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 Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has become increasingly critical of
Iraqi leaders since Islamic State's lightning advance, which created
Iraq's worst crisis since a U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein
in 2003.
Iraq's army, the recipient of $25 billion in U.S. training and
funding, collapsed in the face of the onslaught. Further Islamic
State advances and the beheading of Western hostages triggered
U.S.-led air strikes.
Speaking on live television through an aide in the holy southern
city of Kerbala, Sistani asked rhetorically what would happen if the
military were corrupt.
"We think that the security deterioration that happened some months
ago can answer that," said Sistani.
"Objectivity demands that the different military positions should by
occupied by those who are professional, patriotic, faithful,
courageous and not affected in doing their duties by personal and
financial influences."
MILLIONS OF FOLLOWERS
Sistani, whose word is law for millions of followers, went on to say
that "even the smallest corruption is big".
The 84-year-old cleric is a reclusive figure and always delivers his
public messages via a proxy.
In the past few months, he has openly criticized Iraqi leaders and
politicians, saying their bickering and sectarian differences were
undermining Iraq, a major OPEC oil producer.
The comments about the army mark a deeper level of concern over the
stability of Iraq.
U.S. air strikes have prevented Islamic State from making further
large-scale advances since August, when the al Qaeda offshoot
humiliated Kurdish peshmerga forces in the north and triggered a
massive exodus of minority communities.
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Lacking a strong army, Iraq's government turned to Iranian-backed
Shi'ite militias for help. But their alleged violations of human
rights have deepened sectarian tensions, with the Sunni minority
complaining of kidnappings, torture and executions.
Militia leaders deny those accusations and say their fighters are
hunting Islamic State fighters who hide in Sunni communities.
Britain has said it will send more army trainers to Iraq in the
coming weeks to support the Iraqi armed forces' battle against
Islamic State.
But even if more Western countries step up support for Iraq's
military, the overriding question will whether the Shi'ite-led
government can revive an alliance with Sunni tribesmen who helped
defeat al Qaeda during the U.S. occupation.
Leaders of the Albu Nimr tribe in Anbar province, which has seen
hundreds of its members massacred over the past two weeks, say the
Baghdad government and military ignored repeated pleas for help as
Islamic State closed in on them.
(Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
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