Vehicle in Sulaymaniyah province targeted in drone attack – Dukan mayor
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Not everyone is impressed with the outcomes of this high profile visit
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The inaugural US-Iraq Joint Security Cooperation Dialogue wrapped up in Washington today, marking a milestone in the two countries' joint efforts for regional stability.
Led by US Assistant Secretary of Defense Celeste Wallander and Iraqi Minister of Defense Thabit Al-Abbasi, the dialogue focused on shared defense issues, the fight against IS, and the development of Iraq's defense capabilities.
Key discussions included a review of the Defeat-IS campaign and the confirmation that no US forces with a combat role remain in Iraq. Both sides committed to deepening security cooperation, exploring military assistance programs, and working on repatriating displaced persons from northeast Syria.
The meeting builds on previous bilateral agreements and seeks to set the stage for continued collaboration in addressing evolving threats and opportunities in the region.
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The National: 'Heist of the century' investigations to widen
The investigation into Iraq's so-called "heist of the century," a theft of $2.5 billion from Iraq’s General Commission for Taxes, could extend to the arrest of high-ranking former politicians, according to sources speaking to The National's Mina Aldroubi and Robert Tollast.
Iraqi officials, including former finance minister Ali Allawi and aides of former prime minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, are among those in a requested Interpol red notice from Baghdad.
However, Interpol told The National that a red notice is not an international arrest warrant and would require review. No red notices have been issued for the named individuals. The original statement by Iraq's Commision of Integrity implied they had, but the wording was vague on whether the notices were issued or merely requested.
The case involves the discovery of 250 fraudulent cheques written to five shell companies, which were then cashed and the funds suspected of being flown out of the country. The theft is considered one of Iraq's worst public fund abuses.
Head of the Iraqi Commission for Integrity, Haider Hanoun, asked the US and the UK to cooperate in executing arrest warrants against four men. However, sources close to the case claim that the commission lacks "sufficient evidence" and that the pursuit points to a "political agenda."
The National's report highlights concerns of political motivations behind these arrest warrants. A former adviser to Mr. Al Kadhimi suggested that the call for the red notice serves to divert public attention from ongoing failures with electricity and the Iraqi currency crisis.
Farhad Alaadin, foreign affairs adviser to Prime Minister Sudani, said to The National that the investigation has no limits and anyone could be investigated if evidence arises.
Suspicions of corruption extend to Baghdad airport, where rival factions control different parts of the sprawling site. Sources say that these rivalries blur lines of accountability, and it might explain how $2.5 billion in cash was smuggled out without detection.
In any case, the whole thing is becoming quite the political football.
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As with Dana Gas, GKP also laments price instability
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If potato exports to the UAE didn't sate the appetite...
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Morning briefing
- Iraqi airstrikes target Islamic State (IS) militants in Saladin
- Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) cabinet to meet today, with the Kurdish delegation to Baghdad and progress on a federal oil and gas law on the agenda
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