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Iraq
Alleged terror-plotters freed, non-US troop bill blocked
Article published on the 2008-12-20 Latest update 2008-12-20 16:25 TU
Protesters demanding the TV reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi, who threw a shoe at President George Bush, in Baghdad's Sadr City
(Photo: Reuters)
Iraqi security forces on Saturday released 24 officers who were arrested earlier this week amid rumours of coup plots and aiding terrorism. Officials promised to take action against those who made the allegations against them. Also on Saturday, lawmakers rejected a bill authorising non-US foreign troops to stay in the country after the end of this year.
The officers, who all worked for the Interior and Defence Ministries, were arrested on Thursday. Early reports said that 40 officials were accused of plotting a coup but officials later gave a lower figure and said they were suspected of aiding "terrorists".
The charges against all the detainees have now been dropped, Brigadier General Abdel Karim Khalaf told the AFP news agency.
"They are patriotic officers. We will take action against the people who made the allegations against them," he said.
The pan-Arab newspaper Al-Awsat claimed today that the arrests could have been launched by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to weaken his rivals in next month's provincial elections.
On Friday Interior Minister Jawad Bolani, who leads a separate list to Maliki in the election, declared that the charges were "fabricated and not based on any security fact or any intelligence information".
He claimed that the arrests took place because his ministry has "limited the influence of certain political parties in the Interior Ministry and other minstries".
Also on Saturday Iraq's parliament rejected a draft law which would have allowed countries other than the US to keep troops in Iraq after the end of this year, when the UN mandate runs out.
MPs said that they wanted a treaty or agreement similar to the one reached with the US, which allows American troops to stay until the end of 2011.
The bill now goes back to the cabinet for amendment ahead of another vote next week.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown this week announced that his country's forces would leave by the end of July 2009.
The other countries with troops in the country are Australia, El Salvador, Estonia and Romania. South Korean troops pulled out on Friday.
Supporters of Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi demonstrated for his release on Saturday. Al-Zaidi is in jail after throwing his shoe at US President George Bush at a news conference.
Members of his family says that they will stay camped in a park until he is freed.
