Oil Ignites Dispute Between Al-Adimi Government and Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq
Kataib Hezbollah denies oil smuggling at Jurf Al-Sakhr and accuses Al-Adimi's office of fabrication
Translated by Alqyas from Al-Jarida — Original source
Iraqi Kata’ib Hezbollah denied on Sunday that oil smuggling operations were taking place in its stronghold in Jarf al-Sakhr in central Iraq, accusing Prime Minister Ali al-Idi’s office of fabricating the case to pressure the group into relinquishing its weapons, in an escalation of tensions between the two sides.
In a statement, the group said al-Idi’s office was “fabricating lies (...) to subject us to the greatest form of blackmail to give up our weapon of dignity,” accusing the government of resorting to “the most abhorrent arbitrary methods.”
This dispute comes amid growing US pressure on Baghdad to control the arms of militias close to Tehran, a commitment al-Idi has undertaken since taking office more than six months ago with US approval, while Kata’ib Hezbollah continues to hold onto its weapons.
In its Sunday statement, the group reiterated that al-Idi’s office was “fabricating lies (...) to subject us to the greatest form of blackmail to give up our weapon of dignity,” accusing the government of employing “the most abhorrent arbitrary methods.”
On Saturday evening, al-Idi dismissed nine officials in the security and energy sectors following an investigation into allegations of oil smuggling in the Jarf al-Sakhr area of Babylon province, and ordered that all those involved be referred to the judiciary.
On Wednesday, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) quoted an unnamed insider as saying there were “oil smuggling operations from” Jarf al-Sakhr, as well as “pipeline tampering, oil storage, and smuggling routes toward Baghdad.” It added that the smuggling was carried out by an “armed faction (...) without interruption for many years.”
In its statement, Kata’ib Hezbollah said that “the professional technical committee that entered the city to verify the allegations found no violations of the oil pipelines passing through it, which definitively proves the falsehood of the smuggling claims.”
It noted that “everything documented through photos and field inspections consisted of fuel tanks and a simple refinery, hundreds of which exist in Iraq, aimed at improving quality to supply military vehicles, heavy machinery, diesel generators, and war machines.”
Over the past few days, Kata’ib Hezbollah had issued sharply worded statements reaffirming its support for Iran and accusing al-Idi of corruption.
A senior Iraqi official told Agence France-Presse on Thursday that “the matter has become personal” between al-Idi and Kata’ib Hezbollah, noting that political leaders were working to de-escalate the situation.
Al-Idi has pledged to control the arms of militias since taking office more than six months ago with US approval. Shortly after assuming office, Iraqi officials told Agence France-Presse that he had informed them of his readiness for “confrontation” and “clash” with militias that insist on retaining their weapons if they refuse to cooperate.
Washington has imposed sanctions on Iraqi entities accused of mixing Iranian oil with Iraqi oil to help the Islamic Republic circumvent sanctions.
