Iraqi government assigns interim Defense Minister

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Iraqi government assigned a new defense minister on Monday.

The federal government made changes in the army following last week's sacking of the Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi.

Based on the new changes ordered by the Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, General Othman Ghanm, the interim Chief of Army Staff will become the interim Defense Minister.

Additionally, Anwar Hama Amin, Lieutenant General/Aviator and Iraqi Air Force Commander, will become the interim Chief of Army Staff.

On August 25, the Iraqi parliament withdrew confidence from the defense minister al-Obaidi with a majority of 142 votes in favor while 102 MPs voted against the decision. 

On August 1, the Iraqi parliament with the signatures of 60 MPs summoned Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi for investigations over corruption and during the session he named some current and former Sunni officials he accused of corruption and blackmailing, including the parliament speaker Salim al-Jabouri. 

Following the parliament decision, the sacked defense minister Khalid al-Obeidi stated on his official Facebook account that, "Finally the [corrupt] people who brought Iraqi situation to what it is like today have been victorious.”

He continued, “May the Iraqi people and the army forgive me because I tried to fight corruption with all possible means. But it seems that corrupt ones are stronger, their voices louder and their acts more effective.”

Minister Obeidi had led the military campaign against the so-called Islamic State (IS) since the group emerged in the north of Iraq in June 2014 and occupied large swaths of territory in the country.

Editing by Ava Homa