IRAQ: SAYYED HAZEM AL-ARAJI AIDE TO SHI'ITE CLERIC, RELEASED BY US LED FORCES AFTER FIVE HOURS IN DETENTION

Record ID: 648774

  • Title: IRAQ: SAYYED HAZEM AL-ARAJI AIDE TO SHI'ITE CLERIC, RELEASED BY US LED FORCES AFTER FIVE HOURS IN DETENTION
  • Date: 13th April 2004
  • Summary: (EU) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (APRIL 13, 2004) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF CROWDS SURROUNDING CAR CARRYING SAYYED HAZEM AL-ARAJI, AIDE TO SHI'ITE CLERIC MOQTADA AL-SADR 0.19 2. VARIOUS, AL-ARAJI WALKING THROUGH CHANTING CROWDS 1.15 (EU) NAJAF, IRAQ (APRIL 13, 2004) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) 2. SCU CAMERA MAN 1.20 3. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SPOKESMAN FOR MOQTADA AL-SADR, SHEIKH QAIS AL-KHAZALI, SAYING: "A big crisis will happened if they touch Sayyed Moqtada. They are facing an uprising now, but if they harm Sadr, a massive revolution all over Iraq will take place, we will be time bombs." 1.47 4. WIDE OF JOURNALISTS LISTENING 1.51 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 28th April 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD AND NAJAF, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVAC0DY76JT6HD7WZA847EK5YNKW
  • Story Text: U.S.-led forces in Iraq release Sayyed Hazem
    al-Araji, aide to radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.




    An aide to radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr
    was released from U.S. military custody on Tuesday (April
    13) after five hours in detention, witnesses said.

    Sayyed Hazem al-Araji, a cleric and aide to Sadr for a
    northern Baghdad district, had been detained as he left a
    central Baghdad hotel earlier on Tuesday shortly after
    giving an interview to Italian media.

    Araji was first taken to an upper floor of the hotel
    for questioning before being driven from the complex in an
    armoured U.S. vehicle as Shi'ite tribal sheikhs denounced
    his seizure.

    No reason was given for his detention, but a warrant is
    out for the arrest of Sadr and U.S. military commanders
    have said they intend to capture or kill the anti-American
    firebrand.

    Sadr has been leading a violent Shi'ite uprising in
    some areas of Baghdad and across southern Iraq in the past
    10 days.

    His Mehdi Army militia has briefly seized control of
    several southern towns and is still said to be in control
    of the holy cities of Kerbala and Najaf.

    A spokesman for Sadr in Najaf warned U.S. troops there
    would be a massive uprising if Sadr was harmed.

    "A big crisis will happened if they touch Sayed
    Moqtada. They are facing an uprising now, but if they harm
    Sadr, a massive revolution all over Iraq will take place,
    we will be time bombs," spokesman Sheikh Qais al-Khazali
    said.

    U.S. commanders have moved additional forces to Najaf
    and Kerbala and said their mission is to kill or capture
    Sadr and destroy his militia forces, believed to number
    around 5,000.


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