U.S. detention of politician's son brings outcry from Sunni leaders

The young man was detained as he was crossing back to Iraq from Iran.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. troops detained the eldest son of Iraq's most influential Shiite politician for nearly 12 hours Friday as he crossed back from Iran -- the same route Washington believes is used to keep powerful Shiite militias flush with weapons and aid.
Even though the U.S. ambassador issued a rapid apology, the decision to hold Amar al-Hakim risks touching off a backlash from Shiite leaders at a time when their cooperation is needed most to keep a major security sweep through Baghdad from unraveling.
It also highlights the often knotty relationship between U.S. military authorities and Iraq's elected leaders, whose ties to neighboring patrons -- Syria backing Sunnis, and Iran acting as big brother to majority Shiites -- add fuel to sectarian rivalries and bring recriminations from Washington about alleged arms smuggling and outside interference.
Shiite reaction
Shiite reaction to the detention was quick and sharp, with some officials suggesting it was a veiled warning about the limits of ties to Iran.
"What happened is unacceptable," Shiite lawmaker Hamid Majid Moussa told Al-Forat television. "The Iraqi government and the American forces must put an end to such transgressions."
The station is just one part of the multilayered clout of the al-Hakim family.
Father
Al-Hakim's father, Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, met with President Bush at the White House in December. He is the leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI, the country's largest political force.
The bloc carries the strongest voice in the 275-seat parliament and holds critical sway over the fate of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. It also maintains very close ties to Iran, which hosted the elder al-Hakim and other SCIRI officials before the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.
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