Saudi Arabia orders hit on Iraqi VP'
Mon Jan 9, 2012 7:35PM GMT
Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi
The Saudi regime is reportedly planning to assassinate fugitive Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi over fears that he might disclose Saudi Arabia's role in the bloody events in Iraq.
According to reports coming from Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, where Hashemi has taken refuge, head of Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency Prince Muqrin bin Abdul-Aziz is tasked with killing Hashemi to prevent the disclosure of his cooperation with Riyadh in assassinating Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz has reportedly ordered Hashemi's killing after obtaining permission from King Abdullah.
Saudi authorities fear that Hashemi will reveal ties between the Riyadh regime, Baath party elements and Iraqi terrorist groups if he is arrested and put on trial in Baghdad.
Saudi Arabia's intelligence apparatus, Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah, reportedly believes that it is the best time to kill Tariq al-Hashemi.
On December 19, 2011, an investigative committee within Iraq's Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant for Hashemi after three of his bodyguards made confessions of taking orders from him to carry out the terrorist attacks. Hashemi later fled to the Kurdistan region.
The warrant was issued under Article 4 of Iraq's anti-terrorism law.
Hashemi has denied the accusations and called for the referral of his case to the Kurdistan region, but Iraq's judiciary has rejected his request.
HM/HGH