Iraq PM offers leaders choice: return funds or face arrest, US analyst says

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A broad anti-corruption operation launched by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zeydi has drawn attention from political and security circles in Washington, according to a former US Defense Intelligence official. Speaking to a news outlet, Paul Davis, a cybersecurity expert at the Institute for Global Policy and a former US Defense Intelligence officer, said al-Zeydi held a critical meeting with political leaders before the operation and warned them to return suspected financial assets or face arrest warrants. The detentions, which began in the early hours of Sunday, targeted politicians, lawmakers and business figures. Al-Zeydi told a Cabinet meeting that the operation was the first step in holding accountable those who caused harm to the public. Davis described the move as one the United States and the international community had long been awaiting. The prime minister is also expected to travel to Washington in mid-July to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House, and is seeking to translate anti-corruption pledges into concrete steps before that visit. Davis said US policymakers would closely monitor the operation's continuity, judicial proceedings and the recovery of public funds. No further details were immediately available.