 Mohammed al-Dayni. |
An Iraqi Sunni lawmaker is accused of masterminding a string of deadly attacks including a suicide bombing inside the parliament.
Mohammed al-Dayni's former bodyguards accused the lawmaker on Sunday of spearheading a wave of violence ranging from a 2007 suicide blast inside the Iraqi parliament that killed eight people to kidnappings, ransoms, mortar attacks and car bomb explosions.
Al-Dayni is a member of the Iraqi National Dialogue Front.
Iraqi military spokesman, Qassim Moussawi, broadcasted confession tapes of the bodyguards Riyadh Ibrahim al-Dayni and Alaa al-Maliki at a news conference.
One of the guards, who is also Dayni's nephew said his uncle was involved in the parliament suicide bombing that killed eight people in the heart of the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad. He said the bomber used Dayni's identity card to enter parliament and then blew himself up in a cafe.
Reached earlier on his cell phone by Associated Press, Dayni said he would respond in a news conference on Monday: "They have the right to say anything they like and I have the right to give my answer."
He said he was targeted because of his 'patriotic stances'. "Before they accuse me, they should present evidence, not baseless allegations," he said, adding that he did not plan to surrender to authorities.
The government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is also seeking the arrest of the politician. Officials have asked parliament to lift the immunity of al-Dayni, after issuing a warrant for his arrest.
One of the guards, who is also Dayni's nephew said his uncle was involved in the parliament suicide bombing that killed eight people in the heart of the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad. He said the bomber used Dayni's identity card to enter parliament and then blew himself up in a cafe.
Reached earlier on his cell phone by Associated Press, Dayni said he would respond in a news conference on Monday: "They have the right to say anything they like and I have the right to give my answer."
He said he was targeted because of his 'patriotic stances'. "Before they accuse me, they should present evidence, not baseless allegations," he said, adding that he did not plan to surrender to authorities.
The government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is also seeking the arrest of the politician. Officials have asked parliament to lift the immunity of al-Dayni, after issuing a warrant for his arrest.
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