Erbil Threatens Boycott as Baghdad Freezes Salaries, US Urges Calm
In response, Shakhawan Abdullah, the second deputy speaker of Iraq's parliament, has called on Kurdish representatives to consider withdrawing from Baghdad, a move that could deepen political rifts within the fragile federal system.
Abdullah made the remarks following a meeting with leaders of Kurdish blocs in the Iraqi parliament. He described the finance ministry's decision as a 'deliberate violation' designed to starve the Kurdish people.
In a statement posted to Facebook, he said: 'After extensive discussion, we unanimously agreed to demand the federal government immediately halt these violations and resume salary disbursements.'
He added that a formal letter had been sent to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, urging him to take responsibility and resolve the issue. Abdullah warned that, if no action is taken, the Kurdish political leadership is prepared to implement a boycott 'within one hour.'
Meanwhile, Ali Hama Saleh, a senior figure in the Kurdistan-based National Stance Movement, called for a high-level delegation led by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister to visit Baghdad after Eid al-Adha.
He urged both sides to seek a long-term resolution to the budget dispute and reopen negotiations over oil exports through the Türkiye pipeline.
Speaking in a televised interview, Saleh emphasized that the federal budget is calculated annually, and a legal and financial resolution for Kurdistan's 2025 share is still possible.
He called for calm and constructive dialogue, warning against inflammatory rhetoric and urging the KRG to ease some of its conditions on resuming oil exports, considering Iraq's economic strain and projected declines in global oil prices.
The finance ministry justified its decision by claiming the Kurdistan Region exceeded its allocated 12.67% budget share.
According to ministry data, the region generated 19.9 trillion Iraqi dinars in oil and non-oil revenues since 2023 but transferred only 598.5 billion dinars to Baghdad. This shortfall, the ministry argued, breaches budget agreements.
Kurdish leaders, however, view the move as punitive and ill-timed especially with the Eid holiday approaching. KRG spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani accused Baghdad of continuing a 'policy of starvation and extermination' against the Kurdish population.
Vian Sabri, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party's bloc in parliament, said Kurdish parties will submit an official protest to the prime minister. She also demanded full disclosure of the federal government's spending, stating that only one financial report has been shared this year.
As tensions escalate, the US has reportedly stepped in, urging both sides to resolve the crisis.
A senior US State Department official, speaking anonymously, told local media that quickly resolving the salary issue would demonstrate Iraq's commitment to its citizens and create a more stable investment climate.
The official also suggested that progress could help reopen the suspended Iraq–Türkiye oil pipeline, a vital export route that has remained closed amid ongoing disputes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Former diplomats urge UK prime minister to recognize Palestinian state
LONDON: More than 30 former UK ambassadors and 20 former senior diplomats at the UN have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to recognize a Palestinian state, as international outrage grows over the distressing scenes in Gaza. The former diplomats have represented the UK in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria and Turkiye, as well as the UN. Their statement adds to the growing pressure on Starmer from ministers and senior figures in the ruling Labour Party, including the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to address the question of Palestine. Starvation has affected the 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip amid Israeli attacks and aid restrictions. Khan said on Wednesday that the scenes in Gaza were harrowing and that 'nothing justifies the actions of the Israeli government.' He asserted that there 'can be no two-state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine.' The former diplomats warned that 'the risks of inaction have profound, historic and catastrophic implications,' and called on Starmer to seize the 'moment to recognise Palestinian statehood unconditionally. '(Israel) cannot be secure from threats in the future if the question of Palestine is not taken forward to a political settlement,' they said. The statement added: 'In the face of the current horror and impunity, words are not enough … a partial suspension of arms sales, delays on trade talks and limited sanctions are far from the full extent of the pressure the UK can bring to bear on Israel.' Recognising a Palestinian state would be a 'foundational first step toward breaking the deadly status quo,' the letter said. The UK has consistently stated it would recognize Palestine in conjunction with allies 'at the point of maximum impact.' A rescheduled international conference will be held in New York City from July 28-29, sponsored by Saudi Arabia and France, to gather support for the recognition of Palestinian statehood. The organizers postponed the gathering planned for June due to the sudden conflict between Israel and Iran that occurred in the same month. Former diplomats urged Starmer to use the event to create a constructive plan that includes statehood for both Palestinians and Israelis. On Wednesday, Stephen Cottrell, the de facto leader of the Church of England, said Israel's 'war of aggression' in Gaza was a 'grave sin.' He said: 'With each passing day in Gaza, the violence, starvation and dehumanization being inflicted on the civilian population by the government of Israel becomes more depraved and unconscionable. 'In the name of God, I cry out against this barbaric assault on human life and dignity. It is a stain on the conscience of the international community and a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law.' Cottrell called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and the rebuilding of the Palestinian coastal territory.
