Cleric raises suspicion of U.S. officials

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A Sunni Muslim cleric who operates out of an imposing mosque with minarets shaped like rifle barrels has become one of America’s most formidable foes in Iraq.

In the year since he founded the ultraconservative Association of Islamic Scholars, Sheik Hareth al Dhari has emerged as the closest thing U.S. military officials have to a public face for the shadowy insurgency that controls most of Anbar province, including the flashpoint towns of Ramadi and Fallujah.

Al Dhari denies that he’s in direct contact with the insurgents, who’ve killed at least 105 American troops in the past year. Yet foreign diplomats know him as the go-to guy to save hostages held by militants threatening to behead them.

On a recent Friday after prayers at al Dhari’s Umm al Qura mosque, a man dressed in a South Asian tunic and trousers sidled up to al Dhari’s lieutenant, Sheik Ahmed al Samuraie, and introduced himself as the charge d’affairs at the Pakistani embassy.

“One of our workers has been kidnapped and will be beheaded,” the man told Samuraie. “It’s been five days now. Please, please give us your assistance. Please, sheik. He didn’t do anything, and he’s not involved with the government or the United States.”

“I’m ready to help,” Samuraie replied.

Five hours later, Arabic-language satellite channels reported the Pakistani hostage’s release.

Al Dhari says the releases — his association helped free more than 20 hostages in the past four months — are nothing more than humanitarian gestures.

But they’ve left top foreign officials indebted to him — a reporter saw the Sudanese and Russian ambassadors kiss and hug al Dhari during recent visits to Umm al Qura mosque — and have raised suspicions among U.S. and Iraqi officials, who wonder about anyone who’s able to change the minds of executioners with a phone call.

In a series of interviews with Knight Ridder in the past month, al Dhari said he’s not the insurgent mastermind his critics portray. He said he doesn’t finance insurgents or issue commands. He said he’s never met with foreign guerrillas, although he unabashedly supports Iraqis who take up arms against U.S.-led forces. His newspaper publishes flowery obituaries of fallen insurgents from Anbar province.

The sheik’s detractors say he must be stopped before he steers Iraq into an oppressive, Taliban-style regime. Supporters say he’s the only viable political hope for Sunnis, whose fortunes were reversed when Saddam Hussein fell.

“If they want to describe me as an Islamic extremist, I’m very happy. I’m close to my faith, and I ask God to assist me,” al Dhari said. “Am I an extremist just because I believe in doing what Islam asks us to do?”