Where is Mohammed al-Daini? [Updated]
The United States may be leaving Iraq, but we should not be abandoning the Iraqi people. Particularly those who have put their lives on the line to rebuild their country in peace. Particularly someone like Mohammed al-Daini, a member of the Iraqi Parliament and critic of the Maliki government who disappeared recently under suspicious circumstances after being accused of terrorism by that government. I worked with al-Daini in 2006 and 2007; our goal was to reduce and stop the violence in Iraq. This is what I know:
At a news conference Feb. 22, Major Gen. Qassem Atta, spokesman for Baghdad's military, charged al-Daini, a Sunni secular Member of Parliament, with orchestrating the suicide bombing that took place in the Parliament cafeteria on April 12, 2007. He aired video tapes showing al-Daini's nephew, Riad Ibrahim al-Daini, and bodyguard, Alaa Khairallah, confessing to crimes they said he had directed. "The suicide bomber entered with an authorization paper from Mohammed al-Daini and blew himself up at the parliament," the nephew said on the video, adding that he had taken the assailant to the scene.
Al-Daini denied the charges saying his nephew and bodyguard were tortured. Al-Daini appeared on the Dubai-based satellite network al-Sharqiya to rebut accusations linking him to any of the actions, calling the arrests of his nephew and bodyguard a "politically motivated" act by Iraq's Shiite-dominated government. "The goal behind this is to put pressure on me, and it is political blackmailing," he said.
Sixteen members of al-Daini's extended family were arrested. Al-Daini was on a plane flying from Baghdad to Amman, Jordan, when it was ordered to return. At the airport, he was reportedly arrested. Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) who was recently in Baghdad could not find out if al-Daini was in custody. Al-Daini's wife doesn't know; she hasn't heard from him since last Feb. 23.
Al-Daini was the subject of a BBC Channel 4 television special report that aired in 2006, in which he helped expose secret jails run by the Interior Ministry in Nissoor Square in Baghdad and in the Diyala province east of Baghdad. Reps. McDermott and Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.) invited him to come to the United States to speak to members of Congress who were interested in hearing from secular nationalist members of Parliament. Back then, we seemed to only be hearing from Shiite legislators, all supporters of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. After waiting three months for al-Daini's visa and wondering if it would ever be approved, McDermott and I concluded the next best thing would be a live "video conference" between the secular Sunni lawmakers and the U.S. Congress. Nine U.S. representatives spoke via a satellite link to four Iraqi MPs, including al-Daini and Osama al-Nujaifi, who was injured in the cafeteria bombing.
A month later, al-Daini's visa was approved. He brought with him documents that he said showed that Maliki was influenced by people in Iran and that the Maliki government was guilty of crimes.
At that point, I didn't know al-Daini very well. So, I had him stay at my house for two weeks in 2007 rather than a hotel because I wanted to get to know him personally. When you spend time with someone hour after hour; eating together, jogging in the morning, living life, you get to know them in a more intimate way. He spoke with a reporter from every major news outlet. The only organization that ran a story was the New York Times on May 14, 2007. It was not a very good article for al-Daini; the article aired unproved accusations against him. It was not surprising that Maliki supporters would strike back.
On June 5, 2007, I flew to Amman, Jordan, and stayed in his apartment with al-Daini, his wife, his new baby daughter, his brother, and nephew, Haidar, who had been kidnapped for ransom twice in Baghdad. I stayed there two weeks. His family, friends and political associates came to the apartment to talk with me. Some of these people were injured in the suicide blast that the Maliki government is accusing al-Daini of orchestrating. The charge seems implausible to me.
Al-Daini and I worked on organizing a cease fire between Iraqi insurgent groups and the Coalition Forces. He would organize what groups he could through third-party representatives. I would get access to the Coalition Forces.
We flew to Baghdad for a meeting with Gen. David Petraeus, who because of an emergency could meet with us only briefly in the hallway of the U.S. Embassy. He turned us over to Lt. Gen. Graeme Lamb and Major Gen. Paul Newton, both of the British army. Al-Daini had organized eight insurgent groups, 18 tribal leaders and a group of exiled Iraqi intellectuals to support a proposal for a cease fire. Lamb and Newton seemed interested and requested a written proposal. Our efforts, unfortunately, went nowhere.
