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Congressman Presses U.S. CENTCOM Commander on Kurdistan, Iraq, and Syria During Anti-ISIS Meeting in Madrid

“Why are we subsidizing Iraq currently when it's withholding public salaries and military equipment from our Kurdish allies up north?” U.S. Congressman Abe Hamadeh asked General Michael Kurilla.

During the public session, Representative Hamadeh, who serves Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, raised pointed questions about Washington’s military and financial support to Baghdad amid ongoing tensions with the Kurdistan Region. “Why are we subsidizing Iraq currently when it's withholding public salaries and military equipment from our Kurdish allies up north?” he asked.

General Kurilla acknowledged the friction but emphasized that the U.S. continues to ensure that the Kurdistan Region receives the support it needs. “They have challenges every now and then. We end up working through them. They end up getting their salaries. They end up getting the equipment,” he said. “There are always small frictions that we have to work through, but they are getting what they need.”

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/845067/congressman-presses-us-centcom-commander-on-kurdistan-iraq-and-syria-during-anti-isis-meeting-in-madrid

According to this CNN report, which also features an interview with KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, the Kurdistan Region’s revenue in 2024 was $13 billion, with 87% coming from oil revenues.

This is significantly higher than previously reported and will likely further strain relations with Iraq’s Finance Ministry, as it covers not only salaries but also projects and operational costs.

https://x.com/KurdistanWatch/status/1932710968422773087

"Marco Rubio has emphasized the importance of stability and prosperity in Iraq and the region and has done the same in recent meetings and conversations with KRG President Barzani and KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.” said Tammy Bruce.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/845021/us-urges-swift-resolution-of-kurdistan-salary-crisis-reaffirms-support-for-krg

"To consolidate truly inclusive and stable political progress [in Iraq], it is imperative to address unresolved tensions, especially those involving the Kurdistan Region," said Hwang Joon-kook, the permanent representative of the Republic of Korea to the UN, during a meeting on the situation concerning Iraq

https://x.com/thenewregion/status/1932447552231592270

https://x.com/thenewregion/status/1932438414286033089

Dzhwar Fayaq, senior adviser to the KRG Prime Minister and KRG's representative of the Artice 140 Committe said Baghdad has politicized issues with Erbil and deliberately created obstacles to laws favoring the Kurdistan Region. He added that with genuine goodwill, disputes could be resolved quickly through legal and constitutional means. Fayaq stressed that if Article 140 and the Oil and Gas Law had favored Arabs instead of Kurds, they would have been implemented back in 2005.

https://x.com/zoomnewskrd/status/1932391654037520692

ERBIL — The United Nations Security Council will convene a special session on Tuesday to discuss a range of pressing issues concerning Iraq, including the strained relationship between Erbil and Baghdad, as well as the future of international missions in the country.

The meeting, scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM New York time (5:00 PM Erbil time), will feature a comprehensive briefing by Mohammed Hassen, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

One of the key issues expected to be raised is the ongoing dispute between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government in Baghdad, particularly the central authorities’ decision to cut public sector salaries in the Kurdistan Region.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/885921

Kurdish leaders denounce Baghdad’s suspension of KRG salaries as “oppressive” and “unconstitutional,” warning of rising tensions ahead of Eid. The move, seen as politically driven, may escalate into an international issue as calls grow for legal resolution and Kurdish unity.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/844474/krg-salary-cuts-are-illegal-unjustified-and-politically-charged

ERBIL — The US State Department said Thursday that the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) recent agreements with American companies to develop natural gas production represent an important step toward addressing the long-standing imbalance in Iraq’s energy sector.

The State Department has urged both Baghdad and Erbil to coordinate urgently to accelerate project implementation and enhance Iraq’s energy independence.

"The United States believes that energy independence in Iraq will contribute to greater political stability," a State Department official in Washington told Shafaq News.

"The agreements recently signed by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani with US companies to expand natural gas production in the Kurdistan Region support this goal," the official said.

"These projects—whether in the region or elsewhere in the country—are in the interest of all Iraqis, especially given the ongoing electricity crisis," he added.

"We encourage Baghdad and Erbil to work together to initiate gas production as soon as possible," he said.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/885708

ERBIL — The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Thursday dismissed recent accusations by Iraq’s Oil Ministry as politically motivated and detached from reality, reaffirming its commitment to constitutional cooperation and accusing Baghdad of repeated violations of federal principles.

In a strongly worded statement, the KRG’s Ministry of Natural Resources said the federal ministry continues to shift blame onto the Region for long-standing oil policy failures that stem from centralized governance and the absence of a federal oil and gas law.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/885674

“The new agreements are designed to benefit Kurdistan, Iraq, and the involved companies,” the minister emphasized. “We need this energy, especially gas, to fuel our power infrastructure and support economic development.”

