Alsammarae's on the run...

Today's Sun Times: Iraqi with ties to Rezko escapes Baghdad jail.

Former Iraqi electricity minister Aiham Alsammarae, who has a home in west suburban Oak Brook, has escaped from a Baghdad police station, according to an e-mail he sent to the Chicago Sun-Times and others Tuesday.

"Hi, I am OK and out of their reach," Alsammarae wrote in the e-mail, which came in response to an e-mail the newspaper sent him several days ago.
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"I said it before and I say it again: There is nothing [no case pending in the court that] required me to stay one day in the jail. . . . They make me wait for another 8 days . . . planning for more lies until they get the chance to kill me!!!" wrote Alsammarae, a dual U.S.-Iraqi citizen who left his Downers Grove engineering firm in 2003 to join Iraq's transitional government.

"So, this is why I decide to hit the road and safe [sic] my life for the sake of my family and Iraq."

Alsammarae did not answer the Sun-Times' questions about an Iraqi power-plant contract that is of interest to U.S. authorities in Chicago.

I hope he doesn't get killed 'cause I sure want him back talking in Chicago.

Dick Durbin wants to talk about soldiers abusing prisoners in Iraq. He should also be asking about Chicagoans fleecing Iraqi's in Iraq.

Update: as reported in the NYT and then VOA on Alsammarae from June of 2005. Makes you wonder who he would seek sanctuary with if not the US Army.

Update: Wonder how Durbin and Obama responded to the family's request for help.

The families have also reached out to the offices of Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack Obama, all in hopes of keeping him out of a prison run by the Iraqi Interior Ministry.

The Shiite-dominated ministry has a notorious reputation, and serious charges of extortion, torture and murder have been lodged against the security forces. Earlier this month, a police brigade was taken off the streets after some members were suspected of taking part in the kidnapping of more than 20 workers at a Baghdad meat-processing plant. Seven workers were later found executed.

As he sat in the police station Friday, Alsammarae said that his only hope now is for the U.S. government to intervene on his behalf. Even if U.S. officials wanted to get involved, any act on Alsammarae's behalf could be seen as heavy-handed interference in a sovereign country.

Update: Good background in the NYT from Dec 15th.