Senior Shi’a Militant Released from Custody

On June 6, 2009, Laith Khazali was transferred from U.S. custody to the Government of Iraq and subsequently released.¹ The move is believed to be related to negotiations for the release of the five British hostages—a contractor named Peter Moore and his four bodyguards—who were kidnapped from the Ministry of Finance in May 2007 by nearly forty gunmen in Iraqi Police uniforms.²

Laith Khazali is a senior member of the Iranian-backed Shi’a militia group Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), or the League of the Righteous. His brother, Qais Khazali, founded the group in 2006 following a split from Muqtada al-Sadr. Under the leadership of Qais Khazali, AAH conducted a number of attacks against Coalition and Iraqi forces using rocket fire, explosively-formed projectiles (EFPs),³  and small arms fire. Their most brazen attack occurred on January 20, 2007, when gunmen with “American-looking uniforms, vehicles and identification cards” successfully attacked the Karbala Provincial Joint Coordination Center where U.S. and Iraqi officials were holding a meeting.⁴   The attackers had received extensive assistance from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force,⁵   and they killed five U.S. Soldiers and wounded three more in the well-planned and executed attack.⁶   The PJCC attack alerted Coalition Forces to the growing threat of AAH and the extent of Iranian assistance for their networks. Intelligence gathered from the attack ultimately led to the capture of Qais Khazali, his brother Laith Khazali, and Lebanese Hezbollah member Ali Mussa Daqduq in Basra on March 20, 2007.⁷  According to some Iraqi officials, the capture of Moore and his bodyguards two months later may have been orchestrated in response to the arrest of Daqduq and the Khazali brothers.⁸ 

In March 2009, reports surfaced that revealed AAH and the Government of Iraq were involved in negotiations aimed at bringing the militant group into the political process.⁹  The negotiations included discussions on a phased release of the five British hostages in exchange for the release of top AAH members that were being held in U.S. custody.¹⁰   While there had been some indications that AAH was seeking a political course,¹¹  this was the first clear indication of any such move. 

AAH released a statement laying out its plan for the potential release of hostages that same month.¹²  The plan entailed the initial release of Laith Khazali, followed by the release of one of the four bodyguards.¹³   A further exchange of prisoners would follow, culminating in the release of Peter Moore in return for the release of Qais Khazali or Ali Mussa Daqduq.¹⁴  Presumably in a confidence-building measure, the British Embassy in Baghdad received a video of one of the hostages in late March, in which he stated he and the others were doing fine.¹⁵  The video was believed to have been filmed just days before.¹⁶

After months of further negotiations, Laith Khazali was released by the Iraqi government in early June, after being transferred from U.S. to Iraqi custody.¹⁷  Following his release, Khazali returned to his home in Sadr City,¹⁸  although some reports suggest he has gone to Najaf.¹⁹  He has since gone into hiding.²⁰

Shortly after the release, a U.S. military spokesman issued a statement to the New York Times saying that ''Asaib al-Haq has pledged to representatives of the Iraqi prime minister to give up violence and move the group towards peaceful integration into Iraqi society. An unconditional cease-fire will be undertaken by the group.''²¹  U.S. and British officials have framed the release as a part of the reconciliation process between the Government of Iraq and militant groups. While they have refused to link the release of hostages to the release of Khazali, some Iraqi officials have done so. According to Sami al-Askari, a close adviser to Maliki and the chief negotiator on this issue for the Iraqi Government,²²   "the [Iraqi] Government put it very clearly to them that they cannot participate in the political process while they are holding hostages, and I believe that they do want to take part in this process, so I expect that they will release the hostages."²³  Al-Askari had previously stated that the militant group would not enter the political process until the release of Qais Khazali.²⁴

The release of Laith Khazali indicates that the proposed exchange may be underway. It remains to be seen whether the move will indeed result in the release of any of the British hostages and what the release will mean for AAH. ISW will continue to monitor these events and provide updated analysis as the events unfold.

For more information on Laith Khazali and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, see Iraq Report 12, The Fragmentation of the Sadrist Trend.

Notes

¹“Militant linked to British kidnappings handed to Iraq,” Agence France Presse – English, June 9, 2009.

