A deputy of an Iraqi Shiite leader has been arrested in Baghdad in connection with the killing of two US soldiers in October, after American troops missed the alleged paymaster of attacks on occupation forces in Iraq.
Occupation troops in the capital arrested Amr al-Yasseri, operations director of Moqtada Sadr in Sadr City, who is believed to have been behind the ambush of occupation troops on October 9, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt told reporters.
Meanwhile, in Belgium, US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Thursday praised NATO's contribution to creating a stable, democratic Iraq and called upon the allies to consider an expansion of their commitment.
During a speech prepared for delivery to a NATO foreign ministers meeting, Powell said Washington is grateful for the Polish-led multinational division in Iraq and NATO's support for it.
While mentioning that 16 allied countries are part of the US-led coalition in Iraq, Powell said NATO could do more to contribute to the goal of a rapid return of sovereignty to Iraqis and to a stable and democratic Iraq.
"We urge the alliance to examine how it might do more to support peace and stability in Iraq, which every leader has acknowledged is critical to all of us," Powell said. (Albawaba.com)
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