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Senior Oil Ministry officials suspended over fight

Internal disputes spilled into public view as Oil Minister Thamir Ghadhban took disciplinary action against one of his deputy ministers and his security chief.
Karim Hattab, then the deputy oil minister for distribution and chair of the ministry's al-Hashid al-Shabi support committee, speaks at a June 19, 2019, event at the Oil Ministry commemorating the establishment of the Hashid. (Source: Oil Ministry media office)

BAGHDAD - Iraqi Oil Minister Thamir Ghadhban has at least temporarily sidelined two senior officials -- a deputy minister and the longtime chief of ministry security -- following an internal dispute that has been forwarded to the prime minister's office to investigate.

In an official letter dated June 25, Ghadhban ordered "to remove the authority" of Karim Hattab, deputy minister for crude and fuel distribution, and the director of the ministry's security office, invoking his authority under both a disciplinary law governing state employees and a letter from the prime minister's office.

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