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| Iraq |
| Former Iraqi Defense Minister Blames Iran for Smear Campaign Against Him |
| 2005-09-26 |
| While pressures are building up against him, former Iraqi Defense Minister Hazem Sha'alan accused Iran of being behind the escalating allegations campaign targeted at him. Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Supreme Debathification Commission, Ali al-Lami, declared that he has requested that the former minister's immunity be lifted to pave the way for his trial on two charges. The first is related to the claims of corruption in his former ministry. The second allegation is based on claims that he was a member of the intelligence service in the former regime of Saddam Hussein. Sha'alan pointed fingers of accusation to Iran in the campaign against him, Saying, "the reason behind this whole campaign is that I have spoken unfavorably about the 'the black grape,' as the saying goes in Iraq." He referred to "the whole campaign as a matter of setting accounts because I exposed the scandals of Iranian intervention in Iraq." Sha'alan denied that he had worked or was associated with the Iraqi intelligence service. He referred to a number of "ill-intended" parties inside Iraq who tried to associate him with the Iraqi intelligence service before the past elections. The current campaign has been staged to take place in advance of the upcoming elections with the aim of defaming his reputation. He said, "I do not know a person by the name Ali al-Lami. My enemies in the National Assembly can do anything because they have a majority in the assembly." He added it is possible to raise charges against anybody in Iraq without having any evidence, because "Iraq has turned into a jungle now. Every day about 100 to 150 bodies are thrown in the Tigris River." On the other hand, al-Lami told the Associated Press yesterday that if his commission gets the approval to lift Sha'alan immunity, "an arrest warrant will be issued and will be submitted to the Jordanian Government which must turn him over to the Iraqi authorities." |
| Posted by:Fred |