Qatar rejects Iraq demand to hand over VP Hashemi

DOHA - Agence France-Presse

In this Friday, Dec. 23, 2011 file photo, Iraq's Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi speaks during an interview with the Associated Press near Sulaimaniyah, 160 miles (260 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq. AP Photo

The Gulf state of Qatar rejects Iraq's demand to hand over fugitive Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Khaled al-Attiyah told reporters today.
 
"Diplomatic norms and the post of Hashemi prevent Qatar from doing such a thing," he said when asked about Baghdad's request to hand over the Sunni leader, who is accused of running a death squad.
 
Hashemi, who arrived in Qatar on Sunday on what the local media has said is an official visit, had been in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region since December.