German police have detained three men in anti-terror raids linked to a visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. The three Iraqi suspects were arrested in Berlin, Augsburg and Stuttgart and are being held as suspected members of the militant group Ansar al-Islam. Mr Allawi is meeting Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder - a leading critic of the Iraq war - and is expected to urge Germany to invest more in rebuilding. It is his first visit to the country since taking office six months ago. The German Federal Prosecutor's office said police raided nine buildings in the three cities on Friday, searching for evidence on the structure of the Ansar al-Islam group and any hints of "concrete terrorist activities". Federal Prosecutor Kay Nehm said further details would only be released after ongoing searches had been completed and evaluated. US officials say Ansar al-Islam is part of the al-Qaeda network. The group is suspected of planning suicide attacks in Iraq and has published letters on its website from militant Abu Musab Zarqawi - said to be behind many attacks against coalition troops and fatal kidnappings. German authorities have said that Ansar al-Islam has about 100 supporters in Germany. Last December a 30-year-old Iraqi was arrested in Munich and is being held on suspicion of organising fund-raising and recruitment for the group. A meeting between Mr Allawi and top business leaders had already been cancelled for security reasons.
Germany has ruled out sending troops to Iraq, but is training Iraqi police and soldiers and has supplied 20 armoured personnel carriers. Mr Allawi is due to fly to Moscow after his talks with Mr Schroeder and the German defence minister. There is speculation that in Moscow a deal may be struck on debt relief, in return for honouring oil contracts awarded to Russian companies by ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.