Iraq Rejects US Demand to Recharge Acquitted ‘Hezbollah Commander’

The White House is pressing Iraq to once again “review” the case against Ali Mussa Daqduq, an accused Hezbollah commander who has twice been found not guilty in Iraqi courts on charges that he was involved in a 2007 attack on US forces. Iraq’s high court suggests this won’t be happening, however, terming their latest decision final and saying Daqduq isn’t facing any future charges.

Daqduq was finally released from prison after his most recent acquittal, which came after the court found no real evidence that he did what US forces accused him of, but is still being held under house arrest inside the Green Zone. The US confirmed it will press Iraq to continue holding him in this manner despite the acquittals.

Lost in the US demands to keep holding Daqduq is the question of whether or not he is actually guilty. The US is taking that as a given, citing a confession gained after weeks of intense interrogations. Yet even Iraq’s courts, not exactly known for their fairness, don’t seem to be able to convict him.

This has led to speculation that the US will request Daqduq’s extradition to the US to face the exact same charges. Complicating this effort is that the US has no intention of actually charging him with that crime or bringing him into a court, they don’t have they evidence either. Instead, they would seek his extradition so he could be jailed indefinitely as a “suspect.” Iraqi officials say they have not received any extradition requests.