Despite US Pressure, Iraq Finally Frees Acquitted ‘Hezbollah Commander’

Daqduq Repeatedly Acquitted of US Allegations of 2007 Attack

by Jason Ditz, November 16, 2012

US officials are once again fuming tonight after an Iraqi court finally ordered the release of Ali Mussa Daqduq, who US officials insist is a “Hezbollah commander’ but has been repeatedly acquitted in Iraqi courts. Daqduq has returned home to Lebanon.

The US claims Daqduq was behind a 2007 attack on US forces, but in July of this year an Iraqi court finally refused US demands for another “review,” noting Daqduq had already been acquitted twice. The US demanded that they continue to hold him anyhow, insisting he is a danger to US regional interests.

The State Department condemned the release, saying the US would use “all legal means” to see Daqduq returned to detention at some point. The US considered seeking extradition of Daqduq, but the fact that they had no intention of ever charging him or giving him a trial made his a prickly issue, and eventually they figured pressing Iraq to keep him was good enough.

Sen. John McCain (R – AZ) termed the Iraqi government’s release of a man acquitted of all charges an “outrage” and demanded that the US retaliate against Iraq to punish them for having ended his open-ended detention simply because they could prove him guilty of anything.

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