Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Political Payback Time In Iraq  

(Iraqi Parliament Media Office)

The Coordination Framework is continuing with its campaign against former Prime Minister Mustafa Kazemi. After the
Washington Post reported that Kazemi’s anti-corruption investigative body called Committee 29 allegedly tortured suspects new PM Mohammed Sudani sent the case to the judiciary to see whether charges could be made.

 

This is the latest attempt by the Framework to blame Kazemi for past wrongs and try to punish him and his followers. The Framework includes figures such as ex-Primer Nouri al-Maliki and Asaib Ahl Al-Haq’s Qais Khazali who were some of the most ardent critics of Kazemi when he was in office because he was seen as being too close to the United States while many in the Framework are connected to Iran. Now that they are in power they continue to go after him.

 

Previously PM Sudani announced $2.5 billion was stolen from the Iraqi tax authority under Kazemi’s administration. That scandal had already been reported two months before. The reason why Sudani brought it up again was to blame Kazemi for it as one of his advisers was implicated in the case. The PM and the Framework are not concerned about torture or corruption which is routine and they are all involved in they just want to bash Kazemi as much as they can.

 

SOURCES

 

Chalk, Chenar, “PM Sudani refers Kadhimi-era abuse allegations to public prosecution,” Rudaw, 12/22/22

 

Loveluck, Louisa and Salim, Mustafa, “A U.S. ally in Iraq vowed to tackle corruption. Torture and extortion followed,” Washington Post, 12/21/22

 

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