Ali Musa Daqduq

Ali Musa Daqduq
Born  Lebanon
Arrested 20 March 2007
Basra, Iraq
USA
Citizenship Lebanese
Detained at Joint US/Iraqi facility in Iraq
Alleged to be a member of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq; Hezbollah
Status Two Iraqi courts found him not guilty and ordered his release.

Ali Mussa Daqduq is a senior Hezbollah leader and senior advisor to Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali.[1] He was captured by US troops in Basra, Iraq on 20 March 2007 along with Qais al-Khazali and his brother Laith al-Khazali. He is alleged to have participated in a 20 January 2007 attack on US troops in Karbala, Iraq. Later two Iraqi courts found him not guilty of masterminding the 2007 raid on an American military base and released him from prison.[2][3] US Intelligence has alleged that Daqduq's testimony during his internment is key evidence for collaboration between Iran and Hezbollah.

Daqduq pretended to be deaf and mute when he was captured, and refused to speak for weeks.[4]

On 2 July 2007 US officials published a collage of his forged ID's which included a permit to carry weapons.

On 2 July 2007 US forces identified that they had captured Daqduq.[5] They asserted he was a member of Hezbullah, and was operating with support from Iran. The 2 July press briefing published images of Daqduq's forged identity documents. Iranian officials denied that assertion on 4 July 2007.[6]

In November 2011 Reuters reported that the US was negotiating with the Iraqi government to hold Daqduq in US custody after the US pulls out of Iraq in December 2011.[4]

Daqduq was transferred to Iraqi custody on 18 December 2011.[7]

Daqduq was recently ordered freed by an Iraqi court because of insufficient evidence. The case will automatically be appealed, and he will remain imprisoned until the case is heard in superior court. The United States believes that releasing him is a very bad idea, that the evidence is clear, and that he is likely to commit more acts of resistance against US occupation forces if released. Officials in the military commissions system in the United States have begun procedures to charge Daqduq with war crimes (specifically, that he killed or ordered killed four US soldiers captured during a raid); the future of this is unclear. [8]

On 16 November 2012, it was reported that Ali Musa Daqduq had been released from Iraq as the Iraqi government had run out of legal options to hold him.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Michael R. Gordon (5 May 2008). "Hezbollah Trains Iraqis in Iran, Officials Say". New York Times. Retrieved 2011-11-06. There have been earlier indications of Hezbollah involvement. Ali Mussa Daqduq, a senior Lebanese Hezbollah commander, was captured in Iraq in March 2007. At first he refused to talk, presumably to avoid giving away his Lebanese accent. As a consequence, he was initially dubbed Hamid the Mute by American officials. mirror
  2. ↑ http://www.democratandchronicle.com/usatoday/article/56687214?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CLocal%20News%7Cp
  3. ↑ Jakes, Lara (August 3, 2012). "Iraq won't let U.S. try Hezbollah figure". Philadelphia Inquirer. Associated Press.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Phil Stewart (3 November 2011). "As troops leave, U.S. seeks custody of key Iraq detainee". reuters. Retrieved 2011-11-06. With less than 60 days before the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, the United States is quietly seeking to keep custody of its highest profile detainee there, U.S. and Iraqi officials say. mirror
  5. ↑ "Press briefing". US forces in Iraq. 2 July 2007. Retrieved 2011-11-06. mirror
  6. ↑ "Iran heaps scorn on U.S. claim of Hezbollah in Iraq". CNN. 2 July 2007. Retrieved 2011-11-06. – An Iranian official slammed what he called "ridiculous and false claims" from U.S. officials about the "arrest of a foreign citizen in Iraq and his relation with Iran." mirror
  7. ↑ http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/17/u-s-turns-over-terrorism-suspect-ali-musa-daqduq-to-iraq.html
  8. ↑ Jack Healy and Charlie Savage (6 May 2012). "Iraqi Court Acts to Free Suspect in Deadly Raid on G.I.'s". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-05-07.
  9. ↑ Gordon, Michael (16 November 2012). "Against U.S. Wishes, Iraq Releases Man Accused of Killing American Soldiers". NY Times. Retrieved 29 December 2012.