RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — A Saudi Foreign Ministry official says Iraq‘s fugitive vice president has arrived in the kingdom after a four-day official visit to neighboring Qatar.
Iraq has issued an arrest warrant for Tariq al-Hashemi on terror charges and called on Qatar to extradite him so he can stand trial in Baghdad. Qatar refused the request.
The Saudi official says al-Hashemi arrived in the country on Wednesday and is meeting with the kingdom’s Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the press.
Al-Hashemi is the top Sunni official in Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government. He has been taken refuge in the self-ruled Kurdish region in northern Iraq since the December arrest warrant.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — State media in Qatar say that Iraq’s fugitive vice president has left the Gulf country after a four-day official visit.
The Qatar News Agency says Tariq al-Hashemi, who is the top Sunni official in Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government, left the country on Wednesday. The report does not say where al-Hashemi is headed or if he plans to return to Iraq.
Iraq has issued a warrant for al-Hashemi’s arrest on terror charges and called on Qatar to extradite the suspect to stand trial in Baghdad. Qatar refused the request.