March 22, 2007
ANSWERING TO THE SOVEREIGN POWER:
Maliki 'orders' US to free top Sadr ally: Iraqi vice president calls for dialogue with 'everybody' - except al-qaeda (The Daily Star, March 22, 2007)
US forces have released a senior aide to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on the orders of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the premier's office said on Wednesday, as Iraq's vice president called for talks with insurgent groups. Ahmad Shibani, who had been held for more than a year, is a senior aide to Sadr, the leader of the Mehdi Army militia."[Shibani] has been released this afternoon on the orders of Prime Minister Maliki," an official in the prime minister's office told Reuters.
Nassar al-Rubaie, head of the Sadrist bloc in parliament, said US forces had been detaining Shibani without charge.
"We know that today he will be released by the occupation forces and delivered to the prime minister today to be freed," he said.
Posted by Orrin Judd at March 22, 2007 6:57 AM
Didn't the last time the US let Maliki order it around to boost Maliki's cred lead to an upsurge in violence that is now being dealt with by the surge? Is the same mistake going to be made? Or are they using this guy as bait to get to Sadr?
Posted by: AWW at March 22, 2007 11:51 AMThe surge is a joint US/Sadr operation.
Posted by: oj at March 22, 2007 2:43 PM