Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll, chief of strategic communications department in the MNF-I, regarded arrest of Ali al-Lami, one of the leaders of the Iran-affiliated special groups a big blow to these groups.

He said: Ali al-Lami was one the key commanders of the special groups supported by the Iranian regime and responsible for explosion of the Security Consulting Center in Sadr City. Ali al-Lami is accused of planning for assassination of 450 people. He was the main source for the special groups to have access to Baath Party personnel addresses, particularly in the southern regions.

Ali al-Lami supervised implanting EFPs and had a strong relation with death, torture and abduction squads. In his trip to Iran and Lebanon, he carried thousands of special documents.