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Ali Lami, who led the purge of Saddam Hussein loyalists from government posts, was arrested by U.S. forces when he arrived in Baghdad Wednesday from a trip to Lebanon, said Iyad Kadhim Sabti, an aide to Lami.

Lami is alleged to have helped violent Shiite Muslim militia obtain training and money from within Iran, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

U.S. military officials declined to confirm the arrest, saying only that they had arrested a "suspected senior special groups leader" at the Baghdad airport.

"Special groups" is the phrase U.S. military officials use for segments of the Mahdi Army militia allegedly being aided from within Iran, the Times reported.

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