Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has appointed Major General Abdul Ghani al-Asadi as head of the National Security Agency, replacing Faleh al-Fayadh.
This comes in line with the series of appointments and amendments in senior security posts.
Asadi, 69, graduated from the Military Academy in 1972. He served in Iraq’s Special Operations Forces until his retirement was ordered by former Premier Adel Abdul Mahdi in 2018.
Kadhimi also appointed Qasim al-Araji as national security adviser, replacing Fayadh, who served in this post for nearly 10 years.
Araji served as Interior Minister in the second half of former Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi’s government (2014-2018). He also served as an MP between 2010 and 2014, representing Hadi al-Amiri’s pro-Iran Badr Organization.
Both orders actually deprive Fayadh of critical positions he has been serving for many years now and keeps him only as head of the Popular Mobilization Forces.
Sources close to Kadhimi’s government suggest Fayadh will also be stripped from this post once an alternative is available.
They also indicated other possible similar amendments to senior leaders in the army and police forces.
In early May, the Prime Minister ordered to reinstate a top general dismissed by Abdul Mahdi in September.
“We ordered the return of the hero brother, First Lieutenant General Abdel-Wahab al-Saadi, and to promote him as the head of the Anti-Terrorism Agency,” he said.
Security observers noted that the latest reshuffle has maintained the dominance of the Shiite component over these positions.
At the level of civil government institutions and bodies, Kadhimi decided to end the mandate of Jasim al-Lamy as member of the Communications and Media Commission’s (CMC) Board of Commissioners.
Other figures who have been serving for a long period in the commission are also expected to be dismissed.
