“Tidbits From TNT” Sunday 1-4-2026
TNT:
Tishwash: The House of Representatives publishes the agenda for its second session and moves towards voting on its internal regulations.
The media department of the Iraqi parliament published today, Saturday, the agenda for the second session of the sixth electoral cycle, for the first legislative year, first chapter.
The department stated that the session is scheduled to be held next Monday, January 5, 2026, at 10:00 AM, indicating that the agenda is limited to three main items.
She added that the first paragraph includes voting on the internal regulations of the House of Representatives, while the second paragraph stipulates the formation of a committee that will select members of parliamentary committees in accordance with the provisions of the internal regulations, and the third paragraph is to be dedicated to conducting general discussions.
The Iraqi parliament held its first session of its new term on December 29, during which it voted to elect Hebat al-Halbousi as Speaker of the House, Adnan Faihan as First Deputy Speaker, and Farhad al-Atroushi as Second Deputy Speaker. link
Tishwash: Foreign Ministry: Iraq has taken over all sites of the UN mission "UNAMI".
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Saturday the handover of all UNAMI sites across the country, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2732 (2024) mandating the termination of the mission's mandate.
In a statement received by the Video News Agency, the Ministry said, "In line with the government's decision to end the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), and pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2732 (2024)
Mandating the termination of the mission by December 31, 2025, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Committee for the Handover of UNAMI Sites throughout the Country, Ambassador Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al-Uloom, and the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Claudio Cordone, signed the handover report for the UN Integrated Compound in Baghdad."
She added that "the signing ceremony included a tour of the complex and its facilities, during which Ambassador Bahr Al-Uloom commended the efforts exerted by UNAMI over the past two decades and the level of cooperation and fruitful partnership with Iraq, which has actively contributed to supporting stability and development in various sectors, particularly consolidating democracy and promoting human rights, women's rights, and social justice."
According to the statement, Ambassador Bahr Al-Uloom also recalled "the sacrifices of UNAMI, especially the mission members who lost their lives while performing their duties in 2003, most notably the first head of the mission, the late Sergio Vieira de Mello," expressing "Iraq's gratitude and appreciation to all the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General who have led the mission, up to the current Special Representative, Ambassador Mohammed Al-Hassan."
Both sides affirmed that "the conclusion of UNAMI's work does not represent the end of cooperation between Iraq and the United Nations, but rather the beginning of a new phase of development partnership, led by the UN Country Team, in line with national priorities and building upon the successes achieved." link
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Tishwash: The Iraqi government allocates "high" capital to the newly revamped Rafidain Bank.
On Saturday, Mazhar Mohammed Saleh, the financial advisor to the outgoing Prime Minister, revealed that the new Rafidain Bank will have highly efficient capital, with the possibility of bringing in an international strategic banking partner.
Mazhar told Shafaq News Agency that "the study prepared by one of the major financial companies specializing in banking and financial reform does not go for the option of privatizing Rafidain Bank before starting its structural reform through institutional specialization."
He explained that "this study proposes redefining Rafidain Bank as the sovereign bank of the government, so that its role is limited to managing government financial operations, primarily managing the unified treasury account, and its operational link with more than a thousand government disbursement and spending units."
Saleh also pointed out that “this sovereign bank is entrusted with an organic link to the center of finance and policy in the financial authority, in order to ensure the organization of state finances through precise coordination between revenues and expenditures, and linking this to the cash budget (the government’s cash flow budget), with the aim of achieving the highest levels of efficiency in financial management, discipline, governance, and transparency.”
The government financial advisor added that "the study proposes the establishment of another bank called (Al-Rafidain - One), which operates as a mixed public-private joint-stock company, and follows the principles of the modern banking market."
“This bank is supposed to have highly efficient capital and operate in accordance with Basel (3) regulations, which will enhance the strength of the banking system and deepen the national banking market,” according to Saleh.
He pointed out that “this bank’s business model is based on high compliance levels and low risks, and its main activity is to grant bank credit to natural and legal persons, in accordance with the latest modern banking practices, while employing advanced financial information technology (FinTech) in a way that achieves digital financial inclusion, and contributes to integrating the national banking market and transforming it into a unified and effective force.”
Saleh concluded by saying that “Rafidain Bank – One undertakes the practice of financing foreign trade, with the possibility of bringing in an international strategic banking partner, which will raise its operational and technical capabilities, and gradually elevate it to the ranks of regional banks with high credit ratings, and make it a real lever for modernizing the Iraqi banking sector and supporting sustainable economic development.”
In 2021, the Iraqi Ministry of Finance approved a package of reform measures related to the restructuring of Al-Rafidain Bank, in accordance with the "White Paper" on economic reform in the country.
At the end of 2024, Ernst & Young, a professional services firm, confirmed that the restructuring of Rafidain Bank had reached 74%. Firas Kilani, an expert on the restructuring project from the British company, said that "the bank's restructuring project has progressed very significantly since it began in September 2024."
At the beginning of 2025, outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced that the project to restructure Rafidain Bank had reached its final stages.
Rafidain Bank was established under Law No. (33) of 1941 and commenced its operations on 5/19/1941 with a paid-up capital of (50) fifty thousand dinars. The bank currently has (164) branches inside Iraq in addition to (7) branches abroad, namely: Cairo, Beirut, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Sana’a, Amman, Jabal Amman.
Despite the Iraqi government's attempts to improve the performance of Rafidain Bank and restructure it, the bank's branch in Abu Dhabi committed financial and administrative violations, in addition to monitoring indicators of mismanagement that prompted the UAE Central Bank to impose "large financial" fines on the branch, amid warnings that these measures may end with the complete closure of the branch, according to informed sources who spoke to Shafaq News Agency at the end of 2025.
The Yemeni Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Muammar Al-Iryani, announced at the beginning of October 2025 the closure of the Iraqi state-owned Rafidain Bank branches in Sana'a.
Al-Iryani said in a post on the “X” website that “the decision by the Iraqi Rafidain Bank to close its branch in Sana’a and end its financial and banking activity is a step in the right direction, and a direct result of international efforts aimed at drying up the sources of funding for the Houthi group.”
He pointed out that this measure "reflects a positive response to governmental warnings and American and international pressure, and sends a clear message to the rest of the regional and international financial institutions, about the need to review their activities, and to ensure that they do not fall into the circle of exploitation or employment to serve the agendas of the Iranian regime and its terrorist arms in the region."
Al-Iryani stressed that "the Houthis have turned the financial and banking institutions operating in the areas under their control into tools for plundering the money of Yemenis and financing their cross-border terrorist activities."
Last August, US Congressman Joe Wilson accused the state-owned Rafidain Bank of conducting financial transactions with the Houthi group in Yemen, threatening to cut off US funding to Iraq as a result.
Wilson wrote in a post on the “X-formerly Twitter” platform that “the Iraqi state-owned Rafidain Bank is conducting financial transactions on behalf of the Houthis, a terrorist organization,” adding, “We have a name for these countries: state sponsors of terrorism.”
He added, "I will work to cut off funding to Iraq during the next appropriations bill" in the US budget. Wilson also urged the US Treasury Department to "sanction" Rafidain Bank. link
Mot: The New Year Already!- at Me Gym!!!!
Mot: Where to Begin!!!! - siigghhhhhh!!!!
