Middle East News
US military disrupts al-Qaeda court system in north Iraq (Extra)
Jun 11, 2008, 14:04 GMT
Baghdad - The US military said Wednesday it held the suspected leader of a court system set up by the al-Qaeda in Iraq group, designed to impose extremist ideology on Iraqis in northern Iraq.
The alleged leader of the extremist court was captured during an operation mounted by US forces in the northern city of Mosul, a military statement said.
Intelligence received from insurgents in custody indicated that the man has connections with senior members of the al-Qaeda in Iraq group in Mosul, about 400 kilometres north of Baghdad, according to the statement.
The al-Qaeda in Iraq group, which also calls itself the Islamic State of Iraq, espouses a radical from of Islam and tries to impose a strict version of Islamic law in enclaves under its control in Sunni- dominated areas.
In a separate statement, the US military said 506 insurgents have surrendered since May 22 in Balad in central Iraq and reconciled with the Iraqi government.
The former fighters have already led security forces to various weapon caches, which contained rockets, artillery rounds, ammunition and rifles.
'Those who choose to reconcile must sign a ceasefire agreement and if they face criminal charges, they must stand before the Iraqi court system before being fully reintegrated into civil society,' the statement said.
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not wantedJun 12th, 2008 - 00:38:26
Radical Islamists have nothing to offer vis-a-vis the rule of law and constitutionally protected freedoms sweeping across Iraq.
It's clear that they and their warped vision are not wanted.
As the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has said:
'Let freedom ring'
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