Az-Zaman headlined in its international edition: "the American forces abort an Iranian coup in Iraq". Az-Zaman claimed that an Iranian intelligence operation was underway to "form a pro-Iranian government in Iraq after removing al-MalikiÂ’s government".
The paper added that the ‘coup’ was to be carried out in conjunction with Iraqi ‘heads of militias and pro-Iranian officials’. The paper quoted a ‘British source’ who said that the ‘plan’ was aborted when the American forces arrested five Iranian intelligence operatives during a ‘high-level meeting’ with Shi`a politicians.
The aim of the meeting, according to the British source, was to negotiate a post-Maliki political arrangement and determine the viability of the government and the Shi`a coalition after the Da`wa party –one of the constituents of the Shi`a bloc- was tarnished by the process of Saddam’s execution. |