The Iraqi army has been paying salaries to at least 50,000 soldiers who don\u2019t exist, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Sunday, an indication of the level of corruption that permeates an institution that the United States has spent billions equipping and arming.<\/p>\n
A preliminary investigation into \u201cghost soldiers\u201d \u2014 whose salaries are being drawn but who are not in military service \u2014 revealed the tens of thousands of false names on Defense Ministry rolls, Abadi told parliament Sunday. Follow-up investigations are expected to uncover \u201cmore and more,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Abadi, who took power in September, is under pressure to stamp out the graft that flourished in the armed forces under his predecessor, Nouri al-Maliki. Widespread corruption has been blamed for contributing to the collapse of four of the army\u2019s 14 divisions in June in the face of an offensive by Islamic State extremists.<\/p>\n
With entry-level soldiers in Iraq drawing salaries of about $600 a month, the practice of \u201cghost soldiers\u201d is likely to be costing Iraq at least $380 million a year \u2014 though officials say that\u2019s probably only a fraction of the true expense.<\/p>\n
The corrupt practice is often perpetrated by officers who pretend to have more soldiers on their books in order to pocket their salaries, experts say.<\/p>\n
Abadi\u2019s announcement was met with applause in parliament. He said that the perpetrators would be tracked down eventually but that his priority is to end the practice as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe problems are wide, and it\u2019s an extremely difficult task which is going to involve some strong will,\u201d said Iraqi security analyst Saeed al-Jayashi. \u201cTraining is weak and unprofessional.\u201d<\/p>\n
The United States is focusing its efforts on three divisions in order to begin effective counteroffensive operations against the Islamic State, which controls around a third of the country\u2019s territory.<\/p>\n
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