Iraqi security forces carried out raids overnight between Saturday and Sunday in Baghdad’s storied Green Zone in the heart of the capital, as footage showed armored vehicles and members of the elite Counter-Terrorism Service carrying out the raids.
Iraq’s Shafaq News noted that “court orders target MPs and politicians… Green Zone closed and eight people arrested in central Baghdad.”
The report added that there was “a large-scale raid and search campaign targeting the homes of members of parliament, politicians, and businessmen.”
The Green Zone was once a fortified area where US forces concentrated in Baghdad after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Its entrances can be closed, cutting it off from the rest of Baghdad. It includes the parliament building, various government institutions, and embassies, with many politicians also having residences in the area.
A security source told Shafaq News Agency that the Counter-Terrorism Service forces set up intensive checkpoints inside the area.
“The special unit arrested more than eight people at dawn today, including members of the House of Representatives, based on judicial arrest warrants related to financial and administrative corruption cases,” Shafaq said, citing the source.
A separate raid took place north of Baghdad in the area of al-Shaab. “These unprecedented and stringent measures come in conjunction with frequent reports of an expanded list of prosecutions targeting senior officials, security personnel, and businessmen on charges of illicit enrichment and squandering of public funds,” Shafaq noted.
Al-Shaab targeted by ISIS bombings
Al-Shaab is a neighborhood in the Adhamiyah district of Baghdad. The area, populated by Shi’ites, was targeted in 2016 by ISIS bombings. In 2012, Shi’ite pilgrims were targeted by bombings as well, which killed at least 16 people.
It was not clear who was targeted on Sunday.
The crackdown comes as Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has vowed to crack down on corruption ahead of a trip to the US in July. “Our visit to Washington is not a routine protocol visit. It represents the announcement of a new phase of partnership between Iraq and the United States, built on shared interests and mutual respect,” Zaidi said recently.
Speaking to Sky News, Zaidi said the International Coalition forces “will conclude their combat mission against ISIS and withdraw from Iraq permanently” in September.
“In the next phase, we envision American presence through economic, investment, and development partnerships,” said Zaidi. “We seek to transition from military partnership to sustainable economic partnership, and to build an effective economic bridge between Iraq and the United States that serves the interests of both peoples.”
Zaidi is seeking to disarm Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and is still trying to make all the appointments in his new government, which is expected to take place this week as he consolidates power.
Hormuz blockade affecting Iraq
Earlier this month, the outgoing National Security Adviser Qassim al-Araji stated, “that rapid developments and successive crises in the region have imposed economic, security, and political challenges that threaten institutional stability and business continuity.” Iraq has suffered from the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Overnight between Saturday and Sunday, many rumors circulated in Baghdad about how he had been arrested. Several people claimed that prominent Sunni politician Muthana Samarrai, a leader of the Azm party, had been detained.
Other names circulating, but unconfirmed, included Mohammed al-Karbouli, a member of the Taqaddum party close to Sunni leader Mohammed Halbousi; former Iraqi minister and tribal leader Mohammed al-Sayhoud, who was also close to former Iraqi prime minister Nour al-Maliki; State of Law party politicians Alia Nassif and Bahaa al-Nouri; former advisor to Iraqi prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani; and Mudar al-Karawi of the Azm party.
