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Reported U.S. Raid Triggers Outrage
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Ahmad al-Maliki, who was in the house at the time, said his brother was shot in the chest. He and his brother are first cousins of the prime minister, who is their father's brother, he said, adding that he and his slain brother belonged to the prime minister's security detail.
The U.S. military declined to comment on the incident, saying in an e-mail, "We have nothing to report at this time." U.S. military officials in Iraq generally respond to inquiries about reported raids, if only to confirm whether one took place.
A U.S. military official who was briefed on the incident Saturday morning said there was concern about possible diplomatic fallout. "They are treading lightly on this at the highest levels," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Karbala's police chief, Maj. Gen. Raid Shakir Jawdat, on Saturday escorted a Washington Post special correspondent and other journalists to the house where the reported raid took place.
In the room where Ali al-Maliki was reportedly shot, the correspondent saw a khaki uniform with a label in Arabic on the sleeve that identified its owner as a member of the Protection Force of the Council of Ministers of Iraq, the unit that protects the prime minister and other high-ranking government employees.
Ahmad al-Maliki said U.S. officials contend his brother is a leader of a "special group," a term the U.S. military uses to describe Iranian-backed Shiite militias. He denied the assertion.
Iraqi officials differed on whether the slain man is a relative of the prime minister. Khazaly, the Karbala governor, said he was not a relative. The governor's brother told McClatchy newspapers that he was. Ebaidi, the lawmaker, said he was a "distant cousin." The U.S. military official briefed on the matter said U.S. officials were trying to ascertain their relationship.
Jawdat, the police chief, identified the man U.S. troops arrested as Hussein Nima. He said Nima is not a local resident and was in town visiting.
Sarhan reported from Karbala. Special correspondent K.I. Ibrahim in Baghdad contributed to this report.
