Alusi to be sued over Israel visit – legislator

BAGHDAD, Sept. 20 (Iraqi News) – A lawmaker from the main bloc said on Saturday that the Iraqi prosecution is preparing a lawsuit against Member of Parliament Mithal al-Alusi over his controversial visit to Israel. “The lawsuit will be filed upon the request of the Iraqi government,” Abdelkareem al-Anzi, a legislator from the Dawa Party – Iraq Organization, said in statements to IraqiNews.com – Voices of Iraq – (Iraqi News). Alusi is the leader of the Umma Party, which has only one out of the Iraqi parliament’s total 275 seats. Last week, the Iraqi parliament had voted with absolute majority, with the exception of only Alusi, to strip him of his parliamentary immunity, prohibit him from leaving the country, refer him to the judiciary and prevent him from attending parliament sessions pending investigations with him over his visit to Israel, where he attended an anti-terror conference. Alusi had been banished from Ahmed Chalabi’s Iraqi National Congress (INC) on September 1, 2004 after he paid his first visit to Israel. The September 14 parliament session in which Alusi’s visit to Israel, which drew angry reactions, was debated has witnessed a squabble between Alusi and Anzi over the voting on this score. AmR (S)/SR 1