Sistani Scolds Iraqi Politicians for Seeking Personal Gains

A street vendor in al-Rasheed street, the oldest street in central Baghdad, Iraq, July 26, 2016. (AP)
A street vendor in al-Rasheed street, the oldest street in central Baghdad, Iraq, July 26, 2016. (AP)
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Sistani Scolds Iraqi Politicians for Seeking Personal Gains

A street vendor in al-Rasheed street, the oldest street in central Baghdad, Iraq, July 26, 2016. (AP)
A street vendor in al-Rasheed street, the oldest street in central Baghdad, Iraq, July 26, 2016. (AP)

Marking the fifth anniversary of issuing a fatwa urging to carry arms against ISIS, Iraq’s Ayatollah Ali Sistani fronted a wave of fierce criticism against the country’s politicians for stalling ministerial hires and delaying effective measures to counter institutional corruption.

Ahmad Al Safi, Sistani’s representative, delivered a Friday sermon in the central city of Karbala whereby he put internal divisions in Iraq under the spotlight.

“Disputes, whether they are overt or hidden, have been renewed among parties in power,” he said, adding that some forces that came to power during the war on ISIS are seeking to “consolidate their presence and achieve certain gains.”

“The continuation of conflicts over gains and bounties among those in power and ongoing tribal sectarian, regional and political problems…could enable ISIS remnants to return and exploit aggrieved and indignant people,” Safi warned.

He also blasted politicians for perpetuating a logjam stopping the assignment of ministerial portfolios from getting finalized and failing to establish clear measures to counter corruption “plaguing government institutions.”

“Delay in resolving vacant ministerial posts is not justified at all,” an Iraqi politician, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Reviewing Sistani’s harshly-worded speech, they pointed out that it is unprecedented and raises the alarm for politicians regarding the country’s faltering public services. This, according to the unnamed source, creates urgency to complete the cabinet lineup.

Newly-elected lawmaker Naim al-Aboudi, in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, decried the delay in filling all ministerial portfolios and said it threatens political stability in the country.

“Today, after the speech, and all the clarity it was delivered with, there is no option left before political parties but to swiftly and decisively move towards filling vacant ministerial posts,” he said, hinting that there could be a breakthrough soon with the justice and education portfolios.



Top Houthi Leaders Flee Sanaa Amid Trump-Ordered US Strikes

Top Houthi leaders disappear from Sanaa, communication cut off (Houthi Media)
Top Houthi leaders disappear from Sanaa, communication cut off (Houthi Media)
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Top Houthi Leaders Flee Sanaa Amid Trump-Ordered US Strikes

Top Houthi leaders disappear from Sanaa, communication cut off (Houthi Media)
Top Houthi leaders disappear from Sanaa, communication cut off (Houthi Media)

Senior Houthi leaders have disappeared from public life in Sanaa, gripped by fear of US airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump, now entering their third week, sources in Yemen said.

The first-tier leadership of the Iran-aligned group is believed to have fled the capital, which remains under Houthi control, seeking shelter in remote areas of Saada and Amran provinces.

According to informed sources, the group’s leaders have severed traditional communication channels and several have either gone into hiding or relocated to undisclosed locations as a precaution against possible targeted strikes.

Since the launch of US airstrikes on March 15, senior and mid-level Houthi leaders have vanished from public view and social media platforms, Yemeni sources say, as fear of targeted attacks continues to grow within the group’s ranks.

Informed sources confirmed there has been no trace of the group’s top two tiers of leadership - neither in the institutions under Houthi control in Sanaa, nor on the streets and neighborhoods they once frequented in luxury vehicles.

Even the sectarian events that Houthi leaders were known to regularly attend have reportedly gone on without their visible presence.

The Houthi group has remained tight-lipped about the extent of its human and military losses following US airstrikes ordered by Trump.

However, sources say several leaders not belonging to the ruling family of Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi are still believed to be in Sanaa.

Many of these figures have adopted strict security measures to avoid detection, including travelling in vehicles with tinted windows and covering their faces with cloaks when leaving temporary residences, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The precautions reflect growing fears of betrayal or being targeted by further strikes.

A source in Sanaa revealed that third-tier Houthi officials—mostly tribal figures and field supervisors—were instructed to flee to the northern provinces of Saada, Amran and other areas as US air raids intensified.

According to the source, mid-level Houthi officials have lost all direct contact with the group’s senior leadership after the latter switched locations and shut down their communication lines.