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A30 world news
Diahuebs 10 Juni 2021

Iraqi militia commander, whose arrest stoked tensions, freed

growing clout within Iraq has fingers toward the leadership security body should have
troubled Western, especially of the PMF ... the PMF is the physical custody of Musleh.
U.S., officials and presented one defending this country.” Al-Kadhimi’s government
an ongoing challenge for was aware that a transfer
Iraq’s government. The charges had accused to PMF security would be
Musleh of corruption and widely seen as a concession.
Musleh’s arrest sparked ten- complicity in the assassi-
sions and fears of violence nations of Iraqi activists in An investigative committee
when, shortly after, forces Karbala, in particular the tar- comprised of officials from
affiliated with the PMF sur- geted killing of Ehab al-Waz- the defense and interior min-
rounded Prime Minister ni. Al-Wazni was an outspo- istries, National Security and
Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s head- ken activist in Karbala whose the PMF was formed to look
(AP) — An Iraqi militia officials said Musleh was quarters inside the heav- death sparked outrage and into his case. Musleh was in
commander whose ar- released at 8 a.m. and he re- ily fortified Green Zone, the protests across Iraq’s south the custody of the Joint Op-
rest last month sparked a turned to the southern city seat of the Iraqi government. and Baghdad. erations Command during
standoff between the gov- of Karbala, his hometown, that time. The JOC over-
ernment and paramilitary where supporters also greet- Iraqi security forces and the The Supreme Judicial Coun- sees an array of Iraqi security
groups was freed Wednes- ed him. elite Counter-Terrorism Ser- cil said Wednesday investiga- forces.
day after a judge ordered vice were deployed to protect tive authorities were unable
his release. Musleh is head of the Popu- the government and diplo- to produce evidence impli- On Monday, his file was sent
lar Mobilization Forces in matic missions. PMF factions cating Musleh in the death to a PMF investigative judge,
The release of Qassim Mah- Anbar province. He was ar- had also gathered around the of al-Wazni, according to a who ordered his release.
moud Musleh came as Irani- rested May 27 on terrorism Green Zone’s entrance gates. statement.
an Gen. Esmail Ghaani, head charges following a judicial Ghaani’s arrival in Baghdad
of the expeditionary Quds investigation. His release It was the latest incident high- “It was proven according to coincided with Musleh’s re-
Force, arrived in Baghdad to was ordered by an investiga- lighting al-Kadhimi’s ongo- the passport information that lease. Officials said ongoing
meet with militia and politi- tive judge within the PMF, to ing challenge to impose the (Musleh) was outside of Iraq tensions were the subject
cal leaders, two Shiite politi- whom his case file had been rule of law on militia groups. when al-Wazni was assassi- of his meetings but did not
cal officials said. sent, two Iraqi officials said. The groups are suspected of nated and he denied commit- elaborate further.
targeting anti-government ting or participating in this
The officials said the meet- Iraq’s Supreme Judicial protesters and outspoken ac- crime, and the investigative Attempts to arrest militia-af-
ing was to address ongoing Council said Musleh was re- tivists as well as the American court did not find any evi- filiated individuals in the past
tensions between the gov- leased because of insufficient presence in Iraq. dence to prove his involve- have unfolded in a similar
ernment and some militia evidence and that proper le- ment in that crime, directly pattern, with pressure com-
groups linked to Iran follow- gal procedures had been fol- Musleh’s release was consid- or indirectly,” the statement ing from militia groups and
ing Musleh’s arrest. The of- lowed — an apparent effort ered by many to be a win for said. concessions on the part of the
ficials spoke on condition of to dispel criticism over his the PMF in its standoff with government.
anonymity because they were release. the government. Following Musleh’s deten-
not authorized to speak to tion, Al-Kadhimi held a A raid carried out by the
media. The PMF is a state-sanc- In comments to local media meeting with key Shiite lead- Counter-Terrorism Service
tioned group comprised of in Karbala after his release, ers to quell tensions. Based last summer against Iran-
Supporters of Musleh greet- an array of militias formed Musleh said: “The leadership on the meeting’s outcome, backed Kataib Hezbollah led
ed him with hugs and kisses to battle the Islamic State of the PMF expect that they Musleh was taken into PMF to over a dozen arrests. All
on Baghdad’s central Jadriya group in 2014. Among the will be accused of terrorism. custody. were eventually released af-
Bridge after his release, tak- most powerful members of ... It has happened before and ter pressure and threats of
ing photos and videos with the group are Iran-backed it is happening now. Enemies Of particular concern during violence against the govern-
him to celebrate. Two Iraqi Shiite militia groups. Their outside of Iraq are pointing his detention was which Iraqi ment.

Hostage advocates concerned by US pullout from Afghanistan

(AP) — Advocates for tage policy overhaul, which erations for current hostages The departure of all U.S. the release of Frerichs and
Americans held hostage included the creation of an held in the area.” special operations forces has “enlisted the support of
overseas are raising con- FBI-led hostage recovery fu- from Afghanistan will make senior Qatari and Pakistani
cerns that the U.S. mili- sion cell and the appointment They include Mark Frerichs, counterterrorism operations, officials on his behalf.”
tary withdrawal from of a State Department envoy a contractor from Lombard, including the collecting of
Afghanistan will make it for hostage affairs. But it also Illinois, who vanished in intelligence on al-Qaida and The foundation behind the
harder to bring home cap- raises potential areas for im- January 2020 and is believed other extremist groups, more report was created by Diane
tives from the country. provement, including more held by the Taliban-linked difficult. The administration Foley, whose son, James Fol-
mental health and financial Haqqani network, and Paul hopes to be able to compen- ey, was killed by Islamic State
An annual report from the support for hostages and de- Overby, an American writer sate through the military’s militants in 2014 while in
James W. Foley Legacy Foun- tainees who return from cap- who disappeared in Afghani- wide geographic reach, which Syria as a freelance journalist.
dation, released Wednesday, tivity. And it says more may stan in 2014. has only expanded with the
examines the status of U.S. need to be done to make hos- advent of armed drones and The deaths of James Foley
government efforts to secure tage recovery a greater prior- “They also fear that the fur- other technologies. and other Western hostages
the release of hostages and ity. ther reduction of U.S. physi- at the hands of IS operatives
unlawful detainees in foreign cal presence in the country The administration has said helped prompt the Obama
countries. The report’s find- Among the concerns raised is an erosion of the leverage it will retain a U.S. Embassy administration’s 2015 policy
ings are based on interviews by hostage advocates inter- needed to make progress on presence, but that will be- overhaul following com-
with former hostages and viewed for the report is that resolving these cases,” the re- come more difficult if the plaints by hostage families
detainees or their representa- once American troops leave port states. “It is perceived by military’s departure leads to that government officials had
tives and relatives, as well as Afghanistan — a process the some advocates that securing a collapse of Afghan gover- failed to sufficiently com-
current and former govern- Biden administration has said the release of these hostages nance. municate with them and had
ment and military officials. will be completed by Sept. 11 was not made a precondition even threatened prosecution
— “it will become more dif- for any settlement during the Washington’s special envoy to if relatives tried to raise a ran-
The report shows general ficult to generate the intelli- peace talks in Doha, Qatar Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalil- som.
satisfaction with changes in- gence needed to find Ameri- with the Taliban.” zad, has told Congress that
stituted as part of a 2015 hos- cans and conduct rescue op- he has repeatedly demanded