Aljazeera.Net: US: Arrest of Sunni leader a mistake

[unhappycamper]

US: Arrest of Sunni leader a mistake
Monday 30 May 2005, 17:30 Makka Time, 14:30 GMT

"This morning coalition forces detained and interviewed Muhsen Abd al-Hamid. Following the interview it was determined that he was detained by mistake and should be released," a statement issued by the US military said on Monday.

The potentially damaging mistake took place against a backdrop of pervasive sectarian mistrust, made even worse by a double bombing earlier in the day in Hilla, a predominantly Shia city south of Baghdad, that left least 27 Iraqis dead and more than 118 wounded, according to Aljazeera.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani had called for the immediate release of the leader of Iraq's main Sunni party, Islamic Party, a statement from his office said.

Abd al-Hamid and his three sons were hooded and detained at his home by US forces on Monday morning.

MORE

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/6779B776-EA32-44AC-94AB-088258872169.htm

[cvoogt]

1. so what

so was this war

[Robbien]

2. US admits detention blunder

US forces in Baghdad admitted having made an embarrassing mistake when they grabbed Hamid of the Islamist Party in a dawn raid that left his home turned upside down. He was released in the afternoon.

. . .

"This morning coalition forces detained and interviewed Mohsen Abdel Hamid. Following the interview it was determined that he was detained by mistake and should be released," a statement issued by the US military said. Coalition forces regret any inconvenience and acknowledge Mr Hamid's co-operation in resolving this matter."

Following his release Hamid told reporters: "US soldiers burst in, tied my hands and led me to an unknown place before flying me by helicopter to another place where I was interrogated all day long on various subjects. I don't yet know the reason for my arrest nor that of my sons."

Hamid's party said two of his three sons, Moqdad and Assayed, were still being held along with several guests and guards, and demanded an explanation for the raid and a formal apology.

. . .

The Iraq Islamist Party pressed the government to answer for the blunder and also called for money and documents seized in the raid to be returned.

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1713600,00.html

[merwin]

3. WTF? They didn't release his documents and money with him?

This wasn't an 'accident'. There is something there that they wanted.

[Benbow]

8. The military want to put a bug in his documents

is my guess. And then give them back to him, when they can track him and listen in on his conversations. One of those that is no larger than a full-stop, say.

The Iraqi government must be wondering when they get to be allowed to govern, without having the US forces making raids ad hoc on their politicians without so much as a "by your leave" and checking first that their "intelligence" is reliable.

[Henny Penny]

11. I think what they want....

is to further inflame sectarian tensions so that a civil war can be engineered. If the Iraqis are fighting each other, they won't be fighting the US.

Also it makes sense from *'s perspective to divide Iraq into three separate statelets with puppet governments. The Shia and Kurdish bits will have oil and probably a more compliant population. * won't care much about what happens in the Sunni bit as it won't have any oil.

[Robbien]

12. Juan Cole said the same thing

and he goes on to say that for two years the Iraqis have resisted the tactic saying "We are not Sunni or Shiite, we are Iraqi".

But the constant US covert civil attacks are taking its toll against Iraqi unity.

[LeftCoast]

4. The only 'mistake' here was that this guy happened to be a known figure

Had he been anyone else, he'd be rotting in one of our gulag's somewhere till the end of time. It makes me sick that my government is responsible for this type of activity.

[Benbow]

16. Riverbend has posted on this too

on Monday 30 May, entry entitled "Oops"

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

We woke up this morning to the interesting news that Muhsin Abdul Hameed had also been detained! A member of the former Iraqi Governing Council, a rotating puppet president, and *The Sunni*. He is The Sunni they hold up to all Sunnis as an example of cooperation and collaboration. Well, he’s the religious Sunni. There is a tribal Sunni (supposedly to appease the Arab Sunni tribes) and that is Ghazi Al Yawir and there is the religious Sunni- Muhsin Abdul Hameed.

The Americans are saying Muhsin was “detained and interviewed”, which makes one think his car was gently pulled over and he was asked a few questions. What actually happened was that his house was raided early morning, doors broken down, windows shattered and he and his three sons had bags placed over their heads and were dragged away. They showed the house, and his wife, today on Arabiya and the house was a disaster. The cabinets were broken, tables overturned, books and papers scattered, etc. An outraged Muhsin was on tv a few minutes ago talking about how the troops pushed him to the floor and how he had an American boot on his neck for twenty minutes.

Talabani was seemingly irritated. He wondered why no one asked him about the arrest before it occurred- as if the he is personally consulted on every other raid and detention. The detention is disturbing. Now I am not personally fond of Muhsin Abdul Hameed- he looks somewhat like a dried potato, and he’s a Puppet. It is disturbing, though, because if this was really a mistake, then just imagine how many other ‘mistakes’ are being unfairly detained and possibly tortured in places like Abu Ghraib. Abdul Hameed is one of their own and even he wasn’t safe from a raid, humiliation and detention. He was out the same day, but other Iraqis don’t have the luxury of a huffy Talabani and outraged political party.

Was it meant to send a message to Sunnis? That’s what some people are saying. Many people believe it was meant to tell Sunnis, “None of you are safe- even the ones who work with us.” It’s just difficult to believe this is one big misunderstanding or mistake.

[BikePunk]

5. now Ill hold my breath...

Till they say they made a mistake about Newsweek tarnishing the image of the US, instead of Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, WMD's etc...etc...etc...

[Robbien]

6. Note that the US didn't apologize, they just said a mistake was made

The article goes on to say the Islams want an apology. What are the odds they are going to get one.

[opihimoimoi]

7. Call in MAIDS R US to at least clean up the Home and return what was taken

Thats the very least...Apologies and a small restitution for ruffled feathers...2nd stage... and 3, find out what happened and implement preventive measures....

[Robbien]

10. Heck, forget about his stuff, they still have his two sons!!

Also forget about preventive measures, there is another article today which states the military is planning a massive house raid program to flush out "insurgents".

[ugarte]

9. Hey, we invaded the whole country by mistake

What's one more little f*ck-up?

[bemildred]

13. Yeah, a big mistake. But was it unintentional? That is the question. nt

[bloom]

14. kick

:kick:

[ngGale]

15. What! Another mistake...

our leader's are bankrupt, mentally.