al-Lami’s alleged involvement in a June 24 bombing.
The military said the detainee is believed to be behind the June attack that killed 10 people, including two US soldiers and two American civilians, in a district council building in Baghdad’s Shiite slum of Sadr City, the military said.
Meanwhile, Moqtada Sadr released a statement saying his largely disbanded Mehdi Army militia would extend its cease-fire “until further notice.” The statement, which was read by an aide in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, also warned that any “person who violates” the truce would no longer be considered part of the Mehdi Army.
Sadr’s militia battled US and Iraqi forces for years, but last year he declared a cease-fire. The truce had been extended in six-month increments, but yesterday’s statement indicated it would now be considered open-ended.
Also yesterday, an Iraqi official said US troops will on Sept. 1 hand over control of Iraq’s Anbar province, once the heart of a bloody Sunni Arab insurgency, reflecting a dramatic drop in violence across the country.
Iraqi forces will officially assume control of the vast region west of Baghdad, said Maj. Gen. Tareq Al-Dulaimi, the provincial police commander.
Anbar, whose insurgency once posed the greatest challenge to US forces and the government, became a relatively peaceful place after Sunni tribal leaders turned against Al-Qaeda militants and formed neighborhood police units that became a model for security efforts across Iraq. Iraq now has security control of 10 of its 18 provinces.
