Security contractors pull off Baghdad jail break inside Green Zone

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-ex-iraq18dec18,0,6064099.story?coll=la-home-headlines

BAGHDAD -- A prominent Iraqi American, jailed on corruption charges several months ago, was sprung from a Green Zone prison this weekend by U.S. security contractors, an Iraqi official said today.

Ayham Samarrai, a Chicago-area businessman, returned to Iraq after the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion and assumed the position of Electricity minister during the interim government of former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.

A Sunni Arab who claimed ties to the insurgency, he was later arrested and charged with a dozen counts of misallocating $1.5 billion of Iraqi government money. A judge has dismissed one count, and his court case continued.

According to Judge Radhi Radhi, Iraq's top anticorruption official, two GMC vehicles belonging to an American security company arrived at the Samarrai's jailhouse Sunday afternoon, intimidated the police officers guarding the site and took the suspect away without firing a shot.

[originalpckelly]

1. WTF?

:wtf:

Okay, that's completely fucked up!

[Beetwasher]

2. WTF???

n/t

[Hissyspit]

3. WTF???????

SNAFU. What a joke this whole enterprise is.

[Teaser]

4. WTF??????????

Just to make it unanimous.

[Dhalgren]

5. The US is doin' a heck of a job in Eye-rack!

[Webster Green]

WTF?!

What The Fuck?!

[endarkenment]

6. Mercs are above the law.

They are outside civilian and military justice systems.

This is of course an outrage against iraqi sovereignty, but then again so is everything else we do.

[tanyev]

7. So, we're paying American contractors big money

to help the insurgents. Heck, we're funding both sides of this war. WTG, George.

[Morgana LaFey]

20. That's what war profiteers DO, tanyev nt

[blogslut]

8. I'll board that train

W.T.F.?

[leftchick]

9. well now we know where some of that one billion went

damn!

[Eugene]

10. Mercenaries, the whores of war.

I really shouldn't be surprised by this but :wow:

This is just beautiful. A 100% f*uck up.

Even the Green Zone isn't safe.

On edit: If these "contractors" make it out of Iraq, they may be home free.
The bribe money might be taxable though.

[robinlynne]

12. add to that whores of Bush-Cheney.

[formercia]

11. I'd bet he is or will be a big donor to the BFEE

money talks..

[Cocoa]

14. he also has ties to the Chicago political machine

maybe the feds sprung him out to take down Blagojevich. Alsammarae might be in the middle of a gang war...

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/158001,CST-NWS-rezko03.article

Feds probe Rezko's Iraq contract

Want to ask jailed power chief how gov's pal got deal

December 3, 2006

BY CHRIS FUSCO, NATASHA KORECKI AND DAVE MCKINNEY Staff Reporters

Federal authorities are investigating an Iraqi power plant deal involving Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a former top fund-raiser for Gov. Blagojevich charged with defrauding Illinois taxpayers.

Investigators want to talk to Iraq's jailed former electricity minister, Aiham Alsammarae, about how Rezko landed the potentially lucrative contract, a source familiar with the probe told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Alsammarae, who holds dual U.S.-Iraqi citizenship and has a house in Oak Brook, helped Rezko get the deal, another source said.

Rezko and others in the venture were to own the plant and sell electricity back to the Iraqis, but the Iraqi government still was to pay a substantial portion of construction costs, that source added.

more...

[Roland99]

15. Interesting....

[Roland99]

13. Springing someone that has the goods on the theft of billions?

Wonder how far up the pipe the corruption goes? I'm sure to the WH or not far from it.

[formercia]

16. thinking the same thing

make him disappear before Jan.

[butterfly77]

17. Will Sadaam be next?

[Eugene]

18. This was the second attempt.

US working with Iraq over minister freed from jail
19 Dec 2006 13:20:01 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Mariam Karouny

-snip-

Interior Ministry officials said the armed Americans arrived
at the station in Humvee four-wheel drive vehicles and removed
Samarraie, who had been allowed to move freely around the
building by the station commander.

-snip-

In October, armed Americans took Samarraie from court shortly
after his conviction. He had expressed fears for his life and
decried the "political" verdict.

He was handed over to Iraqi police to begin serving his sentence
after the government objected to the interference.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL945865.htm

[newyawker99]

19. Sheeeeeesh!!

:puke: