Friday Iraq News Posted by Tishwash at TNT 8-21-2026

TNT:

Tishwash:  The Washington Post: Iraq under al-Zaidi's leadership is on a path of positive change 

In an article published in The Washington Post on Thursday, Tim Constantine reviewed the key achievements of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi during his first 100 days in office.

The article, titled "What Has Iraq's Prime Minister Accomplished in His First 100 Days?", stated: "When a new US president is sworn in, the media often rushes to make grand predictions about what can be accomplished in the first 100 days. The momentum generated by the national election, the enthusiasm surrounding the arrival of a new president, and the political capital he brings all raise expectations for the initial start.

In the fall of 2025, Iraq held its elections, but it took five months after the votes were counted for the Iraqi parliament to elect a new president, who in turn tasked Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi with forming a government. Al-Zaidi then won a vote of confidence from parliament. The entire process took approximately 180 days. After this lengthy process, the sense of urgency was palpable."

Many might say that 100 days in Iraq is nothing more than a fleeting moment in the life of a nation exhausted by crises and burdened by years of disputes, calculations, and anxieties. But this period seems to have been enough for Iraqis and the world to realize that something is beginning to change seriously, in an early test of the country's direction: Will Baghdad continue to manage its crises, or will it begin to manage its future?

In foreign policy, al-Zaidi didn't wait long to place Iraq at the heart of the international equation. Washington was his first foreign destination, at the invitation of President Trump, in a visit that carried more than one message.

Iraq didn't go to the United States simply to request security support; rather, it went to propose a new partnership centered on the economy, investment, energy, and infrastructure, and to build a relationship based not on crisis management, but on creating shared interests.
Herein lies the importance of the visit: Iraq is moving away from the image that makes it a country that primarily attracts attention when a crisis erupts, and is moving toward being seen as a country that offers opportunities for investment and partnership.

Of course, the path to nation-building is not through economics alone. Domestically, al-Zaidi opened one of the most sensitive files, namely the file of integrity and the recovery of public funds. Many governments around the world make promises to combat corruption, but the new Iraqi government has pushed the Integrity Commission to intensify its scrutiny and investigations into government contracts.

Many Iraqis were skeptical, having heard such promises before. Then came Operation Dawn, sending a clear political and legal message: no one is above the law if they steal from the Iraqi people. As we say in the United States, no one is above the law. According to a local Iraqi news agency, at least 210 officials, members of parliament, employees, and businessmen were arrested between June 28 and August 9.

In the past few days, headlines have included stories like “Iraq seizes another $26 million in cash and 60 kilograms of gold” and “Iraqi electricity official arrested with millions of dollars in cash.” It has become clear that the campaign is not just a publicity stunt, but a genuine effort. Al-Zaidi also directed the creation of a special account to be used for the public good, with funds recovered from corruption cases to be deposited.

But the biggest challenge facing the new government may be the issue of weapons.

In a country where armed factions possess armed personnel equipped with sophisticated military equipment, it is well known that restricting weapons to the state is not a simple administrative decision that can be implemented with a signature or a statement. Rather, it is a protracted struggle intertwined with power dynamics that have developed over many years.
As one of its initiatives during its first 100 days, the al-Zaidi government chose to confront the problem directly, declaring that the state alone must have the authority to make security decisions.

Al-Zaidi clearly affirmed that Iraqi forces are capable of protecting the country and that there will be no need for armed factions or foreign forces after September 30th, emphasizing that the government is moving forward with regaining control of weapons and placing them under state authority.

Here, three major objectives converge. Iraq, which wants to attract foreign investment, needs security. Iraq, which wants to recover its stolen funds, needs a strong judiciary and robust institutions. And Iraq, which wants to establish balanced partnerships with the world, needs, above all, a sovereign decision that no other entity can challenge.

One hundred days may be too early to declare that Iraq has changed, but it is not too early to say that Iraq's trajectory has begun to shift. There is a vast difference between a government that spends its time putting out fires and one that simultaneously tries to rebuild the nation.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of these first hundred days is that al-Zaidi did not treat them as a brief period to test intentions, but rather as an opportunity to change the rules of the game. Foreign policy, combating corruption, and consolidating weapons under state control are not separate issues; they are, in essence, a single battle aimed at restoring the state's authority, prestige, and ability to act.

The results may not yet be fully realized, and certainly not all of them have materialized in the daily lives of citizens.

The mission is not yet complete after 100 days of the new government, but the path has been charted. Iraq is engaging with Washington as a nation seeking partnership and mutual interests, opening its doors to investment instead of limiting its relationships to requests for aid, establishing integrity institutions to confront corruption, and clarifying, regarding the issue of weapons, that security decisions cannot be dispersed among multiple centers of power.