²   “Militant linked to British kidnappings handed to Iraq,” Agence France Presse – English, June 9, 2009; Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Robert H. Reid, “Iraqi accused in 5 US soldier deaths freed,” Associated Press, June 9, 2009.
³  EFPs are especially lethal improvised explosive devices made with advanced explosives and curved copper plates. They are capable of penetrating heavily-armed vehicles.
⁴  Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, Spokesman, “Press Briefing, July 2,” Multi-National Force - Iraq, July 2, 2007; “Karbala attackers posed as U.S. military officials,” CNN, January 23, 2007.
⁵  Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, Spokesman, “Press Briefing, July 2,” Multi-National Force - Iraq, July 2, 2007.
⁶  “Karbala Provincial Joint Coordination Center attacked by militia,” Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO, Press RELEASE No. 20070121-01, January, 21, 2007. Marisa Cochrane, “The Fragmentation of the Sadrist Trend,” Iraq Report 12, Institute for the Study of War, January 2009, p. 27.
⁷  Briefing slides from the press briefing with Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, Spokesman, “Press Briefing, July 2,” Multi-National Force - Iraq, July 2, 2007. Marisa Cochrane, “The Fragmentation of the Sadrist Trend,” Iraq Report 12, Institute for the Study of War, January 2009, p. 27.
⁸  Martin Chulov, “US release of Shia insurgent could speed release of British hostages, say Iraqis,” The Guardian (London), June 10, 2009.
⁹  Abd al-Wahid Tumah, “Asa’ib Ahl al-Haqq Agrees to Release British Hostages; Organization Head Negotiated with Multinational Forces Under Meidation of Al-Maliki’s Adviser,” Al-Hayat, March 29, 2009. Translated from Arabic.
¹⁰  Abd al-Rahman al-Majidi, “Leader in Organization Which Kidnapped the Britons Discloses to Ilaf New Information: British Hostage to be Released Soon in Return for 10 Iraqi Detainees,” Ilaf.com, March 26, 2009. Translated from Arabic; Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Robert H. Reid, “Iraqi accused in 5 US soldier deaths freed,” Associated Press, June 9, 2009.
¹¹See Marisa Cochrane, “The Fragmentation of the Sadrist Trend,” Iraq Report 12, Institute for the Study of War, January 2009, p. 40.
¹² Martin Chulov and Mona Mahmood, “Kidnappers claim deal struck to free British hostages seized in Iraq,” The Guardian (London), March 27, 2009.
¹³  Martin Chulov and Mona Mahmood, “Kidnappers claim deal struck to free British hostages seized in Iraq,” The Guardian (London), March 27, 2009; Abd al-Rahman al-Majidi, “Leader in Organization Which Kidnapped the Britons Discloses to Ilaf New Information: British Hostage to be Released Soon in Return for 10 Iraqi Detainees,” Ilaf.com, March 26, 2009. Translated from Arabic.
¹⁴Martin Chulov and Mona Mahmood, “Kidnappers claim deal struck to free British hostages seized in Iraq,” The Guardian (London), March 27, 2009; Abd al-Rahman al-Majidi, “Leader in Organization Which Kidnapped the Britons Discloses to Ilaf New Information: British Hostage to be Released Soon in Return for 10 Iraqi Detainees,” Ilaf.com, March 26, 2009. Translated from Arabic.
¹⁵“New video released of British hostage in Iraq,” Associated Press, March 22, 2009.
¹⁶“New video released of British hostage in Iraq,” Associated Press, March 22, 2009.
¹⁷Alissa Rubin and Michael Gordon, “U.S. Frees Suspect in Killing of 5 G.I.’s,” The New York Times, June 8, 2009.
¹⁸Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Robert H. Reid, “Iraqi accused in 5 US soldier deaths freed,” Associated Press, June 9, 2009.
¹⁹“US frees Shia militant linked to British hostages in Iraq,” Guardian Unlimited, June 9, 2009.
²⁰ Alissa Rubin and Michael Gordon, “U.S. Frees Suspect in Killing of 5 G.I.’s,” The New York Times, June 8, 2009.
²¹ Alissa Rubin and Michael Gordon, “U.S. Frees Suspect in Killing of 5 G.I.’s,” The New York Times, June 8, 2009.
²² Alissa Rubin and Michael Gordon, “U.S. Frees Suspect in Killing of 5 G.I.’s,” The New York Times, June 8, 2009.
²³ Alice Fordham and Deborah Haynes, “Hope for British hostages after US frees insurgent; Consultant and guards could be released 'in weeks' Iraq,” The Times (London), June 10, 2009.
²⁴ Alissa Rubin and Michael Gordon, “U.S. Frees Suspect in Killing of 5 G.I.’s,” The New York Times, June 8, 2009.