Iraq’s Kadhimi Imposes State Authority over Land, Sea Ports

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi speaks at the Mandali crossing on the border with Iran during a visit to Diyala province on July, 11, 2020. (AP)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi speaks at the Mandali crossing on the border with Iran during a visit to Diyala province on July, 11, 2020. (AP)
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Iraq’s Kadhimi Imposes State Authority over Land, Sea Ports

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi speaks at the Mandali crossing on the border with Iran during a visit to Diyala province on July, 11, 2020. (AP)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi speaks at the Mandali crossing on the border with Iran during a visit to Diyala province on July, 11, 2020. (AP)

The Iraqi military announced it had deployed security personnel to 14 of the country's land and sea border crossings as part of the fulfillment of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s pledge to crackdown on corruption.

Corruption and the control of armed groups of these portals cost Iraq some 10 billion dollars.

The Joint Operations Command said in a statement they have deployed security forces to all 14 portals. It added that the "decision was made by the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces [Mustafa al-Kadhimi] ... to enforce the law and combat abuses, corruption and the wasting of public money."

The outposts include, according to the statement, the ports of Umm Qasr al-Shimali, Umm Qasr al-Jinoubi, Umm Qasr al-Awsat, Khor al-Zubair, and the land crossings of Shalamjah, Badra, al-Mundhiriyah, Safwan, al-Qaim, Trebil, al-Shaib, Zarbatiyah, Abu-Flus and Arar.

The crossings are now "the responsibility" of the Iraqi army, which is "authorized to hold to account" any person, "for any violations, no matter the side."

In late June, Kadhimi's office announced a new campaign against corruption at the country's various border crossings, saying Baghdad would take "resolute action" to institute government control over the facilities.

During the PM’s visit to the Mandali border crossing with Iran in Diyala on July 11, Kadhimi said that the government would pursue the "ghosts" that were transporting cargo trucks across the border without paying customs fees.

He ordered a team from the Emergency Response Division to take over the Mandali crossing, saying they are authorized to use live fire to stop anyone from attacking people working at the border.

Political observers in Baghdad believe that the partisan and political parties that effectively control the land borders will place more obstacles in the face of the premier’s measures.

Others believe that if Kadhimi fails in controlling all land borders, including those with Kurdistan, then he will not receive the desired cooperation from the political parties in parliament.

The borders with the Kurdistan Region are one of several disputes between the federal government and Kurdish authorities. Doubts have been raised over the PM’s ability to impose control over them if other pending issues remain unresolved.



Syrian Army Takes Control of Tishrin Dam from SDF

Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
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Syrian Army Takes Control of Tishrin Dam from SDF

Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)

Syrian army troops have deployed near the Tishrin Dam in the eastern countryside of Aleppo province, setting up military positions in what appears to be a step toward assuming control of the facility from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Pro-government broadcaster Syria TV cited an official source on Monday as saying the military had entered the outskirts of the Tishrin Dam area and established military outposts in preparation for a handover of the strategic site.

The dam, located near the city of Manbij, has been under the control of the Kurdish-led SDF, which played a key role in the fight against ISIS in northern Syria with the backing of the US-led coalition.

Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and SDF leader Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement on March 10 aimed at integrating all civil and military institutions of the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northern and northeastern Syria into the Syrian state.

Syrian authorities, the SDF, and Türkiye had reached an agreement, brokered by the United States, for the transfer of the Tishrin Dam to the Syrian government.

Under the deal, the military will deploy forces around the dam, while teams from Damascus have already begun maintenance and upgrading works on the facility.

The agreement aims to bring an end to the fighting that had erupted between Syrian factions loyal to Türkiye, which have integrated into the Syrian army, and the SDF. The clashes, which had persisted for over three months since December 12, have now subsided.

On Thursday, Türkiye’s Ministry of Defense announced that Ankara is closely monitoring the implementation of the agreement regarding the handover of the dam.

The deployment of Syrian forces around the dam comes amid reports of renewed tensions in the area, which had been relatively calm for nearly a month. Syria’s state-run Syria TV reported that the military had sent reinforcements to areas previously affected by clashes with the SDF.

Additionally, reports said the SDF and Syrian forces were on alert after Turkish drones launched an attack near the dam, following the death of a fighter from Türkiye-backed factions in the region. The situation continues to evolve as both sides remain on edge in the strategic area.