U.S. troops detain news editor of Iraq TV station

by Jarrett Martineau | February 25, 2008 at 03:51 pm

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According to Reuters, Mr. al-Beshara is being detained as part of an investigation into the conduct of his son, who is suspected to be a "militia intelligence operative".

The U.S. military said on Monday they had detained the news editor of a television station owned by Iraq's most powerful political party and his son, who is accused of involvement in attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces.

Hafodh al-Beshara, news editor and manager of political programming of the al-Furat television station, was detained during a raid on the channel's offices in Baghdad's central Karrada district late last week.

Al-Furat is owned by the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, the biggest Shi'ite party in Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government. Its leader is Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, one of Iraq's most influential politicians, who has been courted by Washington and met President George W. Bush at the White House in November.

The U.S. military said in an e-mail response to questions from Reuters that Beshara had been detained in the operation to arrest his son, who was identified in an earlier statement as a suspected militia intelligence operative.