A warning has been issued that war and peace decisions in Iraq have slipped from the federal government's control and fallen into the hands of armed groups. In a statement to Kurdistan24, Iraqi Deputy Parliament Speaker Farhad Atrushi said, 'The decision for war in Iraq is not 100 percent in the government's hands; it is in the hands of armed groups.'
Atrushi stated that if these groups are not brought under state authority, drone attacks on the Kurdistan Region will continue. 'If the situation continues like this, yes, the attacks will continue because the armed groups are numerous, uncontrolled, and continue their activities,' he said.
The Iraqi official emphasized that armed groups are carrying out attacks on other countries without state approval. Atrushi noted that war cannot be declared on another country without parliament's approval.
Saying that the country remains in an uncertain position amid regional tensions, Atrushi stated that Iraq has become one of the biggest victims of regional instability. He warned that if Iraqis do not work together, the situation will worsen further.
Atrushi said that non-state weapons and corruption are dragging the country down a dangerous path, adding, 'Armed groups use weapons to protect their own corruption. However, a country's strength comes from weapons being solely under state control and from eliminating corruption.'
He called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to support the federal government's efforts to bring weapons under state authority.
Atrushi said that political parties, the Coordination Framework, the US, and European countries have supported Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi's anti-corruption campaign, but the process is difficult and the prime minister has received threats. 'Ali Al-Zaidi has declared that he is ready to sacrifice his life in the fight against corruption,' he said.
Responding to a question about the list of lawmakers accused of corruption, Atrushi said he had not seen the document, and that only Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani had examined it. He said the speaker told them that the list contained the names of 19 lawmakers, 5 of whom were from previous terms and 15 from the current sixth legislative term. He added that the Iraqi judiciary has requested the lifting of immunity for more than 30 people accused of corruption.
He added that some armed groups are in dispute with influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, while Sadr strongly supports Prime Minister Al-Zaidi's government.
Noting that Iraq's economy is fragile and negatively affected by regional instability, Atrushi said that declining state revenues are one of the government's biggest challenges and could turn into a major crisis if not addressed.
Regarding the fuel shortage in the Kurdistan Region, he disclosed that he had requested the Iraqi Oil Minister to allocate 3 million liters of gasoline daily to the region and to increase the current 50,000-barrel oil allocation, and that he had formally submitted the proposal to Prime Minister Al-Zaidi.
Touching on former Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi's visit to Erbil, Atrushi said that Halbousi's meetings with President Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani were important. He noted that the KDP is trying to reorganize its political relations in Baghdad, while Halbousi aims to normalize relations with the party.
Atrushi added that the Kurdistan Region transfers 120 billion Iraqi dinars in internal revenue to Baghdad each month, that efforts are underway to reduce this amount, but that reaching an agreement will not be easy.
