After Iraq ex-MP’s killing, Lebanon asks Syria to extradite suspects

Lebanon has asked Syria to extradite two Syrian nationals suspected of involvement in the killing of former Iraqi MP Ahmed al-Alwani, whose body was found in Beirut earlier this week. The case matters because al-Alwani was a prominent Sunni politician and critic of Iranian influence in Iraq, while investigators have yet to establish who killed him or why.

A Lebanese national has been arrested and is being questioned, and Lebanon’s top prosecutor is overseeing the investigation. Preliminary findings suggest al-Alwani was strangled, while investigators are examining a possible financial motive. He arrived in Beirut from Erbil on 5 November, left his hotel with people who reportedly spoke with a Syrian accent, and was later seen leaving in a white Range Rover; Iraq’s president has called for a swift investigation.