By Aws Al-Sharqy, IOL Correspondent
BAGHDAD, April 7 (IslamOnline.net) - As the Iraqi Governing Council Wednesday, April 7, urged investigations into the American military use of "deliberate" force against civilians, the Iraqi Jurists Association said the arrest warrant against Shiite leader Muqtada Sadr is "illegal and based on a lie".
"The arrest warrant is illegal and incorrect, as the occupation forces issued it in disregard for sovereignty of Iraq's justice system," the Association said in a statement a copy of which was obtained by IslamOnline.net.
A U.S. military spokesman said two days ago the warrant had been issued "in the last several months" by an Iraqi judge investigating last April's murder of a pro-Western Shiite leader one year ago.
"What justice are you talking about? You have dismissed 170 justices of their offices and violated the independence of justice here," read the statement.
Iraqi Minister of Justice Abdel-Rahim Al-Shibly had told national press that he had not been aware of the arrest warrant against Sadr.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
If this is so could it be an extension of this from Political Animal?
I don't know, I ask within the context of yet to have read or heard a resonable explanation as to why the arrest now if the warrant was "in hand" for several months.
Then there's this from TPM:
Here's a brief report I got this morning from a friend working as a private security consultant in Iraq (but not for the CPA), who we should be hearing more from in the coming days ...Hey Josh ... thanks for the concern . I wrote the other day but power went out. This place is HOT! I am driving with max Iraqi bodyguards (whom I have just finished training), max weapons and max bodyarmor. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING with this Moqtada Sadr thing? Were they just bored with Fallujah. The place is a hornets nest now. Armor is all over the streets but doesn't seem to have disrupted most city life ... I told [a reporter] two weeks ago we were "one massacre away from the second Intifada of Iraq." Well I think we are there now.
Am I to believe that this is another case of...
Never mind, I'm unable to find the words. I remember the time I would have dismissed this source as "unreliable" but then I mist continue to live with the NYT as the paper of record.