Baghdad— Following public criticism from U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson, Iraq’s Minister of Finance, Taif Sami, has authorized salary payments for Kurdish employees.
Wilson, in a post on his official X account, accused Sami of deliberately withholding salaries from the Kurdish people, calling for immediate action against Iraq’s Rafidain Bank. He urged the U.S. Treasury to sanction the bank, alleging it was laundering billions for Iraqi militias while Kurdish civil servants remained unpaid.
“This must end. Trump will fix it,” Wilson stated, signaling possible U.S. policy shifts under the new administration.
The payment follows months of financial disputes between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), with accusations that the federal government has used salaries as a political tool. While Kurdish officials have welcomed the release of funds, concerns remain over long-term stability in revenue sharing between Erbil and Baghdad.
The U.S. Treasury has yet to respond to Wilson’s call for sanctions on Rafidain Bank.
