Sajad Jiyad سجاد

The CTS had significant corrupt and inefficient elements in it for several years, these were tolerated during the liberation efforts because forces were engaged in combat and a wholesale clear out was deemed to be best done after the war 2/18

Eg: dozens of soldiers hired were relatives of a former senior CTS General, reduced battle ready force because a large number given leave by said General & never showed up for duty, skimming of salaries from soldiers in return for hiring or favourable deployments or leave 3/18

Theft of soldiers rations & supplies, fraudulent medical bills, waste of CTS funds on lavish meals/events/gifts for top CTS officers by a particular former senior commander, diversion of vital CTS resources & transport away from frontlines for leisure of a top CTS General 4/18

Turning point: after Oct '17 when CTS responsible for Kirkuk security. Senior officers engaged in established corruption ring with other ISF including Peshmerga & provincial/party officials from all sides to siphon off oil from Kirkuk fields trucked & sold to foreign buyers 5/18

Kirkuk corruption was very entrenched. Once war ended & some of senior Generals were retired, Al-Saadi became Commander of CTS & removed officers engaged in Kirkuk corruption. This led to a backlash and a lobby formed to oust Al-Saadi led by top Generals in the CTS 6/18

To compound the situation, Al-Saadi also fired, disciplined, court-martialled & demoted soldiers/officers delinquent in their duties, fled battlefield or went AWOL, or engaged in corruption. Nearly all were tied to a small circle of top CTS/ISF Generals who supported lobby 7/18

These top Generals cultivated extensive ties with major companies and suppliers, and in particular with the US military, who knew about the corruption they were engaged in but tolerated it for a variety of reasons, some darker than others 8/18

Al-Saadi threatened the status quo that benefitted a lot of people but damaged the CTS to the core. When Al-Saadi became CTS Commander he limited the freedom of this corruption ring and was preparing to embark on a clear out of the corrupt elements in the CTS 9/18

Once Al-Saadi convinced PM to remove CTS from Kirkuk security the corruption ring lobbied PM/MoD to replace Al-Saadi under pretext of having only a MG rank lead CTS & LTG to be moved to MoD. Nominee for CTS commander is a relative of an current senior CTS officer! 10/18

Another dimension to this decision is Al-Saadi’s personality. He is a no-nonsense commander who is widely respected & perhaps the most celebrated military officer in Iraq, leading to envy & dislike by his peers & even politicians who felt threatened by his popularity 12/18

He also upset a range of PMU leaders because he clashed with them on battlefield tactics and politicisation of the war, media and optics, refused to give them undue deference, and disturbed their corruption efforts 13/18

The order to remove Al-Saadi was signed many days ago, but it wasn’t acted on due to hesitancy. It was done today due to insistence of Al-Saadi’s enemies in the CTS/ISF. He knew about the efforts to oust him but would not cut a deal to keep his position 14/18

Al-Saadi now either chooses early retirement (or ordered into it instead of pushed to MoD), or gets a court-martial for disobeying orders, or the powers that be rescind their decision. Huge pressure building as public is behind Al-Saadi (+ politicians jumping on bandwagon) 15/18

The hashtag #كلنا_عبد_الوهاب_الساعدي (we are all Abdul Wahhab Al-Saadi) is top of Iraqi SM because he was always on frontlines during the war, was loved by his troops, & residents of several liberated cities saw firsthand his professionalism, bravery & non-sectarian ethic 16/18

The Iraqi public sees themselves in Al-Saadi: an honest, hardworking person who is being trodden on by the corrupt, and so they rush to his defence by declaring #كلنا_عبد_الوهاب_الساعدي (we are all Abdul Wahhab Al-Saadi) 17/18