al-Hakim's son calls for curtailing U.S. powers, releasing uncharged prisoners

Left: Shi'ite cleric Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, and his son, Ammar al-Hakim, also an important cleric. The elder Hakim spent years in exile in Iran before returning to Iraq. In December, he met with Bush in Washington, shortly before the administration attempted to coordinate Prime Minister Maliki's ouster with Hakim chosen by Washington to be the power-broker behind the scenes. The elder Hakim is also head of the Badr Brigade, a Shi'ite militia. In February, the U.S. raided the Baratha mosque in Baghdad, which is associated with the elder Hakim. The U.S. military says it was targetted for 'illegally armed militia kidnapping, torture and murder activities'. Shortly after, the younger Hakim was arrested by U.S. forces 'by mistake' upon his return from a trip to Iran.

NAJAF, Iraq, March 17 (Reuters) - An influential Shi'ite cleric whose arrest last month by U.S. troops sparked protests said on Saturday the powers of the U.S. military in Iraq should be curtailed since they infringed on his nation's sovereignty.

Ammar al-Hakim, son of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, one of Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite leaders, was speaking at a rally in the holy city of Najaf.

"We should have a security agreement that defines the authority of each party. (U.S.-led) forces cannot have outright powers because this affects our sovereignty," he declared.

Hakim also called for the release of all prisoners detained in Iraq who have no evidence against them. Freeing prisoners from U.S.-run jails has long been demanded by minority Sunni Arabs, who make up the backbone of the insurgency fighting the Shi'ite-led government and U.S. forces.

"We ask for the speedy release of all prisoners that do not have evidence against them. Keeping thousands in detention is unacceptable," he told thousands of supporters.

Read the rest at Reuters/Alternet

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