Secretary of Defense Ash Carter conducts a troop review with Iraqi Minister of Defense Khalid Obeidi during an Iraqi honor guard ceremony welcoming Carter as he arrives in Baghdad, Iraq to meet with al-Obaidi to discuss matters of mutual importance on April 18. Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz/U.S. Department of Defense |
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LONDON, England -- Iraq's parliament voted to remove Defense Minister Khalid Obeidi from office over corruption allegations as the country's armed forces geared up for a major offensive to retake the Islamic State stronghold Mosul.
Parliament voted 142-102 in a secret ballot on Thursday to impeach Obeidi, accusing him of wasting billions of dollars on weapons contracts and weakening Iraq's military.
Obeidi denied any wrongdoing and said the charges were politically motivated, accusing his political foes of targeting him because he was fighting corruption.
"Finally, those who have brought Iraq to where it is now have won," Obeidi said in a series of posts on Twitter. "I tried to fight corruption as much as possible but it seems they are stronger, their voices are louder and their actions more enduring."
The people of Iraq, not Parliament, should be the judges of his record in office, he said.
"God is my witness that I exerted every effort to rebuild the army and the military institution, along with tireless efforts to fight corruption and the corrupt, prevent nepotism and clientelism that caused Iraq in 2014 to lose 40 percent of its land," Obeidi tweeted.
Obeidi said he had cut salaries collected on behalf of nonexistent members of the military, a phenomenon thought to be common during the government of former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
Obeidi's removal came as the army, backed by Shia militias, prepared for a military offensive to recapture the northern city of Mosul from IS. Iraqi officials said the offensive could begin as early as September, although observers said that was unlikely.
Although Obeidi has been leading the military campaign against IS, Iraqi and U.S. officials insisted his removal from office would not hinder the battle to retake Mosul. It was reported, however, that U.S. officials tried to delay his sacking until after the liberation of Mosul.
Obeidi reportedly sought to persuade Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to refrain from using Shia militias — known as the Popular Mobilization Forces — in the military efforts in Mosul, following reports of human rights violations committed by the fighters when capturing other areas in Iraq from IS.
Obeidi's impeachment is seen by his supporters as punishment for his vocal criticism of corruption among the ruling class in Iraq, including members of his own Arab Sunni community and most notably Parliament Speaker Salim al- Jabouri.
However, the corruption case against Jabouri and five other members of parliament was closed by a court in early August, citing "lack of evidence."
Iraq ranks 161st out of 168 countries on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.
Obeidi is viewed by his supporters as a strongman who did not believe in the political system that he was serving under because it is divided along sectarian and ethnic lines. His critics are less sympathetic, however, viewing the episode as a fallout among corrupt elites.
This article originally appeared at The Arab Weekly.