MP: Special budget for Shiite militia in Iraq, but not for Peshmerga
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s draft budget for next year allocates a special budget for the Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi militia but nothing extra for Kurdish Peshmerga forces, a Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament told Rudaw on Sunday.
Shakhawan Abdullah, head of the Iraq’s parliamentary security and defense committee, disclosed that at least 2 trillion Iraqi Dinars will be given to the Hashd al-Shabi in 2016.
According to Abdullah, the Kurdish Peshmerga forces will only receive an unknown amount of financial support that will be given to all ground troops in Iraq.
Abdullah has criticized Kurdish representatives in Iraq’s parliamentary financial committee for not paying enough attention to this issue. He said he has submitted a request for the Peshmerga to also receive at least the same 2 trillion Iraqi Dinars.
He said that would ensure the monthly payments for at least 100 to 150 Peshmerga.
For the past several years the central government in Iraq has withheld salaries and operating expenses for the Peshmerga – part of disagreements between Baghdad and Erbil over oil and other issues.
The Peshmerga have been on the frontlines of the fight with the Islamic State group (ISIS).
Shakhawan Abdullah, head of the Iraq’s parliamentary security and defense committee, disclosed that at least 2 trillion Iraqi Dinars will be given to the Hashd al-Shabi in 2016.
According to Abdullah, the Kurdish Peshmerga forces will only receive an unknown amount of financial support that will be given to all ground troops in Iraq.
Abdullah has criticized Kurdish representatives in Iraq’s parliamentary financial committee for not paying enough attention to this issue. He said he has submitted a request for the Peshmerga to also receive at least the same 2 trillion Iraqi Dinars.
He said that would ensure the monthly payments for at least 100 to 150 Peshmerga.
For the past several years the central government in Iraq has withheld salaries and operating expenses for the Peshmerga – part of disagreements between Baghdad and Erbil over oil and other issues.
The Peshmerga have been on the frontlines of the fight with the Islamic State group (ISIS).