Iraqi's warmth to Israel exacts a heavy price

Source: AP

BAGHDAD (AP) -- First his two sons were murdered. Now he faces prosecution. The reason for Mithal al-Alusi's troubles? Visiting Israel and advocating peace with the Jewish state - something Iraq's leaders refuse to consider.

The Iraqi is at the center of a political storm after his fellow lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to strip him of his immunity and allow his prosecution for visiting Israel - a crime punishable by death under a 1950s-era law. Such a fate is unlikely for al-Alusi, though he may lose his party's sole seat in parliament.

Because he had visited Israel, many Iraqis assume the maverick legislator was the real target of the assassins who killed his sons in 2005 while he escaped unharmed.

Now he is in trouble for again visiting Israel and attending a conference a week ago at the International Institute for Counterterrorism.

"He wasn't set to speak, but he was in the audience and conversed with a lecturer on a panel about insurgency and terrorism in Afghanistan, Iraq and Israel," said conference organizer Eitan Azani. "We didn't invite him. He came on his own initiative."



Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_IRAQ_FRIEND_OF_ISRAEL?SITE=CALAK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

The invoking of this law against some one who goes to a peace conference is just the another indication of the Shiite claim for power that the Bushies have set up by wishing it would go away.

The arresting of the Sunni mercenaries in Anbar and elsewhere was first. We have set up an Iran friendly government that has a truck load of payback on the Sunnis to dump on.

You can bet if BO gets in and things go crazy the neos will blame the black guy.

:grr:

This man is risking his life and freedom and has already lost two of his sons. The many in safer countries, who won't even risk losing an election for the sake of peace, ought to feel ashamed.

The war-thirsty on all sides hate people like him because they will bring about the end of business as usual.

I was at that conference!