Iraqi lawmaker seeks relations with Israel

JERUSALEM, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- The leader of the Democratic Party of the Iraqi Nation spoke at a conference in Israel calling for collaboration in the regional intelligence community.

Mithal al-Alusi, who made his third trip to Israel Wednesday, called for stronger ties between Baghdad and Tel Aviv and a regional effort in the fight against terrorism, The Jerusalem Post reported.

"It is not enough that Israel has good intelligence and the U.S. has good intelligence, we need to come together and have all intelligence systems cooperate," he said. "Partnership between Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Turkey and the U.S. will ensure that we have the correct information and can respond fast."

Alusi, who was ousted from the Iraqi National Congress by Ahmed Chalabi for his relationship with Israel, took aim at the Iranian leadership for allegedly attempting to bribe him as a way to persuade him to turn his back on Tel Aviv.

"The Iranian ambassador visited me and spoke to me about the ties with Israel and the United States. He offered me and my party a large sum of money. That's how the Iranians work," he said.

An Iraqi court in August sentenced in absentia former Cultural Minister Asaad al-Hashimi to death for the 2005 assassination of two sons of Alusi in 2005.

"Iraqi security forces rounded up the accused, and they confessed to having received $500 each from Hashimi to carry out the crime," Alusi said then.