Daily Kos

Sunni Leader "Accidentally" Arrested

by Erasmus

Mon May 30, 2005 at 08:57:12 AM PDT

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/30/AR2005053000378.html

If someone already posted this, my apologies. Anyway, scroll down past news of the unfortunately-usual violence in Iraq, and you'll see this:

Meanwhile, in Baghdad, U.S.-led coalition forces arrested the head of one of the country's largest Sunni Muslim political parties, storming his home before dawn and taking him into custody, along with three of his sons, some guests and some of his guards.

The Iraqi Islamic Party, which boycotted Iraq's January elections but which has recently been negotiating with Iraq's government about increasing Sunni participation in the political process, held a midday news conference to denounce the raid on the home of its leader, Mohsen Abdul Hamid.

In a statement released Monday afternoon by the coalition forces press office said the arrests had been a mistake. "Mr. Hamid is being returned to his home," the statement said. "Coalition forces regret any inconvenience and acknowledge Mr. Hamid's cooperation in resolving this matter."

At best, this is an example of more horrible "diplomacy"--ticking off the people we should be trying to win over, etc.--and at worst, it's continued manipulation of our little puppet-government. "The Sunnis aren't playing our ballgame, what should we do?" "Let's push their leader around and see what happens."

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