Kordpress:

The new wave of arrests in Baghdad has once again brought the case of fighting corruption back to the forefront of the news. According to the information published by "Panjara" media, the security forces arrested a number of senior officials and members of the Iraqi parliament in the green zone of Baghdad this morning, Sunday.

According to this report, most of the arrested people are figures close to the former prime minister of Iraq, as well as some Sunni political currents.

The published list includes Mousna al-Samrai, the head of the Azm coalition, Mazer Kuroi, a member of parliament from Jalula, Alia Nassif, Baha Nouri, Hind Abbasi, Hasnain al-Khafaji, Mohammad Farman, Ziad Al-Janabi and Alaa Sekar, members of the Iraqi parliament, Mohammad Sehud (a cousin of the former prime minister of Iraq), Farhan Fartousi, and Ali Ma'arj, the deputy minister of oil.

Despite the publication of these names, the Iraqi government or judicial institutions have not yet published an official announcement about the charges attributed to the arrested persons or the details of the case.

These arrests take place in the framework of the extensive anti-corruption campaign that the Iraqi government has started in recent months with the aim of dealing with networks of financial corruption and misuse of public resources. Political observers believe that the entry of this case to high levels of power can be a sign of an attempt to send the message that the fight against corruption will not be limited to low-level managers.

Meanwhile, some media sources and unofficial reports have claimed that the scope of the investigation may also be extended to the Kurdistan Region, and the names of a number of Kurdish political and party officials and figures are also on the list of people who may be summoned or arrested in the next stages. However, so far, no Iraqi judicial or security authority, nor any official body in the Kurdistan Region, has confirmed these reports.

Experts believe that if the current process continues without political considerations and based on judicial evidence, it can become one of the most important tests of the Iraqi government in the fight against structural corruption; Corruption, which has been one of the most important challenges of the Iraqi political system for the past two decades, and one of the main factors in reducing public trust in government institutions.

On the other hand, critics warn that the success of this campaign depends on the complete transparency of the investigation process, respecting the independence of the judiciary and avoiding the politicization of cases; Because any perception of selective treatment or political settlement can seriously challenge the validity of this process.

Until the publication of this report, official details about the reasons for the arrest of the mentioned people, their possible charges, as well as the truth of the published reports about the possibility of expanding the investigation to the Kurdistan Region, have not been announced, and it is expected that in the coming hours or days, Iraqi judicial and security institutions will publish more information about the dimensions of this case.

Iraq's counter-terrorism forces are the only forces trusted by Ali al-Zaidi and the United States to carry out this operation.

Acting under the direct orders of the Prime Minister and the head of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council, these forces have been tasked with arresting wanted individuals and those accused of corruption; they have also been authorized to take action against any military force or political figure that attempts to obstruct the operation.

So far, nearly 20 wanted individuals have been arrested, and the number of detainees continues to rise. Among those arrested are members of parliament, a deputy minister, the leader of a political party, and several directors-general.

Iraqi counter-terrorism forces possess a list of wanted individuals—reportedly comprising over 70 political figures—who are slated for arrest as the operation proceeds.

By the order of the Prime Minister of Iraq, strict security measures have been implemented at all entrances to Baghdad, checkpoints, as well as Baghdad International Airport to prevent the escape of wanted persons and the arrest of those accused of corruption.

Currently, all the detainees are under the control of the Iraqi Federal Anti-Corruption Commission and are being held under a temporary detention order.

Also, armored vehicles and heavy military equipment have been deployed on the roofs of some buildings in Baghdad's green zone to deal with any unforeseen security situation.

What seems confusing is that until now the Iraqi government has not published any official statement about this operation; It is even more strange that the leaders of the coordination framework have remained silent so far.