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Iraqi governor quits after mall fire
BAGHDAD: The governor of an Iraqi province where a fire in a shopping mall killed more than 60 people resigned Wednesday. The fire last Wednesday tore through a newly opened shopping center in the town of Kut in Wasit province. While an investigation is ongoing, officials and residents have said that lack of safety measures in the building exacerbated the tragedy. Provincial Gov. Mohammed Al-Miyahi said he had resigned 'in honor of the blood of the martyrs, as they are in need of a gesture that may soothe part of their deep wounds, and in loyalty to them and to the people of this province.' The provincial council elected a new governor, Hadi Majid Kazzar. The fire had sparked widespread public anger, with families of the victims demanding the governor's dismissal and that others responsible for negligence be held accountable. They asserted that the blaze was the result of a long history of administrative corruption and weak oversight. Iraqi parliament speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani had sent an official request to Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani calling for the governor's dismissal, and the Cabinet decided in a session on Tuesday to refer Al-Miyahi to the investigation. Al-Miyahi previously said that the building owner did not implement fire safety measures and had not applied for required permits, and that legal complaints had been filed against the owner and shopping center owner. Poor building standards have often contributed to tragic fires in Iraq. In July 2021, a blaze at a hospital in the city of Nasiriyah that killed between 60 to 92 people was determined to have been fueled by highly flammable, low-cost type of 'sandwich panel' cladding that is illegal in Iraq. In 2023, more than 100 people died in a fire at a wedding hall in the predominantly Christian area of Hamdaniya in Nineveh province after the ceiling panels above a pyrotechnic machine burst into flames.
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
The stark reality of how Israel treats its own Druze citizens
LONDON: Israel mounted a bombing campaign across Syria last week with the stated objective of protecting the Druze community of Sweida from attack by Bedouin fighters amid a recent upsurge in sectarian violence. Yet, this purported humanitarian intervention on behalf of a vulnerable religious minority has drawn attention to the disparity in Israel's treatment of its own Druze citizens, prompting accusations of double standards. For centuries, the Druze — an enigmatic religious community whose origins in the Levant date back to the 11th century — have guarded their beliefs and customs behind a veil of secrecy. Today, amid mounting regional upheaval and intensifying sectarian conflict, the fate of this small group — whose numbers are dwarfed by those of their neighbors — has become a critical test case for questions of loyalty, identity, and equal citizenship within modern nation states. Nowhere are these tensions more apparent than in Israel, where the Druze have forged a uniquely complex relationship with the Jewish majority, one marked by military partnership and shared sacrifice, yet also by persistent inequality and simmering frustration. As a result of their opposition to conversion and discouragement of intermarriage, the Druze community remained small in number and vulnerable, constantly maneuvering politically for their own survival among more powerful forces. Still, when push comes to shove, they can prove to be fearless warriors. The special relationship between the Jewish and Druze communities already existed in Mandatory Palestine. This relationship grew closer and stronger after Israel declared its independence, although it remains rather complex. One of the tenets of Druze philosophy — some might call it a survival mechanism — is loyalty to the state where they reside. In this sense, Israel is no exception. In 1956, at the request of the Druze community's leaders, Druze men became subject to the military draft upon turning 18, just like their Jewish compatriots. This created a covenant written in blood between the Jewish and Druze communities, with more than 430 having lost their lives serving in the Israeli security forces — a substantial number for a small community of 143,000, which is less than 1.6 percent of Israel's population. But despite this sacrifice and the generally positive perception of the Druze among Jewish Israelis — unlike attitudes toward other Arab communities — they are not spared discrimination. Consequently, there are forces among their youth who oppose continued military service. The recent wave of deadly sectarian clashes that rocked southern Syria exposed the country's fragility, as the new government proved either incapable or unwilling to impose law and order, leading to a failure to protect the Druze. The response by the Druze in Israel highlighted another strong tenet in the community's philosophy: mutual responsibility. In a Pew Research Center survey, nine in 10 said that they had a strong sense of belonging to the Druze community and were proud to be part of it. Roughly two-thirds expressed that they feel a special responsibility to care for Druze in need around the world. Over the last week, this manifested in community leaders exerting pressure on the Israeli government to intervene on behalf of the Druze in their clashes with Bedouin militias. Translating intentions into action, around 1,000 community members — including two members of the Knesset, Afef Abed and Hamad Amar from the right-wing parties Likud and Yisrael Beytenu, respectively — crossed the border from the Israeli-occupied side of the Golan Heights to support their brethren on the other side, expressing outrage over what they described as the massacre of their relatives in Suwaida. