Iraqi officials accused in political plot

It’s not clear exactly how many arrests have been made, but the New York Times reported that at least 35 men were taken into custody including four generals, but one of those generals spoke to reporters later in the day and said he was not arrested. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said 33 men had been arrested and he dismissed allegations that they were plotting a coup. He said it remains to be seen if the men belong to a party which refers to returning Saddam Hussein’s power to party. The group was formed when the Ba’ath Party was banned in 2003; that party was Saddam’s. this analyst says the Ba’ath Party does not have much power in Iraq right now. But he says these arrests might have more to do with politics than power and accusing someone of the Ba’ath Party is an easy way to get someone thrown out of office. He says it’s well known that the Interior Minister is run by one of Prime Minister Maliki’s opponents and is also an important part of the Iraqi government. The Interior Ministry runs the police forces and jails, for example.