Iraq PM al-Zaidi replaces border crossings, central bank officials in reshuffle

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi dismissed Sami al-Sudani from his role as border crossings and customs adviser on Friday and appointed Hassan al-Aqaili in his place, according to a Baghdad-based report. The change is part of a wider reshuffle by al-Zaidi covering senior security, financial and advisory posts. On Thursday, political sources said the prime minister had named Adel al-Yasiri as head of the Investment Authority, replacing Haydar al-Maki, and tapped Qasim al-Abedi as national security adviser and Basil al-Badri as head of the National Security Service. The overhaul also extended to the Central Bank, where Ali al-Allak was removed and replaced by Nizar Nasir, previously the bank's director general for combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The latest decrees reflect a broad personnel shake-up across top security and financial institutions, the report said. The Prime Minister's Office described the appointments as steps toward restructuring economic and security policies in the coming period. No further details on the timing or implementation of the changes were immediately available.