British forces have released more than two dozen Iraqi prisoners over the last three months in the run-up to their now imminent withdrawal from the UK base at Saddam’s Hussein’s former palace compound in Basra, though the government denies doing a deal with Moqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi army to stave off last-minute attacks.
The Ministry of Defence yesterday would say only that 26 unnamed men had been routinely released into Iraq state custody since May “because a significant criminal case was built against them”. What happened to them subsequently was “a matter for the Iraq authorities”. Some of the 26 have been released on bail, some freed due to insufficient evidence and some are still in custody pending trial.
– The Guardian
Hundreds of thousands of Shia pilgrims have been ordered out of the holy city of Karbala in Iraq after fighting killed 51 people and injured hundreds more.
Security officials said Mahdi Army gunmen loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr fired on members of the Badr Brigade, the armed wing of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, in what appeared to be part of a power struggle between Shia groups in the south of Iraq.
– The Telegraph
The executive exodus at BAA escalated yesterday with the departure of the manager in charge of security measures at Britain’s largest airport operator.
Donal Dowds was responsible for putting in place government controls as director of safety, security and services at Heathrow airport’s owner. He is the latest high-profile departure this year, following Heathrow’s chief executive, Tony Douglas, and the head of corporate affairs, Duncan Bonfield.
– The Guardian
