Relatives and colleagues of an Iraqi MP shot dead outside his home blamed government negligence for his killing as the lawmaker, from ex-premier Eyad Allawi's list, was buried on Tuesday. According to AFP, security forces detained one man in connection with the assassination of Bashar Hamid al-Agaidi, who was ambushed outside his house in the city of Mosul.
"We asked the government to provide protection for our candidates before the elections, but the government refused," Osama al-Nujaifi, the head of Al-Hadbaa faction of which Agaidi was a member, was quoted as saying by AFP. "Negligence on the part of the government led to this situation. We accuse the government of being negligent, and the terrorists of carrying out this crime."
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh condemned the killing, telling Al-Arabiya satellite television that "this was a criminal act against an important symbol who had just been elected."
