US freezes dollar cash supplies to Iraq — newspaper

NEW YORK, April 22. /TASS/. The US has suspended the delivery of dollar banknotes to Iraq and frozen security cooperation programs with Baghdad to pressure the Iraqi authorities to disband local pro-Iranian militias, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources. According to the newspaper, the US Treasury Department has blocked the transfer of approximately $500 million from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s accounts, derived from proceeds of Iraqi oil sales. The article noted that since the start of US military operations against Iran, this is already the second batch of cash intended for Iraq that Washington has suspended. The Wall Street Journal emphasized that the US authorities have also frozen funding for training programs for the Iraqi military and counterterrorism units. These actions indicate Washington's desire to increase pressure on Baghdad and weaken Iraq’s ties with Iran, the article pointed out. The newspaper recalled that following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, proceeds from the sale of Iraqi oil began to be held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In 2015, the US had already temporarily suspended the transfer of cash to Iraq due to suspicions that some of it was falling into the hands of the Islamic State terrorist group (ISIS or IS, banned in Russia).