Framework leaders reproached al-Zaidi over Green Zone raid, ally says

BAGHDAD — Amer al-Fayez, head of the Tasmeem Alliance and a senior figure in Iraq’s Coordination Framework, said Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi faced criticism from Framework leaders after the June 28 operation that led to the arrest of several corruption suspects in Baghdad’s Green Zone, citing concerns over both the secrecy of the operation and the use of tanks during the arrests.

Speaking in a televised interview Thursday, Fayez said Zaidi attended the Coordination Framework’s first meeting after the operation, where several leaders reproached him for not informing them in advance. Zaidi responded that the operation’s sensitivity and secrecy had prevented him from notifying anyone, Fayez said.

Fayez said he did not believe the criticism over secrecy was justified, asking why political leaders should have been told security details, though he said the Framework, as “the highest ruling authority in the state,” should be aware of developments.

Fayez also criticized the use of tanks. “I was among those who objected to the use of tanks in arrest operations,” he said. “As Iraqis, we lived through a dark period of terrorism, repression and the militarization of society [during the Baath era]. Al-Zaidi could have carried out the same operation through other methods.”

He compared the arrests with his own experience under the Baath regime, saying he had been detained twice but without the use of tanks. Fayez said he had personally criticized Zaidi but also understood the security considerations, noting that some of those arrested had large protection details that could have complicated attempts to detain them with smaller forces.

The comments follow the June 28 operation, in which authorities said dozens of current and former officials were arrested in what the government has called the first phase of a wider campaign. State media said the arrests stemmed from confessions by detained former Deputy Oil Minister Adnan al-Jumaili, and that the more than 15 names released so far were the first of a group it put at 47. 964media could not independently verify the figures.

Fayez’s remarks add to a pattern of criticism from within the Coordination Framework, which has broadly backed the campaign while objecting to how it was carried out. State of Law Coalition leader Nouri al-Maliki said he initially feared a coup when tanks entered the Green Zone, National Wisdom Movement leader Ammar al-Hakim said future arrests need not involve armored vehicles, and a senior official from the same movement, Hassan Fadam, said the Framework had objected to the show of military hardware while supporting the operation itself.

The case has expanded quickly since Jumaili’s detention over alleged financial irregularities in the oil sector. Security sources familiar with the investigation have said interviews with Jumaili produced more than 100 names, though not all face arrest warrants or proceedings. The inquiry also formed the basis for “Dawn Strike,” the operation inside Baghdad’s Green Zone in which Counter Terrorism Service units and army forces carried out coordinated raids on current and former officials. Zaidi has described the campaign as the first phase of a broader effort.