Iraqi Defense Ministry

Republic of Iraq
Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence insignia
Department overview
Formed	February 22, 2004 (as modern department)
Jurisdiction	Iraq
Headquarters	Baghdad
Minister responsible	Erfan al-Hiyali, Minister of Defence

The Ministry of Defence (Arabic: وزارة الدفاع العراقية‎‎) is the Iraq government agency responsible for defence of Iraq. It is also involved with internal security.

The Ministry directs all the Iraqi Armed Forces, comprising a Joint Headquarters, the Iraqi Ground Forces Command (which controls the Army), the Iraqi Special Operations Forces, the Iraqi Army, the Iraqi Navy (including Marines), and the Iraqi Air Force.

The Ministry was dissolved by Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 2 of mid-2003. It was formally re-established by CPA Order 61 of February 22, 2004. In the interim period, the CPA Office of Security Affairs served as the de facto Ministry of Defence.

The Iraqi Counter Terrorism Bureau directs the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Command, which is a further military force answerable to the Prime Minister of Iraq directly. As of 30 June 2009, there had been legislation in progress for a year to make the Iraqi CTB a separate ministry.

The position of Minister of Defence became vacant in the previous Iraqi cabinet, approved on 21 December 2010. While it was vacant, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki served as the acting defence minister. Saadoun al-Dulaimi later served as Minister of Defence from 2011 to 2014. Khaled al-Obaidi currently serves as defence minister in the Iraqi cabinet of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.