Iraqi court orders arrest of ex-army chief

By Aref Yusuf

BAGHDAD

An Iraqi court on Sunday issued an arrest warrant for former army chief of staff Babaker Zebari for allegedly misusing public money during his tenure.

The court cited a decision by Zebari to give seven Defense Ministry vehicles to civilians as grounds to issue the arrest warrant, the Iraqi parliament’s public integrity body said in a statement.

In mid-2015, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi sent Zebari to retirement after 12 years in office.

The arrest warrant for Zebari, a Kurd, came amid tension between Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government over last month’s controversial referendum for Kurdish independence.

Last week, Iraqi government forces seized control the oil-rich Kirkuk province and several disputed areas from Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

On Thursday, the Supreme Judicial Council ordered the arrest of Kosrat Rasul, vice president of the northern Kurdish region, over his recent statements in which he considered the federal forces in Kirkuk as "occupying forces".

By Aref Yusuf

BAGHDAD

An Iraqi court on Sunday issued an arrest warrant for former army chief of staff Babaker Zebari for allegedly misusing public money during his tenure.

The court cited a decision by Zebari to give seven Defense Ministry vehicles to civilians as grounds to issue the arrest warrant, the Iraqi parliament’s public integrity body said in a statement.

In mid-2015, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi sent Zebari to retirement after 12 years in office.

The arrest warrant for Zebari, a Kurd, came amid tension between Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government over last month’s controversial referendum for Kurdish independence.

Last week, Iraqi government forces seized control the oil-rich Kirkuk province and several disputed areas from Kurdish Peshmerga forces.