Al-Daini was in the Parliament cafeteria sitting two tables away from the counter where the suicide bomber detonated the bomb. He was speaking to Nassar Al Rubaie (a Sadrist) just as the explosion took place. Many of his friends and political associates were sitting either at his table or the one next to it where Mohammed Awad, the legislator who died, was sitting. Awad was a member of the National Dialogue Front, the same group Mohammed belonged to.
An alliance of insurgent groups linked to al-Qaeda says it carried out the deadly attack on the Iraqi Parliament. The Islamic State in Iraq said in a statement it had sent a "knight" into Baghdad's highly-fortified Green Zone.
It is extremely unlikely that someone who has organized a suicide bombing of the Parliament cafeteria is going to be sitting there while it happens. I know Mohammed al-Daini. I know his moods, his laugh, and his drive. This is a man who was working to stop violence. He was not someone who perpetrates it.
Al-Daini's defenders believe that whoever instigated the suicide bombing was directing it at him because of his charges about the secret prisons and the message he was trying to deliver to Americans about the Maliki government.
The same day this story about the charges against al-Daini broke out, Feb. 23, President Obama was announcing plans to disengage from Iraq. But we should not abandoned Iraqis' hopes for a free and safe society. Al-Daini deserves a fair trial in a way and a place where his family and friends won't feel threatened. American authorities should put him in protective custody, if they can find him.
UPDATE: One hour after this post was published, Iraqi Major General Qassem Atta announced on Iraqia TV, the government-run station, that the Iraq Government has arrested Mohammed al-Daini. This was reported to me by an associate who is living in Amman and monitoring the news. This same associate just called to tell me that now Major General Atta is denying that they have captured Mohammed al-Daini on Sharkiya TV (which she says presented a feed from Iraqia TV). He said that there is a manhunt for al-Daini and they are searching the airports and borders for him.
Dal LaMagna, an American businessman and political activist, he ran for U.S. Congress is 1996 and 2000. He ran a short-lived campaign for president in 2007 on a platform of opposing the war in Iraq.
Lawmaker linked to attacks, Iraqi authorities say
Iraqi Lawmaker Is Charged With Masterminding an Attack on ...
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Meet the new dictators same as the old dictator. The Shiaare using the U.S., and only too happy to take the billions pouring in...while they stash oil revenues for a rainy day.
They have absolutely no loyalty to the U.S. except for as long as they can mlk the situation. When the faucet starts to trickle, their true colors will start shining through. Right now the U.S. is keeping the Sunnis at bay; eventually all he//will break loose again.
Meet the new dictators same as the old dictator. The Shia are using the U.S., and only too happy to take the billions pouring in...while they stash oil revenues for a rainy day.
They have absolutely no loyalty to the U.S. except for as long as they can mlk the situation. When the faucet starts to trickle, their true colors will start shining through. Right now the U.S. is keeping the Sunnis at bay; eventually all he//will break loose again.
What a monumental waste of taxpayer money and human life!
Face it, Al Daini will be granted admission to the USA once the blood letting grows in Iraq after 1 or another faction takes power, if Al Daini lives that long. If Mr LaMagn is to be believed, Al Diani has angered every faction in Iraq. The reckless may say that Al Daini has betrayed &/or double-crossed almost every one in Iraq between 1999 & now. Life in Iraq would not be good to or for Al Daini. The previous comments on Mr LaMagn's latest blog establish that some people ardently dislike Al Daini. Some may have more than ample reason to dislike Al Daini. Often that is enough to assure murder in a chaotic land like Iraq.
Oh, what a wonderful example the United States has set...
This defense of al-Daini is like someone writing a defense of Bush's policies just because they camped out at his ranch for a few weeks and felt like they "got to know the real George Bush". You lost any credibility the minute you made yourself part of the story. Spoken faithfully like some guy who slinks around with people not because they are taking moral stands, but only because they receive flack from the people you hate so therefore you instantly back him up based off nothing more than his word. Way to fail at journalistic integrity.
The typical game was to frame any Sunni politician, whereas Shiite criminals like Bayan Jabr Solagh, were spared as untouchable as hell,this has contributed much to the blurred image of USA in Iraq and far abroad too. What justice is this freak show? I am talking about tens of thousands of innocent people being arrested on false accusations, I wonder if any American citizen is able to visualize the devastating grief for having 3 sons and their father arrested for 3 years, leaving a female family remnants to suffer all kinds of pain and slow death, this is what has been, and still happening in every town in Iraq, wake up sunshine America, and sing with us" Look what they've done to my song", wake up and try being real Christian, or real human if not possible. Your power has been exploited for the welfare of Iranian plots, I wonder what is keeping you so flaccid!!
