US Envoy Savaya links ‘militia funding’ to Iraq’s shadow networks
Shafaq News– Washington
Stabilizing Iraq requires dismantling corruption networks and cutting off sources of illegal funding, Mark Savaya, the US President’s Special Envoy to Iraq, noted on Wednesday.
In a post on X, Savaya explained that Iraq’s “corruption” operates through complex networks involving not only senior officials but also lower-level actors such as relatives, intermediaries, and guards. He pointed out that these networks have persisted for decades, evading laws and international oversight while financially enabling Iran-backed militias.
“The sources of massive corrupt money, such as fake payrolls, fake loans, and fictitious assets, must stop,” he asserted, adding that without this step, “every other effort will fail.”
If Iraq is to be fixed, corruption must be confronted first and decisively. Militias are a symptom. Corruption is the disease.I know in detail how illicit money is channeled. It does not flow only through senior principals. More importantly, it moves through layers of lower… pic.twitter.com/ocjT3gabm9
— Mark Savaya (@Mark_Savaya) January 21, 2026
In recent months, the US has sanctioned more than 30 Iraqi individuals and entities for laundering billions through offshore fronts and illicit currency exchanges. It has also targeted more than a dozen companies and individuals in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, accusing them of channeling funds to Iran’s military through oil sales and cryptocurrency.
