ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s new Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi made a landmark decision to promote Lt. Gen. Abdul Wahab al-Saadi as the head of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces (ICTS) on Saturday.
"We decided to return our brother and hero Abdul Wahab al-Saadi to the counter terrorism forces and promote him to the post of the president of the Counter-Terrorism Forces," Kadhimi said in a presser following the first meeting of the new cabinet.
The PM added they have ordered security forces to release all those arrested during the protests which erupted across central and southern Iraq in October.
Saadi was removed from his position as commander of the ICTS during the reign of former Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, and was transferred to the Defense Ministry in September 2019. The decision shocked Saadi and angered Iraqis, who initially rallied to support him on social media, and fueled the popular protests.
The former commander is well-respected by many Iraqis and is known for embracing families fleeing Mosul during the military operation to oust Islamic State (ISIS) militants from the northern Iraqi city. The public reacted with anger to Abdul-Mahdi's order and started a campaign to support the respected commander, using the hashtag “we are all al-Saadi.”
Saadi, 56, hails from Amara city in the southern province of Misan. He entered the military after studying physics at the University of Mosul.
He was one of the commanders leading the fight against ISIS in Iraq, especially during the battle for Mosul. Saadi took the lead in many key anti-ISIS operations: he and his forces liberated the first oil refineries from ISIS control in Baiji city in 2015, and also led Iraqi forces during liberation operations in Fallujah, Ramadi, and Tikrit.
Saadi had told iNews in September he would not obey Abdul-Mahdi's order, and was prepared to face the legal consequences.
"I have been on the frontlines against ISIS during the anti-ISIS operations in Iraq and have never hesitated in my duties," Saadi said. "I have also been offered to be Iraq's Defense Minister, but refused because I am and will always be a ground commander."
Saadi has positive relations with American troops in Iraq and visited the United States in October 2018 to speak about the battle against ISIS.
Saadi was not the first to be removed from his post under Abdul-Mahdi. In 2018, the former prime minister issued an order retiring several senior commanders including such as Lt. Gen. Abdul Ghani al-Asadi, Lt. Gen. Sami al-Ardhi, and Lt. Gen. Manaf al-Tamimi. All three had leadership roles in defeating ISIS in Iraq.
Kadhimi also announced the formation of a committee to follow-up on the October protests and compensate the families of those who lost their lives or wounded during the violent demonstrations.
Prior to the country's shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, Iraq had been witnessing nationwide protests since October 2019. Protesters took to the streets of Baghdad and the mainly Shiite-majority provinces of the south to protest against rampant governmental corruption and the political system, as well as foreign interference in Iraqi affairs.
Protesters were with deadly violence, including live ammunition and military grade tear gas canisters. More than 600 protesters died and at least 18,000 were injured, according to Amnesty International.
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