Al Daini is probably dead by now, sorry. And so are a million more Iraqis. Bad karma coming for America.
Yeah, I always learn something new at HP. Today is death by karma. That happens when savage people kidnapp, arrest, torture and possibly (probably?) kill a person and members of their family, and we blame it on America. Everybody knows Iraq was an utopia before the invasion and the Iraqis never ever kidnapped, arrested, torture and killed each other with wanton abandonment before the great satan set foot there.
According to Ergon's primitive understanding, karma is simply some kind of retribution.
To run away with that notion, there's plenty negative karma to dispense to Iraqis for gassing the Kurds, and invading Kuwait and most of all, helping Hussein to stay in power.
Al Daini, along with Usama Al Nujaifi were the only members of the Iraqi Parliament to disclose all atrocities of the Kurdish binary leadership, as well as those of the Iranian puppets , whether those of Muqtada Al Sadr guerrillas, or those enrolled as Iraqi policemen. Al Daini had the guts to get all those skeletons out of the Iraqi government cupboard, and they made his big family pay for it by then. If you ask any rational Iraqi fellow, you will get this answer" Al Daini is dead by now, with tens of drill markings on his body", the plot was very clear, and he fell for it, because he had no one to support his sacrifice. This is a simple demo for those who are not well acquainted with the Shiite deep roots of outlaw vengeance, that after some 13 centuries, the abhor is being fed on and on, through sick clerics and totally illiterate mothers..t
Those posting here saying he is 'probably guilty' should have paid more attention at school.
If he organised the suicide bombing (or even just participated) he would not have risked death by being in the same place as the bomber. What would this accomplish? If he wanted to die 'for the cause' he would have had a bomb on his body too.
There many different groups who attempt to terrorize the politicians in Iraq.
Al Daini's presence during one of those acts neither proves nor disproves his complicity in a whole series of violent actions.
What is beyond dispute is that Al Daini publicly and repeatedly called for Sunni attacks against Americans.
So when Mr. LaMaga came to Americans for help, he understandably received a polite brush off from Gen. Petraeus and the Brits.
Sure - beyond dispute.
Where you get your 'facts' from would certainly seem worthy of refute...
politisize
I don't mean to sound flippant here, but....
the minute two words - 'sunni'/'shia' are put into an explanation of a situation,
*sound of crickets
"Well, there they go again"
As a Westerner, I couldn't grasp the Catholic/Protestant carnage in Ireland
and just can't work up any sympathy or try to grasp the mental gymnastics
to understand a 1000s of years old grudge match between brothers and sisters.
Makes our classic 'Hatfields and McCoys" feud look downright quaint.
The main questions are:
1. Who rightfully succeded Muhammad. (Abu Bakr or Ali)
2. The concept of the Mahdi (a redeemer of Islam who will rid the world of injustice)
3. The validity of certain Hadiths (oral traditions related to Mohammad)
Don't forget also: Sufism, Salafism, Wahhabism.
Thank you.
You would think they'd all sit down together around that Ka'aba, like they've done for 1000s of years (trade/truce) and TALK it out, since they're so proud of their oral histories and such.
It isn't rocket science.
But, but, but, but...I was told the surge has worked, that Iraq is safe, that General Petraeus has succeeded. Not!
Rule of law - SHould be foremost in any government bank rolled by American taxpayers dollars. This vanishing bs is why Bush and his cronies allegedelly invaded Ieaq to free it from a dictator. Why isn't our American government officicals demanding that the Iraqi government officials bring this man to the nearest udicial court for arraignment ?
We cannot condone tyranny a free republic and our moral compass are at statke.
Good job, GOP! Your epic fail in Iraq continues to pay dividends.
http://ken
Irrespective of what the U.S. now does in Iraq, the country will eventually wind up being an Islamist theocracy like Iran, as well as a close ally OF Iran. This being the case, shouldn't the U.S. stop throwing good money after? (God knows we don't have that much of it left to throw around anyway!)
All four entail logical fallacies as far as establishing Al Daini's innocence is concerned.
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