Iraq president chides US over ''uncivil'' detention

BAGHDAD, Feb 24 (Reuters) Iraq's president said today US soldiers responsible for briefly detaining the son of Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, one of Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite leaders, should be disciplined.

US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said within hours he was sorry for the detention yesterday of Ammar al-Hakim, who said he was handcuffed, blindfolded and pushed roughly by US guards.

The US military said on Saturday he was held because his guards were acting suspiciously in an area near the Iranian border where smuggling has happened before. It said he was quickly released and treated with respect.

''The president of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, expressed his sorrow for the offence to which al-Hakim was exposed and called for those responsible to be held accountable,'' a statement from the president's office said.

''(Talabani) noted that he was treated in an uncivil manner and inappropriately and demanded that US authorities hold accountable those who harmed him and give guarantees such unjustifiable actions will not be repeated with other politicians and national figures,'' the statement said.

The email statement was sent under the headline ''Talabani calls for disciplining those who arrested Mr. Hakim''.

Ammar al-Hakim's detention could strain previously good relations between Washington and his father's Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the dominant political party in the Shi'ite-led government. It sparked protests in a string of Shi'ite towns and cities today.

REUTERS SAM RAI2330