U.S. Forces Release Al-Sadr Aide After Interrogation

Baghdad, 13 April 2004 (RFE/RL) -- U.S. forces today released a senior aide of radical Shi'ite leader Moqtada al-Sadr after interrogating him for several hours, international media reported.
Hazem al-Araji, a cleric and aide to al-Sadr for a northern Baghdad district, had been detained as he left a central Baghdad hotel earlier today shortly after giving an interview to Italian media.

The reports, citing the Arab television station Al-Jazeera, Iraqi witnesses, and other sources, said al-Araji will give a press conference later today.