Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Nouri al-Maliki
Relations between Washington and Baghdad have become strained following the public demands of Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for the United States to turn over the American soldiers involved in a weekend raid that left two Iraqis dead and six others captured. The raid, targeted at Shiite militiamen loyal to anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, was conducted at the home of an Iraqi officer, Capt. Muaamer Abid Naama al-Bidyree, who works at the Interior Ministry’s internal affairs office. While U.S. soldiers searched the home, an armed male relative of Bidyree ran towards the Americans, who opened fire, killing the man, along with a woman caught in the line of fire, U.S. officials said.
American military commanders insisted the Iraqi government was notified in advance of the operation, although they declined to name the official who had approved the raid. Under the terms of a new bilateral security agreement signed in January, American military personnel cannot conduct raids without first notifying Iraqi security forces, and Iraqis can no longer be detained for long periods. The Iraqi government’s Baghdad security command called the raid “a violation of the security agreement,” and demanded that U.S. forces turn over those responsible for the killings. Iraqi commanders also insisted on the immediate release of the six Iraqis taken into custody.
Some American officials suggested al-Maliki could be using the raid for political purposes to shore up support among voters. National elections are scheduled for next winter.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Iraq Says US Raid Violated Pact (BBC News)
Deaths in U.S. Raid Elicit Anger in Iraq (by Ernesto Londoño and Zaid Sabah, Washington Post)
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