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Last update - 19:53 14/09/2008
Iraqi MP: They punished me for Israel trip because I criticize Iran
By Reuters
Tags: Israel, Sunni, Iraq, Terror

After Iraq said it would prosecute a lawmaker over a recent trip to Israel, the MP said he was victim of a campaign against him because of his outspoken criticism of Shi'ite Iran.

"The law does not allow them to do this. What they really want is to threaten any person who talks against Iran," Mithal al-Alousi told Reuters on Sunday. "Yesterday, I received death threats [because of the visit]. Today, they gave the green light to the killers."

Al-Alousi, a secular Sunni politician, also said he feared being attacked. Two of his sons were murdered in 2005 and a former culture minister, Asaad al-Hashemi, was found guilty in absentia last month and sentenced to hang for involvement in the killings.
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Iraq said on Sunday it would prosecute the lawmaker over the trip, and angry parliamentarians voted to strip him of his legal immunity.

Members of parliament said al-Alousi had committed a crime by "visiting a country that Iraq considers an enemy", in breach of a law they said had been retained since the rule of late dictator Saddam Hussein.

Like most Arab countries, Iraq has no diplomatic relations with Israel, but it is not clear exactly what the law says about visiting it. Alusi made a trip there earlier this month for a conference on terrorism and security.

"In the name of the government and prime minister, we reject this visit which violated the law and provoked the feelings of the Iraqi people. The government will take all legal measures against this person," minister for parliamentary affairs Safaaeddine al-Safi told the assembly.

Al-Alousi attended the the Herzliyah Institute for Counter-Terrorism conference in Israel this month. He made the opening statements at the conference, calling for stronger relations between Iraq and Israel.

The Iraqi lawmaker also urged stronger cooperation between Iraq and Israel in fighting terror, and issued a harsh condemnation of Iran, which he accused of meddling in Iraqi affairs.

Safi, who put forward Sunday's motion, said Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government would seek Alusi's prosecution.

"Parliament also voted to prevent him from travelling out of Iraq or attending any more sessions," Hussein Falluji, a lawmaker from the main Sunni Arab bloc, told Reuters.



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      1.   Iraq is not our friend. 17:56  |  MichaelF 14/09/08
      2.   Punishing a man who wants to make peace 18:09  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/09/08
      3.   ALL governments, at least the ones not supporting terrorism, 19:54  |  Lynn 14/09/08
      4.   Iraq... 19:55  |  Al 14/09/08
      5.   Didn`t Israel also passed same law,for arab MKs that visit Syria? 20:14  |  John 14/09/08
      6.   # 1 For someone who doesn`t know that arabs ARE semites 20:27  |  Kris Lazar 14/09/08
      7.   # 2 What peace is he trying to make? 20:33  |  Kris Lazar 14/09/08
      8.   # 3 Obviously this one is not very intelligent 20:40  |  Kris Lazar 14/09/08
      9.   punishment 20:50  |  Shmuelshachor 14/09/08
      10.   The atitude did not change in Iraq 21:05  |  Abu YUSUF 14/09/08
      11.   Time for the US to get out 21:40  |  Christopher 14/09/08
      12.   The conspiracy theorists got it wrong again 22:43  |  Sam C 14/09/08
      13.   Second time of trying about Bishara 23:17  |  x-ray 14/09/08
      14.   #12 Sam c You are saying 4000+ us soldiers died 23:19  |  Labhras 14/09/08
      15.   go fogure 23:20  |  alan 14/09/08
      16.   Iraq is Controlled by Iran 23:45  |  Observer 14/09/08
      17.   Haha 23:59  |  Cameron 14/09/08
      18.   John - the differences are ... 00:23  |  ChanahS 15/09/08
      19.   Kris Lazar 00:36  |  Aaron 15/09/08
      20.   Arabs Who Are Friends Of Israel Are... 00:45  |  Yosemite 15/09/08
      21.   Iraqi MP 00:48  |  Jamal 15/09/08
      22.   The neo-cons new middle east 01:00  |  Bronxite10 15/09/08
      23.   Iraq being punished for israel trip 01:10  |  M.GERALD FRIED 15/09/08
      24.   #Lynn. What do you call terrorism? 01:48  |  Maureen Ann 15/09/08
      25.   Time to dispose of the Iraqi leadership 03:14  |  John 15/09/08
      26.   THIS SOUNDS SOOO FAMILIAR 03:57  |  Arik Silverman 15/09/08
      27.   tO lYNN 04:00  |  M.GERALD FRIED 15/09/08
      28.   Kurds ruling Iraq because they have brains 08:45  |  Baghdadi 15/09/08
      29.   Agree with Margie in Tel Aviv 11:13  |  lady from USA 15/09/08
      30.   John is right 11:41  |  lady from USA 15/09/08
      31.   Baghdadi 13:04  |  lady from USA 15/09/08
      32.   Rice should go to Iraq 13:08  |  lady from USA 15/09/08
      33.   Maureen Ann 13:12  |  lady from USA 15/09/08
      34.   POLOTICS AS USUAL 21:45  |  david 16/09/08
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