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/844277/kurdistans-natural-resources-minister-oil-output-from-us-partnered-fields-to-resume-in-1824-weeks

erbil — the united states has appointed steven ***in, its ambassador to yemen, as chargé d’affaires at its embassy in baghdad, marking a significant downgrade in diplomatic representation and signaling what analysts describe as a deliberate political message to iraq’s government.

ahmed nuaimi, a political researcher in iraq, attributed the delay to shifting priorities in washington. “the post has remained vacant because us attention to the iraq file has diminished, or the administration is waiting for developments on regional issues,” he said. nuaimi also suggested that the absence of a full ambassador indicates the us may be reassessing the strategic importance it places on baghdad.

majashaa tamimi, an iraqi academic and political analyst, described the move as “an intentional political message.” he said the choice to appoint a chargé d’affaires instead of a full ambassador signals washington’s dissatisfaction with certain iraqi government policies, particularly regarding military presence and regional alignments.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/885654

Https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/05062025

(more details here....)

During the meeting, the KRG Council of Ministers also decided to call for help from the international community to resolve the salary crisis.

Abdullah Haji Mahmood, the Kurdistan Region’s martyrs and Anfal affairs minister, told Rudaw’s Sangar Abdalrahman on Wednesday that “only two days are left [before Eid al-Adha holidays]. I do not think [that salaries will be disbursed],” adding that they will pursue diplomatic and legal approaches to resolve the issue.

Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Sunday said it had received a complaint from the Region's civil servants seeking an injunction to guarantee continued payments. However, a senior Iraqi government source told Rudaw on Monday that a ruling is unlikely soon, as some court members are currently on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

Abdullah explained that the court has not been able to rule because the chief justice and four other judges are away for the pilgrimage. Four judges and four reserves remain in Baghdad, he added, but the court still cannot form a quorum.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/040620251

The KRG resolved to formally brief the international community and diplomatic representatives on the legal, constitutional, and financial aspects of the issue, urging support for a resolution within the framework of Iraq’s constitution.

https://shafaq.com/en/Kurdistan/KRG-on-salary-crisis-International-support-needed

KRG Council of Ministers Calls for Protection of Public Salaries, Approves New Support Measures:

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani emphasized that the KRG has met all its obligations under the budget agreement with Baghdad.

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Council of Ministers, during its weekly meeting on Wednesday, reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that public employee salaries are paid without interruption over the next eight months, strongly rejecting what it described as unconstitutional financial pressure from the Iraqi government.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/844109/krg-council-of-ministers-calls-for-protection-of-public-salaries-approves-new-support-measures

This is a thoughtful observation on the KRG salary-related issue by a Kurdish commentator known for his usually mild and measured tone:

"The wave of threats and inflammatory rhetoric across [KDP-backed] Kurdish media and social platforms following the salary suspension by Baghdad may be part of an early election campaign. But in practice, it only fuels division and worsens conditions for the many public employees in the Kurdistan Region who rely on these salaries. It also feeds into the narratives of Shiite and Iraqi electronic armies hostile to the Kurds, as such messages are translated and amplified, ultimately generating hate speech and producing a double negative effect.

Take this example: a relevant official - [referring to the KRG finance minister] - says, ‘We can pay salaries using our own domestic revenues and oil. We won’t bow our heads to Baghdad.’ But if you’re admitting that you have your own income and have also been receiving Baghdad’s share until now, then on what basis do you still expect them to cover your salaries? Even if the prime minister weren’t al-Sudani but a staunch Kurdish nationalist, once this kind of rhetoric circulates on Iraqi streets, how can you expect sympathy as someone wronged? Let alone the bizarre threats of cutting off water and similar provocations.”

https://x.com/KurdistanWatch/status/1930225085077508586

In a two-hour interview with Rudaw TV, Awat paints a financial picture that is almost entirely detached from reality, riddled with inconsistencies and a striking obliviousness to the region’s economic conditions. What’s most troubling is that he appears to genuinely believe what he’s saying, suggesting a deep disconnect from the facts on the ground.

Here are a few examples:

https://x.com/KurdistanWatch/status/1929926031508406591

Iraq’s Coordination Framework urged swift passage of the stalled Oil and Gas Law to resolve Erbil-Baghdad disputes and called for constitutional solutions to the Kurdistan Region's salary crisis, while warning against using state funds to sway upcoming elections.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/843824/oil-law-key-to-ending-baghdad-erbil-standoff-says-iraqs-ruling-shiite-bloc

ERBIL — Iraq’s former Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has proposed a shift from the current parliamentary system to a presidential one, offering a confederate framework for the Kurdistan Region as a means of reassurance and national cohesion.

In a recent interview, al-Kadhimi criticized Iraq’s post-monarchy parliamentary system, saying it has failed to deliver effective governance. He argued that while many Iraqi leaders quietly support a presidential system, they are reluctant to speak openly due to concerns about Kurdish opposition.

“A large part of Iraq’s leaders desire a presidential system, though they may not openly discuss it,” he said. “However, the only ones who would be harmed by that presidential system are the Kurds. Let us come and give assurance to the Kurds and follow the presidential system, giving more freedom to the Kurds; but we want them to share with us in two matters: foreign policy and defending the country.”

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/885389

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Finance Minister Awat Sheikh Janab on Sunday said the Region is capable of living off its own revenues and criticized Baghdad’s recent decision to halt budget payments, calling the situation “artificial” and the justifications “laughable.”

“We will certainly not submit to Baghdad, and if they don’t send salaries, we can live off domestic income and oil revenues, and we have alternative plans… what [Iraqi Finance Minister] Taif Sami is doing is illegal,” Janab told Rudaw without further elaboration. “The clause they wrote is laughable.”

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/02062025