Al-Zaidi: Saudi Visit is a Priority, Corruption an 'Existential Threat' to Iraq

Baghdad – Agencies: Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi announced that he has received numerous invitations to visit several Western countries, noting that priority is given to visits to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iran following the visit to Washington. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper published yesterday, he said, “We have received many invitations to visit a number of brotherly and friendly countries, including France, Britain, and Germany, but the visits prioritized over others for important joint work will be to Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia after the visit to Washington.”

Regarding attacks targeting Gulf states from Iraqi territory, Al-Zaidi clarified that specialized committees have been formed to verify these incidents, and that Baghdad is awaiting evidence from the relevant authorities in Gulf countries. He stressed that there will be measures taken by the Iraqi side, noting that his government has ordered an investigation and instructed all security force commanders to counter any attempt to use Iraqi soil to attack neighboring countries, calling for not judging the present in light of the past.

On the anti-corruption campaign, Al-Zaidi stated that these measures are irreversible, emphasizing that corruption has today become a threat to the existence of the Iraqi state. He pointed out that there are elements seeking to infiltrate the Iraqi state apparatus for the purpose of theft rather than service. He continued, “There is no place for corruption, and no place for weapons outside the state. We will announce, by the end of this year, the National Sovereignty Conference, which will enshrine the state’s monopoly on force through its institutions alone.”