Hans Rustad Omstendighetene rundt kidnappingen av fem briter fra finansdepartementet i Bagdad, tyder på at det var shiaer fra Mahdi-hæren som sto bak. Det mener også utenriksministeren.
Hvis Mahdi-folkene kan bortføre britiske spesialister ved høylys dag fra regjeringskontorene, kan det få alvorlige følger for forholdet til Nouri al-Malikis regjering. Mye tyder på at at Mahdi-militsen har infisert politistyrken i en grad som gjør slike bortføringer mulig. Kidnapperne kom i politibiler og uniformer, de hadde offisielle papirer og var anført av en sivil i dress. Alt tydet på at de var ekte politi.
Slike operasjoner er ikke mulig uten at man har kontakter på innsiden, mener utenriksminister Zebari.
Hoshyar Zebari, Iraq’s Foreign Minister, suggested today that the Shia Mahdi Army were the most likely culprits.
«The number of people who were involved in the operation, to seal off the building, to set roadblocks and to get into the building with such confidence must have some connection,» Mr Zabari told the BBC. «It’s still early in our investigation to jump to any conclusion but this is a very serious case for us.
There are fears that negotiations with the Mahdi Army will be more difficult for the UK after British troops killed Abu Qadir, the leader of al-Mahdi Army in Basra on Friday.
Further details of the abduction were emerging today. The kidnappers strolled up to the guards on duty at the government building and were allowed inside after politely explaining that they were with the Commission on Public Integrity, an anti-graft agency, according to one witness. «They started taking photos of the building and said ‘We have official orders’,» an unnamed building guard said.
The men had sealed off Palestine Street near the heavily fortified Green Zone, but in an area controlled by Shia militia. Witnesses suggested there was little or no violence involved, before the kidnappers left with the Britons.
«They were led by a major and a very official looking man wearing a suit,» said a shopkeeper who asked not to be named told AFP. «They went in, stayed for only 15 minutes and then left.»
Saad Mohammed, who works as a parking attendant near the building, said there was no sign of anything untoward even when the foreigners were escorted from the building and driven away, only the reaction of ministry staff revealed what had happened.
«All the civil servants and people at the building came rushing out. They were terrified and hysterical and yelling there had been a kidnapping,» he said.
Når utenriksminister Margaret Beckett sier at de arbeider tett med den irakiske regjering, lyder det noe hult. De burde kanskje heller gitt dem et ultimatum.
