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.



Two Million Syrians Returned Home Since Assad's Fall, Says UN

Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
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Two Million Syrians Returned Home Since Assad's Fall, Says UN

Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters
Syrian migrants wait at the Cilvegozu border gate to cross into Syria, after Syrian rebels announced that they ousted Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in the Turkish town of Reyhanli in Hatay province, Türkiye, - Reuters

Over two million Syrians who had fled their homes during their country's war have returned since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, UN refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi said Thursday, ahead of a visit to Syria.

The Syrian civil war, which erupted in 2011 with Assad's brutal repression of anti-government protests, displaced half of the population internally or abroad.

But Assad's December 8 ouster at the hands of Islamist forces sparked hopes of return.

"Over two million Syrian refugees and displaced have returned home since December," Grandi wrote on X during a visit to neighboring Lebanon, which hosts about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, according to official estimates, AFP reported.

It is "a sign of hope amid rising regional tensions," he said.

"This proves that we need political solutions -- not another wave of instability and displacement."

After 14 years of war, many returnees face the reality of finding their homes and property badly damaged or destroyed.

But with the recent lifting of Western sanctions on Syria, new authorities hope for international support to launch reconstruction, which the UN estimates could cost more than $400 billion.

Earlier this month, UNHCR estimated that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million internally displaced persons may return by the end of 2025.