Unpaid Salaries’ Crisis Aimed at Forcing Iraq to Normalize Zionist Ties: Official

Date: 16 November 2020 - 21:10

News ID: ۸۴۸۸۶

BAGHDAD (Dispatches) – An Iraqi member of parliament says he believes the country’s financial crisis is "fabricated” in an effort to force Baghdad to normalize relations with the Zionist regime.
In an interview with Arabic Post news site, Mahmoud Al-Zajrawi said that the government of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi has asked the Parliament’s permission to borrow 41 trillion Iraqi dinars ($12.6 billion) from national banks to pay the salaries of state employees, adding that he does not rule out the possibility that the financial crisis in Iraq, such as delaying the payment of state-employees’ salaries, and resorting to borrowing, being a means of external pressure aimed at paving the way for the Zionist regime to sign a deal with Baghdad.
He added that the United States and some European and Persian Gulf countries are trying to provide assistance to Iraq in return for normalizing its relations with the occupying regime.
In October, a report by the U.S.-based Inside Arabia website revealed that Iraq is facing pressure from American officials to normalize ties with the occupying regime.
The reports said: "The normalization of relations between Israel and Persian Gulf countries will soon include more Middle Eastern and Arab states. The biggest trophy would be the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but the greatest geopolitical prize would be a diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and Iraq.”
According to the report, "Iraq, which needs investments and funds to offset sharply lower oil revenues and rising social discontent, could be "bribed” into following in the footsteps of Bahrain and the UAE, affecting the future of Iran-Iraq relations in Washington’s direction.”