An Iraqi court issued an arrest warrant yesterday against a politician for visiting Israel.
Mithal al-Alusi, a former leading figure in the Iraqi National Congress, attended a counter-terrorism conference in Tel Aviv last month, and was expelled from the party as a result. A warrant was issued for Al-Alusi in Iraq yesterday for visiting a “forbidden country.”
“What madness is this? They want to put me in prison with terrorists,” Al-Alusi said.
Al-Alusi accused the interim Iraqi government of applying laws of the fallen regime of Saddam Hussein in his case.
Al-Alusi defended his visit as important to Iraqi national security.
“We are dealing with Iraqi national security.” al-Alusi said.”Israel is America’s most important ally in the region. How are we going to win over America and the democratic world while we still deny Israel’s existence?”
“This is a weak, mob logic,” he said.
Iraq was one of Israel’s enemies under Saddam Hussein, and Iraqis were barred during his rule from visiting the country. Travel ban laws have not been revised in post-war Iraq, and it is unclear whether the case against Mr. al-Alusi can or will go forward.
Iraq’s interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi shook hands with Israel’s Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom at the United Nations last month, but Allawi emphasized Iraq is not going to violate the Arab consensus about recognizing Israel.
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