Did Iraqi Pol Bomb A U.S. Embassy?

U.S. officials are investigating allegations that an Iraqi lawmaker took part in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. and French embassies in Kuwait and is a conduit for Iranian weapons and supplies smuggled to Shiite militias, a U.S. spokesman said Tuesday.

Jamal Jaafar Mohammed, who was elected to parliament in December 2005 on the Shiite ticket, was sentenced to death in Kuwait years ago for his role in the bombings, in which five people were killed and 86 injured, but fled to Iran, CNN reported. He returned to Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein but has not attended any legislative sessions since last year and is believed to be in Iran, Shiite lawmakers said.

CNN said U.S. military intelligence in Iraq believes Mohammed helps Iranian special forces in Iraq as "a conduit for weapons and political influence."

The network said U.S. military intelligence officials had approached the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki about allegations that Mohammed "assists Iranian special forces in Iraq as "a conduit for weapons and political influence."

"Western intelligence agencies also accuse Jamal Jafaar Mohammed of involvement in the hijacking of a Kuwaiti airliner in 1984 and the attempted assassination of a Kuwaiti prince," CNN said.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor said the Americans "are actively investigating these allegations and continue to be in close contact with the government of Iraq in pursuing this case." He refused to elaborate because the investigation is ongoing. U.S. officials believe Iran has stepped up shipments of weapons and funds to Shiite militias, some of which have killed Americans.

Bassam Redha, an adviser to al-Maliki, acknowledged that Mohammed was the subject of allegations arising from the 1983 bombings, but said that parliament was the only body qualified to deal with his case because legislators have immunity from prosecution.

"We are aware of the allegations but it's up to the judiciary to decide on the matter," he told The Associated Press. "No one is above the law, regardless of which political bloc he belongs to."

Shiite lawmakers said Mohammed, also known as Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis and Jaafar Jamal Jaafar, quit attending parliament sessions last year and is believed to be in Iran. The lawmakers spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid embarrassment to the Shiite bloc.

An engineering graduate from Basra University in southern Iraq, he was active in the Shiite opposition to Saddam Hussein and was affiliated with the political and military wing of the Badr Brigade. He served as a top commander in the militia in the 1980s.

The brigade was organized and trained by the Iranians to fight against Iraq in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war and was led by Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, a key political figure here. Shiite officials say the Badr Brigade gave up its weapons and was transformed into a political movement after Saddam's regime collapsed in 2003.

Mohammed ran for parliament on the Badr ticket. The organization is part of the Shiite alliance that also includes al-Maliki. Mohammed served as a political adviser to al-Maliki's predecessor, Ibrahim al-Jaafari.