“The King of Iraq” leads the fight against corruption… Will al-Zaydi dare to overthrow those who brought him to power?
An American report suggested that the campaign led by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, with direct support from Chief Justice Faiq Zaidan, against corruption, is similar to the campaigns launched by previous Iraqi prime ministers at the beginning of their terms.
A report by the US-based Al-Monitor website, translated by Shafaq News Agency, stated that the real test of Ali al-Zaidi’s seriousness will not be in pursuing middle-ranking officials, but rather in his willingness to target the same influential forces that helped him reach the premiership.
The report quoted Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House, as saying that “mid-level officials are targeted because it is possible, but those at the top, above the rule of law, do not usually end up in prison.”
Mansour pointed out that the new governments in Iraq use anti-corruption campaigns to achieve two main goals. The first is to remove opponents of the previous government and appoint loyal figures in their positions, while the second aims to convince public opinion that the current government is “different this time” and gain popular legitimacy.
For his part, Ramzi Mardini, founder of the Geopol Labs consultancy, said that anti-corruption campaigns in Iraq have always been political in nature and have often been used as a pretext for coercive measures.
He added that these campaigns have historically been linked to elite conflicts and have been used by heads of government to consolidate their power, weaken the patronage networks of their opponents, and achieve political gains in front of the local and international public.
The report went on to mention that Iraq possesses one of the world’s largest oil reserves, as well as significant natural gas wealth, yet the majority of citizens still suffer from poor living conditions.
According to the Monitor report, youth unemployment rates range between 25 and 35 percent, which increases public discontent amid repeated corruption scandals, while Iraq is ranked by Transparency International as one of the fifty most corrupt countries in the world.
An American report considered that the anti-corruption campaign comes at a time when American pressure is escalating on Iranian-backed armed factions, while it saw that the real test for the government will be its willingness to pursue the most influential entities linked to Tehran.
Al-Zaidi is preparing to visit Washington in mid-July to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House, according to a joint statement issued earlier this month by the Prime Minister and US Special Presidential Envoy Tom Barrack.
The report suggested that the campaign was aimed, at least in part, at strengthening the government’s position ahead of the visit, given the intense US pressure to dismantle and disarm Iranian-backed armed factions, which are seen as deeply entrenched in corruption networks within Iraq.
The report quoted informed sources as saying that US authorities, particularly the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), are cooperating with the Iraqi government by providing it with intelligence information about the suspects and their ties to Iran, without disclosing further details.
The Monitor’s report touched on the current investigations with political detainees, and confirmed that the Supreme Judicial Council, headed by Judge Faiq Zaidan, is leading the current anti-corruption campaign. He is sometimes nicknamed “the King of Iraq” because of his extensive influence and close ties with influential figures in Iran. He has also become a key player in building communication channels with the Trump administration, and played a pivotal role in Ali al-Zaidi’s rise to the premiership after months of political deadlock. He represents the real power behind the throne of power in Iraq.
Shafaq.com