US troops yesterday detained the eldest son of Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, one of Iraq's most powerful Shia leaders, outraging Shia politicians and prompting a swift apology from the US ambassador.
Ammar al-Hakim's convoy was stopped at a border checkpoint in eastern Wasit province as he returned from Iran, Iraqi officials said. The young cleric, who was taken to a nearby US military base, said he was handcuffed and blindfolded. He was released yesterday evening after being held for most of the day, Iraqi officials said.
One official said the soldiers had removed his cleric's black turban, an act Shias would view as deeply insulting.
Mr al-Hakim said US troops detained him because they said his passport had expired. He said the document was valid. "The way I was arrested was disrespectful and not appropriate for a political and religious figure like me. They cuffed my hands and blindfolded my eyes. They raised their weapons against me," he told reporters after being released.
The incident could strain the previously good relations between Washington and Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim's Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the dominant political party in the Shia-led government.
Washington has courted the elder Hakim in its efforts to stabilise Iraq and create a moderate Shia bulwark against the growing influence of radical anti-American Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The elder Hakim held talks with President George W Bush in Washington in December.
US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad sought to contain any political fallout, saying while he did not know the circumstances of the arrest "we do not mean any disrespect" to the family. "I am sorry about the arrest. We will find out what happened and we will let Mr Hakim and the Iraqi government know," he told reporters.
US embassy spokesman Lou Fintor said Ammar al-Hakim had been arrested by soldiers "doing their duty at a checkpoint". "He was not singled out. We understand soldiers were following standard procedure because the border was closed and once the facts of the situation were determined, Mr Hakim was released. We are continuing to look into the situation," Mr Fintor said.
The US military had no comment.