Abdul El-Sayed defies $60 Million campaign against him, wins Michigan Democratic Senate Primary

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  By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis Despite massive spending by outside groups and high-profile endorsements for his opponent, Abdul El-Sayed secured a decisive Democratic Senate primary victory and now heads into a closely watched November showdown. Abdul El-Sayed has scored one of the most closely watched political upsets of the 2026 election cycle, defeating Representative Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary despite facing more than $60 million in outside spending , much of it from pro-Israel political groups. The victory marks a significant breakthrough for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and sets up a high-stakes general election contest against Republican Mike Rogers in November. El-Sayed's campaign prevailed even after Stevens received late endorsements from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and influential national Democrats, including Representative James Clyburn . Those endorsements failed to reverse momentum behind El-S...
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Sadiqoon accuses US of blocking dollar transfers to pressure Baghdad


MP says Washington is exerting financial pressure on Baghdad amid political talks over next prime minister as reports claim $500 million in oil revenues were blocked.

SULAIMANI,IRAQ, April 22 (Kurdish Policy Analysis) – An Iraqi lawmaker from the Sadiqoon Bloc on Wednesday accused the United States of pressuring Iraq through the obstruction of dollar transfers, warning the move could disrupt salary payments for public employees and retirees.

MP Habib al-Halawi told Shafaq News that Washington has applied “direct and indirect pressure” on successive Iraqi governments since 2003, without achieving its stated objectives.

He linked the alleged financial restrictions to ongoing political negotiations in Baghdad, suggesting they are intended to influence the Shiite Coordination Framework, the largest parliamentary bloc, in its efforts to select the next prime minister.

The bloc includes several influential factions, among them Asaib Ahl al-Haq, which is designated under U.S. sanctions.

Al-Halawi said Iraq’s parliament is preparing legislation aimed at safeguarding what he described as national sovereignty, adding that legal advisers are drafting measures to counter foreign interference in financial and political affairs.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the United States had blocked the transfer of approximately $500 million in Iraqi oil revenues to Baghdad. The report cited U.S. concerns over what it described as Iraq’s “slow progress” in curbing Iran-aligned armed factions operating within the country.

Neither the U.S. Treasury Department nor Iraqi financial authorities immediately commented on the reported suspension of funds.

The dispute comes amid continued tensions between Baghdad and Washington over the presence and influence of armed groups aligned with Iran, as well as Iraq’s reliance on dollar access through U.S.-linked financial channels.

#Iraq #USA #DollarTransfers #Baghdad #Sanctions #OilRevenue #MiddleEastPolitics #Iran #Economy

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