Therefore, the right question to ask when assessing the first 100 days of al-Zaidi's government should be: Has Iraq moved closer to becoming the state its people aspire to?

A definitive answer will require more time. But these 100 days have been enough to provide an unmistakable first indication: Iraq is no longer standing still. Iraqis are beginning to see their state taking initiative from within.
Perhaps the first 100 days of al-Zaidi's government can be described as a declaration of a new beginning: an Iraq that wants to be the master of its own destiny, the guardian of its own security, the custodian of its public wealth, and a partner whose interests and standing are respected by others.  link

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Tishwash:  Al-Zaydi: We will proceed with passing the Popular Mobilization Forces law as part of the armed forces.

on Thursday that the Popular Mobilization Forces enjoy the attention and care of the government, which will proceed with submitting the Popular Mobilization Forces Law for approval, as it is part of the formations and branches of the armed forces, indicating that Iraq is witnessing today a phase of building after completing the requirements of the process of defending sovereignty.

This came according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Media Office, which was received by Shafaq News Agency, during Al-Zaydi’s reception of the head of the Badr parliamentary bloc, Hammam Ali Mahdi Al-Tamimi, and members of the bloc.

The office added in its statement that the meeting included discussions on the general situation in the country, politically, economically and in terms of security, and the government’s efforts in implementing its reform and development programs.

According to the statement, Al-Zaydi stressed the important role of the legislative authority in combating corruption and prosecuting corrupt individuals, explaining that "the government's project is based on building a state based on a solid economy," and emphasizing "the importance of finding radical solutions to problems with a new and innovative vision, and not postponing them." 

For their part, the head and members of the Badr bloc affirmed their absolute support for the government in all its reform steps and procedures, especially in the field of combating corruption and regulating weapons in accordance with constitutional mechanisms.

While some forces expressed a willingness to reorganize their military and security relationship with the state, other factions, including Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, announced their refusal to relinquish their military capabilities, and linked any discussion about their weapons to the end of the presence of foreign forces and ensuring the protection of Iraq from external attacks.

September 30th also coincides with the deadlines related to ending the international coalition's military presence in Iraq, which some factions use as a basis for linking the future of their weapons to the withdrawal of foreign forces. link

Tishwash:  Minister of Finance: The budget is prepared by primarily including the government program and is carried out through 5 specialized committees.

Finance Minister Faleh Sari confirmed on Thursday that the budget is being prepared based on the government program and is being developed through five specialized committees.

The ministry said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “Finance Minister Faleh Sari chaired an expanded meeting of the committees preparing the draft program and performance budget, with the participation of members of the Parliamentary Finance Committee and representatives from several ministries and international organizations, to follow up on the stages of preparing the draft budget and the requirements for the gradual transition to the program and performance methodology.”

According to the statement, the minister emphasized that “the budget preparation is being carried out through continuous technical work, with the participation of various stakeholders,” noting “the continuation of meetings with members of the legislative authority and representatives of ministries and governorates, which enhances the transparency of the budget preparation process and the involvement of relevant parties at its various stages.”

He explained that “the work is being carried out through five specialized subcommittees that are responsible for preparing the technical aspects of the draft budget in cooperation with the World Bank, with the aim of formulating a comprehensive framework for the new budget within a specific timeframe.”

He noted that "the government program approved by the Cabinet was essentially incorporated into the program and performance budget, linking programs and financial allocations to government priorities and objectives."

The statement added that "the representatives expressed their support for the transition to a program and performance budget, emphasizing the importance of its success and developing implementation mechanisms to enhance the efficiency of public finance management."  link

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Tishwash:  Al-Zaydi: We are working on preparing the 2027 budget and will send it to Parliament soon.

Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi confirmed on Thursday that the government is currently preparing the 2027 budget and will soon send it to Parliament. 

A statement from the Prime Minister's office, received by the Information Agency, indicated that "al-Zaidi, during his meeting with members of the Sadiqun parliamentary bloc, emphasized the important and fundamental role of the legislative authority in strengthening government procedures and enabling it to implement its program, as well as the importance of the oversight and legislative role in combating corruption through monitoring performance in state institutions."

He explained that "the government is currently working on preparing the 2027 budget, which will be sent to Parliament soon," stressing "the implementation of the government's plan to increase oil production and exports in the coming years."

According to the statement, al-Zaidi also noted "the allocation of significant space in the budget to the electricity sector."  link