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Druze community in Israel and the Golan Heights in a video statement, urging them to show restraint and avoid crossing into Syria amid the ongoing clashes. Instead, Israel took the extreme measure of striking the Syrian Defense Ministry in Damascus and government forces in southern Syria, with Netanyahu announcing that Israel was 'working to save our Druze brothers.' Israel's immediate reaction to the fall of the Bashar Assad regime in December of last year was to 'temporarily' take over additional territory on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights — a move that increasingly looks permanent — and to carry out hundreds of airstrikes on military targets across Syria. With this in mind, Israel's use of force again last week raises questions about whether the strikes were solely in defense of the Druze or intended to send a broader message to the government of Ahmed Al-Sharaa about the power balance between the two countries. Another factor raises suspicion over Israel's purported commitment to the Druze in Syria. Despite the total loyalty of the Druze to the state of Israel, it does not appear that the Jewish state is equally loyal to them. For all their years of sacrifice and devotion, the Druze still do not enjoy the same equal rights as the Jewish population. Although attitudes toward the Druze in Israel may be more favorable than toward Palestinian citizens, they are still far from being treated as equals. Some researchers of the Druze community in Israel suggest that they represent something of an in-between group, comprising 'individuals who simultaneously belong to social categories that are often seen as mutually exclusive, while maintaining their distinct group identity.' The Druze are ethnically Arab and share that Arab identity with the Arab-Palestinian minority in Israel, but, at the same time, identify with the Jewish Israeli state. In recent years, there has been an awakening among young Druze that, despite their sacrifices, they are institutionally and socially discriminated against as individuals and as a community. In a protest last year, community leaders stated: 'The covenants of blood and life have become superficial and false slogans.' They demanded that budgets allocated to their towns and villages be equal to those of their Jewish neighbors. This discrimination is visible not only in the underinvestment in their communities, but also in the confiscation of their land for the Judaization of the Galilee and in house demolitions — not to mention having to contend with poor electricity networks, sewage systems, and roads. Many residents in the 16 Druze towns and villages of Israel find it almost impossible to obtain planning permission, leaving them under constant threat of demolition orders or hefty fines. A piece of legislation dating back to 2017, the Kaminitz Law, gives authorities the power to issue penalties — such as demolition and stop-work orders, the confiscation of building equipment and vehicles, and arrests — all without referring these cases to the judicial system. Generally, the law is seen as targeting Arab communities, where building permits are almost impossible to secure, resulting in illegal construction followed by fines and threats of demolition by the government, despite a growing population and need for additional accommodation. A request to put in place a 5-year plan to support local authorities of Druze communities has not been approved despite protests by community leaders. The final straw for many Druze in Israel was likely the 2018 Nation State Law, which made many feel that despite their loyalty and sacrifice for the country, they are not rewarded in kind. The law explicitly states that Jews have a unique right to national self-determination in Israel, and it relegated Arabic from being one of the two official languages, alongside Hebrew, to one with 'special status.' Describing Israel as 'the national home of the Jewish people' was effectively a way of defining everyone else as unequal in their political, human, and civil rights. Despite repeated promises from the Israeli government to promote a Basic Law for the Druze community, which aims to anchor the important status of the Druze community in Israel, this still has not happened. This has instilled among the community an oft-quoted sentiment: 'Druze enter the army as an Israeli and leave as an Arab.' For the Druze, there is a sense that the community has the rawest of deals — one in which they are loyal and prepared to sacrifice their lives for the country but are still treated as second-class citizens.
