You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Iraq
Baghdad demands Damascus hands over alleged masterminds
2009-08-27
Will Iraq be more successful than India?
[Al-Arabiya] Iraq and Syria recalled their ambassadors on Tuesday after Baghdad demanded Damascus hand over two people it says masterminded bombings in the Iraqi capital last week which killed almost 100 people.

Iraq's Shiite-led government has blamed supporters of Saddam Hussein's outlawed Baath party for massive truck bombs and other attacks last Wednesday, and says it has already captured some suspects it deems responsible.

" The cabinet decided to ask that they be handed over for their direct role in carrying out the terrorist operation "
Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh
In a tape aired on Sunday, one man captured said he acted under orders from a man in Syria called Sattam Farhan, a member of a wing of the Baath party headed by Mohammad Younis al-Ahmed.

"The cabinet demands the Syrian government hand over Mohammed Yunis al-Ahmed and Sattam Farhan," said government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh, announcing that Iraq's ambassador would return to Baghdad. "The cabinet decided to ask that they be handed over for their direct role in carrying out the terrorist operation," the statement added, referring to "the terrorist crime committed by Baathists and Takfiri (extremists)."

Takfiri is a term used by the Iraqi government to refer to al-Qaeda members.

Dabbagh said the Foreign Ministry would ask Syria to hand over all those wanted for crimes in Iraq and "to banish the terrorist organizations that use Syria as a base from which to carry out terrorist acts against the Iraqi nation".

He also said the cabinet had summoned Iraq's ambassador to Syria back to Baghdad to discuss the issue, prompting the Syrian government to recall its ambassador to Iraq in response.

Expelled last year
Diplomats in Damascus say Syria, ruled by a rival branch of the Sunni Arab Baath party, and expelled Younis earlier this year.

Syria's official news agency SANA, quoting "an official Syrian source", rebuffed Dabbagh's comments about the attacks, which Damascus has strongly condemned as a "terrorist act".

"Syria informed the Iraqi side of its readiness to receive an Iraqi delegation and discuss with it available evidence on the perpetrators of the bombings. Otherwise, it would consider what is broadcast on Iraqi media as evidence fabricated for domestic political goals," the source said.
Posted by:Fred

#1  I must be giddy today. I initially read that as "Baghdad demands Alleged Masterminds Hand Over Damascus". And when we stop referring to Baathists as former members of a dead man's party, and start referring to them as Iraqi members of the TOTALITARIAN PARTY RUNNING SYRIA?
Posted by: Mitch H.   2009-08-27 13:40  

00:00