Iraqi Army personnel take part during an intensive security deployment against Islamic State militants in Jurf al-Sakhar, October 27, 2014. Photo: Reuters/Mahmoud Raouf Mahmoud
Graft Hobbles Iraq’s Military in Fighting ISIS -- New York Times
BAGHDAD — One Iraqi general is known as “chicken guy” because of his reputation for selling his soldiers’ poultry provisions. Another is “arak guy,” for his habit of enjoying that anis-flavored liquor on the job. A third is named after Iraq’s 10,000-dinar bills, “General Deftar,” and is infamous for selling officer commissions.
They are just a few of the faces of the entrenched corruption of the Iraqi security forces, according to Iraqi officers and lawmakers as well as American officials.
The Iraqi military and police forces had been so thoroughly pillaged by their own corrupt leadership that they all but collapsed this spring in the face of the advancing militants of the Islamic State — despite roughly $25 billion worth of American training and equipment over the past 10 years and far more from the Iraqi treasury.
Now the pattern of corruption and patronage in the Iraqi government forces threatens to undermine a new American-led effort to drive out the extremists, even as President Obama is doubling to 3,000 the number of American troops in Iraq.
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More News On Corruption In The Iraqi Army
Iraqi Corruption Has Enabled ISIS Access To U.S. Weapons -- IBTimes
'Ghost' soldiers haunt Iraqi army -- Al-Monitor
Iraqi PM sacks 26 army commanders for incompetence and graft -- Zawya/Reuters
Iraq finance minister urges battle against graft in military -- Reuters
Iraq's top cleric says graft in army helped Islamic State -- Reuters
WNU Editor: This is a depressing read .... ISIS Militants Are Already Getting Their Hands on Recently Supplied US Weapons in Iraq -- CP
Update: How U.S. Weapons Fall Into the Hands of Terrorists: The perils of shipping arms to Iraq and Syria -- Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic
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Pax Obama
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