The Political Battles In Baghdad After The Battle For Mosul

Renad Mansour writes for War on the Rocks:

Everyone in Iraq is rightfully focused on the upcoming battle to oust the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from the Iraqi city of Mosul, and many analysts continue to focus on Shia-Sunni or Shia-Kurd sectarian tensions in post-ISIL Iraq. Meanwhile, in Baghdad, another battle brews — an intra-Shia battle that poses an existential threat to the Iraqi state. Recently, Iraq’s parliament launched anti-corruption cases and impeached Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi — a Sunni Arab — and Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari — a Kurd. While both were complicit in some form of corruption, prominent Iraqi minister of parliament Hanan Fatlawi stated that “everyone has taken a piece of the cake and become happy… we have all benefitted.” The question, then, is why now, and why them?

The optimistic answer is that these corruption proceedings are a necessary supplement to the military battle against ISIL. The logic goes: A military solution against ISIL is not enough. To completely defeat the group, the country needs to win back disenfranchised Iraqis by convincing them that the central government is accountable and representative. This is particularly true for citizens who may have embraced or been complacent with alternatives governance structures, such as ISIL.

According to this view, the current parliamentary proceedings showcase the growing strength of the Iraqi state. In holding leaders accountable and moving against corruption — a longstanding grievance of the Iraqi street — the state’s institutions are moving for the first time against the personalities who have dominated since 2003.