Guest views are now limited to 12 pages. If you get an "Error" message, just sign in! If you need to create an account, click here.

Jump to content
  • CRYPTO REWARDS!

    Full endorsement on this opportunity - but it's limited, so get in while you can!

Go Iraq Part 2


6ly410
 Share

Recommended Posts

Former Iraqi PM Abadi hints at comeback

Haidar al-Abadi

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is eyeing a sequel to his turbulent single term, he hinted to AFP, warning that a failure to tackle sectarianism and corruption risks seeing his country “fall apart.”

As the government of incumbent Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi faces growing criticism over poor services, Abadi has been working in the wings to secure a second term, according to multiple sources.

“We have good intentions,” he said coyly, when asked about his ambitions in a wide-ranging AFP interview at his home in Baghdad’s Green Zone.

The 67-year-old, who came to office in 2014 without an election as Iraq reeled from ISIS grabbing a third of the country, has sent out feelers to major political blocs who may help him win allies in parliament, a government source said.

“He may take advantage of a wave of summertime protests if they happen,” said the source.

Soaring summer temperatures — paired with crippling electricity shortages, which restrict refrigeration and air conditioning — often provoke significant unrest in Iraq.

Abadi has even reached out to Iraq’s powerful Shiite clerics, who can make or break a politician’s career, said intermediaries close to the religious establishment.

The rumors of his return have gained so much traction that Abd al-Mahdi has repeatedly had to deny allegations he was preparing to resign.

Abadi oversaw both the fight against ISIS and a tough response by Baghdad to an independence referendum by the country’s Kurds, but his bloc fared poorly in national elections last year.

Abadi painted himself as an opposition figure who could help “guide” the current government.

The chief priority should be tackling corruption, he said, in a country ranked by Transparency International as the world’s 12th most corrupt.

“There is a new kind of state corruption now — selling positions, which happened secretly in the past but now goes on in the open,” Abadi told AFP.

“Everything has a price,” he added.

Graft is endemic across Iraq, where parliament estimates that $228 billion has vanished into the pockets of shady politicians and businessmen over the last 15 years.

Abadi himself was accused of failing to curb corruption during his term.

The ex-premier said the government should also tackle the specter of sectarian violence, which ravaged Iraq’s diverse communities over a decade ago.

“In the past, sectarianism was used as a weapon in the conflict between factions to divide up the spoils of war,” Abadi said.

“If ISIS or another terrorist group returns, or if a cocktail of terrorists and politicians is formed, it’ll be so dangerous that everything will completely fall apart,” he stated.

Abadi himself declared ISIS defeated in December 2017 after a draining three-year military campaign, a moment that will likely define his legacy.

Several months earlier, he had ordered federal troops to retake disputed territories and adjacent oil fields from Kurdish forces after an independence referendum in the autonomous region that saw an overwhelming vote in favor of secession.

Abadi remains largely disliked by the autonomous Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), led by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which he indirectly criticized.

“I have no problems with Kurdish citizens,” he said, adding, “But there is a problem with some of the parties which control the region, its wealth and its oil.”

He accused the KRG of exporting nearly double the agreed amount oil from their northern pipeline without federal authorization, asking: “Where are the revenues?“

Abadi’s poor ratings in the north notwithstanding, he is one of the rare figures in Iraq widely respected by both the country’s Shiite majority — from which he hails — and its Sunni minority.

In the regional tug-of-war between the US and Iran, both allies of Iraq, Abadi has been seen as closer to Washington’s camp.

Tensions between the two countries have skyrocketed since the US reimposed tough sanctions on Iran last year, which Abadi had pledged to implement as prime minister.

That stance cost him his premiership, observers say, and parliament voted in Abd al-Mahdi to replace him.

This month, Abd al-Mahdi ordered the Iranian Militias inIraq and Syria (IMIS), a collection of mostly-Shiite, pro-Iran paramilitary units, to integrate into the state’s security forces by July 31.

Abadi, who issued a similar decision in 2017, told AFP the decision was too little, too late.

“I believe we lost a year and a half,” he said.

  • Thanks 4
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This was posted by bro thug: Iraq offers banknotes in the 250, 500, 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 25,000 and 50,000 dinar denominations. However the bills are easily torn and worn, making the detection of counterfeiting more difficult. Many storefront exchange shops utilize digital bill counters — some with scanners — to try to thwart counterfeiters with varying degrees of success.  Additionally, vendors are often hesitant to accept US currency printed prior to 2006. "Or sometimes when we receive cash, we do not have change to pay back. The most important thing to me is change which I do not have usually," added...time for the deletion of zeroes or change the rate of the dinar...let's go CBI.....Cheers bros

  • Like 2
  • Upvote 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey bro, a complete goi ...that's it bro. He is using the Dow as a gauge sort of to tell us that ri is close at hand...we need to see if there's gonna be a vote on ministry of edu on Sat session...other than that, things are looking mighty good in the neighborhood bro...Cheers bros

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, lmb4321 said:

navira...so we are watching for the Dow to get to 28000 and the Agenda for the 20th Session to complete GOI....anything else bro?...

 

Yes, Then We’re Waiting For A Guy Named Luigi - Standing On A Corner With A Goat ! :o 

 

:D  :D  :D 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

50 minutes ago, navira said:

Hey bro, a complete goi ...that's it bro. He is using the Dow as a gauge sort of to tell us that ri is close at hand...we need to see if there's gonna be a vote on ministry of edu on Sat session...other than that, things are looking mighty good in the neighborhood bro...Cheers bros

Cheers Bro....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Testing the Rocker Badge!

  • Live Exchange Rate

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.