Denmark: the Iraqi Lt. Nizar al-Khazraji disappeared

Sources at the Danish police said yesterday that the police issued a warrant of international investigation for the Iraqi former Lt. Gen. Nizar al-Khazraji, who disappeared on Monday from his house where he was under home arrest since November 2002.

Copenhagen, has put al-Khazraji, who resorted to Denmark in 1999 under "home arrest" after it considered that he is under trial because he had committed war crimes against the Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s.

Al-Khazraji is banned from leaving Denmark as far as the investigations have not been completed. According to his family, which notified the police "he did not return back after he went out on a walk." He was arrested on November 19, 2002 in his house to the south west of Copenhagen, while he was about to travel to Saudi Arabia for which he was given an entry visa.

Al-Khazraji had the post of the Iraqi army chief of staff during the Iraqi- Iranian war. He left Iraq for Jordan in 1995. He was not given political asylum by Denmark which agreed to have him on its territories according to a law which bans expelling those will be vulnerable to death if they are returned back home. For several times, the Danish law refused to lift home arrest from him of fears he would leave the country.