Iraqis raid home of Dhafir al-Ani, major Sunni lawmaker; Say rifles, traces of TNT found

Dhafir al-Ani

BAGHDAD, March 18 (Reuters) - Iraqi security forces found traces of explosives in vehicles recovered at the Baghdad home of a prominent Sunni Arab legislator and confiscated 65 Kalashnikov rifles, an Iraqi military spokesman said on Sunday.

But Dhafir al-Aani, a lawmaker for the Accordance Front, the largest Sunni bloc in parliament, said Shi'ite death squads that had infiltrated the security forces had fabricated the charges and that six of his guards detained at the raid were tortured.

Brigadier Qassim Moussawi told a news conference the raid on Aani's home in Baghdad's western district of Yarmouk took place on March 9 and that seven people were arrested.

"Four of the cars had traces of TNT, a high explosive. The report of this investigation was not written by Iraqis," Moussawi said, hinting U.S.-led forces were behind the investigation.

Read the rest at Reuters/Alternet

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