The National: “Operation Dawn” sparks internal disputes… criticism and friction with Al-Zaidi
The National: “Operation Dawn” sparks internal disputes… criticism and friction with Al-Zaidi
2026-07-05
Shafaq News – Special Translation
The English-language newspaper “The National” revealed that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who took a bold step by launching a wave of arrests of parliamentarians and government officials, began to face criticism, after a closed meeting of the Coordination Framework forces, regarding the nature of the campaign, the performance of the security forces during it, and the identity of the people he targeted.
According to a report by the Abu Dhabi-based newspaper, translated by Shafaq News Agency, sources said that al-Zaidi is facing growing objections from major political parties regarding his anti-corruption campaign, especially the one he launched a week ago as part of Operation Dawn Charge, which resulted in the arrest of dozens of people and the confiscation of millions of dollars, and which was carried out by elite units of the Counter-Terrorism Service.
The judiciary said the orders came after the testimony of Adnan al-Jumaili, the former deputy oil minister, who was arrested in late May and accused of corruption, bribery and embezzlement in an oil ministry contract .
The report noted that tensions reached their peak on Monday when leaders of the Coordination Framework, the alliance that brought al-Zaidi to power, held a closed meeting in Baghdad. According to politicians, the session focused almost entirely on al-Zaidi’s campaign, and friction arose during the meeting as some leaders criticized the way the government had carried out the campaign .
The report quoted one of the deputies as saying that “the main objection was that the government did not need to rely on special forces, armored vehicles and tanks, and close the Green Zone in dramatic scenes and defame these names.”
According to another politician, as reported in the report, former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani views the operation as a personal attack, because it led to the arrest of a large number of MPs belonging to the Development and Reconstruction Alliance.
The same politician went on to say that others at the meeting told the Prime Minister that he should have informed the political leaders before the arrests, a request that al-Zaidi refused .
The report quoted another deputy as saying that the leaders complained that the arrests were carried out “without prior consultation” and that media leaks about the cases were damaging the reputation before the judiciary had issued its rulings, explaining that “some members of the security forces took pictures and videos of the detainees’ homes, in which some showed members of their families.”
The report continued that the leaders said they supported fighting corruption in principle, but warned that “unilateral” action risked breaking up the ruling coalition .
The report stated that a security official said that hours after that meeting, early Wednesday morning, a drone was spotted over the Green Zone, and that air defenses tried to shoot down this reconnaissance aircraft but failed due to its high altitude.
The report noted that no party claimed responsibility, but the timing reinforced speculation within Baghdad that elements opposed to the campaign were trying to send a message .
The report indicated that the leader of the Shiite National Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, intervened to strengthen al-Zaidi’s position, saying through a message read by his aides during Friday prayers that his campaign represents “a heroic reform that we hope will continue,” describing al-Zaidi as “a soldier of reform,” adding, “Let us strengthen his resolve and weaken the determination of the corrupt who are trying to pressure him and deter him from the courageous and fruitful raids that have terrified and disturbed many.”
shafaq.com
