American forces hinder the release of the five British hostages

Revealed today on Qatari news­pa­per Al-Rai, sources told the news­pa­per that the Amer­i­can forces con­tributed to a great extent to block the release of the five British hostages who were kid­napped in Bagh­dad in May of last year, by arrest­ing the medi­a­tor com­mis­sioned by the Iraqi gov­ern­ment to nego­ti­ates with the kidnappers.

Abu Moham­mad Shi­bil arrested last Feb­ru­ary by the Amer­i­can forces and still in U.S. cus­tody until now with­out giv­ing any rea­sons for his arrest.

Shi­bil was one of mod­er­ate lead­ers in Mahdi Army, the Iraqi gov­ern­ment asked to medi­ate with the kid­nap­pers at the request of the British government.

The five kid­nap­pers were demand­ing the release of Sadrists lead­ers of the “spe­cial forces”, espe­cially the leader of these groups, Sheikh Qais Khaz’al, who was arrested by occu­pa­tion forces in Basra last year.

The source said that there is no rea­son for the Amer­i­can forces to Abu Moham­mad Shi­bil under arrest because he is not charged with any crime, but it is clear that the Amer­i­cans do not want to nego­ti­ate to release the lead­ers of the spe­cial forces in exchange with the five British hostages.