U.S. Shields an Accused Iraqi Killer

[sabra]

Source: NY Sun

WASHINGTON — The American Embassy in Baghdad is offering de facto protection to the Iraqi culture minister, who an Iraqi judge this week charged with the attempted murder of a fellow parliamentarian, Mithal al-Alusi.

That is what Mr. Alusi told The New York Sun yesterday in a phone call from Baghdad. Mr. Alusi said the wanted man, As'ad Kamal al-Hashemi, had fled to al-Rashid Hotel inside the American-protected international zone in the center of Baghdad. Iraqi national police on Tuesday went to this location, only to be told by the South American mercenaries guarding the al-Rashid compound that they could not enter the grounds of the hotel where Mr. Hashemi was staying. Mr. Alusi then called the office of the American ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Crocker, to ask the Americans to order the guards to allow the national police to enter the premises. He was, in so many words, refused.

"I called Ambassador Ryan Crocker's office today and yesterday and they did not give any kind of answer. They are playing with us. They say this is an Iraqi issue, we are not going to be involved. And normally this is a very good attitude, but not when it stops us from arresting terrorists," Mr. Alusi said.

The contractors who guard al-Rashid Hotel report directly to American contractors, who in turn report to the American military command in Iraq or the American Embassy.

Read more: http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=57454&v=1885303811

[Greeby]

1. To quote Willard from Apocalypse Now

Charging a man with murder in this place is like handing out speeding tickets at the Indy 500

[gratuitous]

2. The Iraqi police can't even enforce their own warrants?

Can we now please stop with the Republican nonsense about Iraq as a sovereign nation? If your cops can't enforce your judge's warrants without the say-so of South American mercenaries, guess what? You're not a sovereign nation. You're not in control of anything, let alone able to stand up so that your occupiers can stand down.

This war is over and we've lost. Go home, troops. Don't wait for orders, don't wait for transports. Just leave.

[Spazito]

3. Wow, and to think I even questioned the bush admin's statements

that Iraq is a sovereign nation! How cynical of me!

:sarcasm: (not that I think this is really needed, lol)

[Kagemusha]

4. There's no guarantee that this guy is actually guilty even.

Maliki's running his own Shiite-specific intel service as opposed to the (quite literally) CIA-financed one that the US supports. That intel service has been giving him all sorts of dirt on domestic opponents that is being used as the basis of legal claims like this one. Who knows how the information was obtained? Perhaps by torture? Or just made up? Even if Maliki wasn't in on made-up intel/evidence, and was simply told what he wants to hear, he's the one who bought the goods at the bazaar.

But, nonetheless, yes, that is a determination made by Iraq's sovereign government...