ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Iraq's Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi has been removed from his post after losing a vote of confidence in the Iraqi parliament on Thursday.
In the vote, 142 MPs voted to withdraw confidence and 102 voted against it; 18 MPs abstained from the vote.
After his removal al-Obeidi, in a message to the public, said, “Those who succeeded [in today’s vote] are the same who brought Iraq to what it’s now, today. People and army forgive me. I tried to fight corruption to the best of my abilities. But it seems their voices were stronger.”
“I will stay as a soldier among the Iraqi soldiers who try to fight corruption and the corrupted. My thanks for those who voted and stood with us, and understand our stance,” al-Obeidi added.
He stated that because of corrupt officials, the Islamic State (ISIS) were able to capture 40% of Iraq’s territory and destabilize the country. “I was not inadequate in building the army and military institutions. And my efforts were all to fight corruption, corrupted people and ban the nepotism that brought Iraq to the stage in 2014 when it lost 40% of its land and millions were displaced, and the Iraqi capital Baghdad was put under threat.”
Referring to his accomplishments during his tenure as defense minister and his testimony before parliament, al-Obeidi declared, “I stand proudly in the front of all the corrupt ones.”
Earlier this month defense minister al-Obeidi accused Salim al-Jabouri, parliament speaker, and some MPs of involvement in corruption.
“Salim Jabouri and his brothers were asking me every day to transfer soldiers and high-ranking officials,” within the Iraqi army, said al-Obeidi during his speech before the MPs on August 1.
The parliament speaker denied the accusations and said he was ready for an investigation into his activities.
“If Obeidi can provide evidence for his charges against me, I am ready for any kind of investigations,” al-Jabouri said at the time. “For the charges Obeidi claimed against me, I will turn to the court since his claims are baseless.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on August 2 issued an order prohibiting the speaker of the parliament and several MPs from traveling after the defense minister made his accusations.
Responding to Abadi’s travel ban, Jabouri’s office issued a statement on August 2 stating that he does not consider there to be any ban on his traveling as only the court can make such a decision.
“Only the Iraqi court has the authority to ban any Iraqi citizen that holds an Iraqi passport from traveling,” the statement reads. “The court can make such a decision only when the complaint is filed against someone in court. Then the court will ban that person from traveling until they finish investigations.”
The court completed its investigation into Jabouri and dropped the case on August 9, citing lack of evidence.
Obeidi was then summoned to parliament to answer questions related to his own ministry’s finances and alleged abuse of power.
In the vote, 142 MPs voted to withdraw confidence and 102 voted against it; 18 MPs abstained from the vote.
After his removal al-Obeidi, in a message to the public, said, “Those who succeeded [in today’s vote] are the same who brought Iraq to what it’s now, today. People and army forgive me. I tried to fight corruption to the best of my abilities. But it seems their voices were stronger.”
“I will stay as a soldier among the Iraqi soldiers who try to fight corruption and the corrupted. My thanks for those who voted and stood with us, and understand our stance,” al-Obeidi added.
He stated that because of corrupt officials, the Islamic State (ISIS) were able to capture 40% of Iraq’s territory and destabilize the country. “I was not inadequate in building the army and military institutions. And my efforts were all to fight corruption, corrupted people and ban the nepotism that brought Iraq to the stage in 2014 when it lost 40% of its land and millions were displaced, and the Iraqi capital Baghdad was put under threat.”
Referring to his accomplishments during his tenure as defense minister and his testimony before parliament, al-Obeidi declared, “I stand proudly in the front of all the corrupt ones.”
Earlier this month defense minister al-Obeidi accused Salim al-Jabouri, parliament speaker, and some MPs of involvement in corruption.
“Salim Jabouri and his brothers were asking me every day to transfer soldiers and high-ranking officials,” within the Iraqi army, said al-Obeidi during his speech before the MPs on August 1.
The parliament speaker denied the accusations and said he was ready for an investigation into his activities.
“If Obeidi can provide evidence for his charges against me, I am ready for any kind of investigations,” al-Jabouri said at the time. “For the charges Obeidi claimed against me, I will turn to the court since his claims are baseless.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on August 2 issued an order prohibiting the speaker of the parliament and several MPs from traveling after the defense minister made his accusations.
Responding to Abadi’s travel ban, Jabouri’s office issued a statement on August 2 stating that he does not consider there to be any ban on his traveling as only the court can make such a decision.
“Only the Iraqi court has the authority to ban any Iraqi citizen that holds an Iraqi passport from traveling,” the statement reads. “The court can make such a decision only when the complaint is filed against someone in court. Then the court will ban that person from traveling until they finish investigations.”
The court completed its investigation into Jabouri and dropped the case on August 9, citing lack of evidence.
Obeidi was then summoned to parliament to answer questions related to his own ministry’s finances and alleged abuse of power.
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