Almost 19 years after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, CMEC Director Charlotte Leslie interviews the President of Iraq's National Defence Industries Commission, Mr Mohammed al-Daraji about the necessity of maintaining security in Iraq.
Mr Al-Daraji speaks candidly about the current security and defence challenges facing Iraq and his role in working towards Iraq becoming self-sufficient in defence and security capability. Mr. Al-Daraji discusses the political challenges facing Iraq, including the impact of the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine.
HE Mohammed Al Daraji is the minister responsible for the Iraqi Defence Industries Commission (IDIC) and for Iraqi defence industrial policy and procurement.
His remit from the government is “to establish an independent, sovereign and self-sufficient advanced defence industrial base capable of research, design, development, manufacture, maintenance, repair and operation of high-tech defence systems”. In addition he has a mandate “to establish a clear vision and plan for the modernisation of Iraq’s military, intelligence, border force, and internal and external security forces".
He has held several senior ministerial posts in previous Iraqi governments: he was Minister for Construction and Housing from 2010 - 2014 under the second government of Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki; Minister of Industry and Minerals from 2015 - 2017, from 2018 - 2020 was a Member of the National Finance Committee. He was appointed to his current role in 2021.
He studied Civil Engineering in the UK.
Follow Mr. Al Daraji on twitter: @MohamedAldaraji