Bangen Rekani, Iraq's Minister of Construction and Housing
Media Monitor
Iraqi housing minister dismisses ex-PM’s Baghdad traffic plan claims
BAGHDAD – Iraq’s Minister of Construction and Housing Bangen Rekani on Wednesday criticized former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s recent remarks about Baghdad’s urban projects, saying the current government is leading efforts to ease the capital’s traffic congestion.
“We have not disfigured Baghdad; rather, we seek to restore its splendor,” Rekani said in an interview with Dijlah TV, calling it “disgraceful” for Al-Kadhimi to claim credit for decongestion work. According to Rekani, when his ministry began implementing traffic relief measures, only six projects were in the design phase under Baghdad Municipality.
Al-Kadhimi, who recently returned to Iraq from abroad, had questioned the government’s approach in an interview with iNews television. “Why are residential complexes being built inside Baghdad? Mr. Al-Maliki established the Bismayah Complex as a new city outside of Baghdad, and it was successful because it’s on the outskirts,” he said. “Have bridges solved the problem? Everyone in Baghdad complains about traffic jams.”
On broader policy matters, Rekani said, “There are American messages to Iraq, but they are not specifically about Iraq; rather, they result from [certain positions of] alignment with Iran.”
He also commented on the country’s armed factions, noting that while the Popular Mobilization Forces is an “official institution,” there are indications it does not always follow orders from the commander in chief of the armed forces.
Excerpts from Bangen Rekani’s interview with Dijlah TV:
We have not disfigured Baghdad; rather, we seek to restore its splendor. It was once the most beautiful city in the Middle East, but it became burdened after 1980. The concrete that former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi talks about does not even amount to 2% of the concrete found in Dubai, which is filled with intersections, tunnels, and overpasses.
Regarding Al-Kadhimi’s statements, it is disgraceful for him to claim an achievement that is not his. The current government holds the patent for the decongestion projects. When we began implementing these projects, we found only six decongestion projects under the Baghdad Municipality, all still in the design phase. This means they were planned at least four years ago. The current projects were not part of any previous government’s agenda.
The talk about constructing tunnels along with overpasses is incorrect and unscientific. Nearly all intersections contain infrastructure projects for water, oil, and telecommunications pipelines. Any specialist knows that discussing tunnels at these intersections is pure illusion.
The decongestion projects will be completed within six years, including the Fourth Al-Halaqi Road project. To be fair, the road’s designs were commissioned during Al-Kadhimi’s government, and it would be inappropriate to deny that.
There are American messages to Iraq, but they are not specifically about Iraq; rather, they result from [certain positions of] alignment with Iran. Some political groups are leaking information about sanctions against certain parties or individuals for political purposes.
I cannot say that Iraq is currently in crisis, nor can I say that it is in a comfortable position.
Any action outside the state’s authority puts Iraq in an embarrassing situation. How can a journalist be kidnapped when Iraq is responsible for her security and safety on its territory? I have no information about negotiations for her release, but I hope she will be freed.
There are individuals close to the Americans who inform us about sanctions against Iraq. However, officially, nothing has been announced. The issue of armed factions is linked to alignment with Iran, while the Popular Mobilization Forces is an official institution. Nevertheless, there are occasional signals suggesting that it does not follow the orders of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
