BAGHDAD, Iraq, Sept. 23, 2004 — The Iraqi Veterans Agency announced plans Sept. 20 to establish regional administration offices in 15 Iraqi governates, according to Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq officials. The offices will eventually cover all 18 governates. The regional outreach plan will make the agency, first established by the Minister of Defense April 26, 2004, more accessible to Iraqi veterans.

“Our mission is to provide support to Iraqi veterans, in the form of retirement pensions or stipends,” said Nabil Kalil Al Abaidi, the director of the Iraqi Veterans Affairs office. “But more importantly we aim to assist veterans in accessing vocational and educational training to help them find work and reintegrate back into civil society, for the benefit of themselves and the community.”

The agency will support members of the former Iraqi military
and those former militia or resistance fighters who were still on active duty as of April 16, 2003, and who agreed to disband and disarm their forces in accordance with the government’s transition and reintegration program. Also included on the stipends list are the families of those personnel who were killed, disabled, or are still missing in action as a result of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The agency will also initiate mechanisms to provide support to veterans of the new Iraqi Armed Forces and their families.

The Iraqi Veterans Agency, an independent agency under the Ministry of Defense, took over responsibility on June 28 for administering the stipends program that had been established under the Coalition Provisional Authority. The stipends program delivers financial support to Iraqi veterans on a quarterly basis.

“There are more than 310,000 people registered on the stipends database provided to the Veterans Agency by the Coalition Provisional Authority. We are committed to assisting all of these veterans,” Al Abaidi said. “The current payment cycle, entirely managed by my agency for the first time, covers the August-September-October period. Stipends payments for the third annual cycle are currently being distributed by our major regional offices, through regional banking centers.

Al Abaidi states that the Iraqi Veterans Agency plans to partner with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs met with Al Abaidi recently to discuss partnership initiatives to develop a health benefits strategy for Iraqi veterans.

Former members of the Iraqi armed forces, and approved militia or resistance fighters, who were retired from active duty before April 16, 2003, are eligible for a veteran’s pension. These pensions are also administered by the Iraqi Veterans Agency, but are separate from the stipends program.

Eligibility for veterans’ benefits is determined on the basis of proof of former good service. High ranking members of Iraq’s former Ba’ath Party, Intelligence or Special Republican Guard personnel, members of the Presidential Guard and members of the Olympic Committee are not eligible for veterans’ benefits. Those former military personnel known to be involved in criminal or terrorist activity are also not eligible.

Names in the database are largely gathered from records kept by the former Iraqi military, plus those resistance fighters who have negotiated with the government to disband their forces.

“We determine eligibility in part on the basis of documentary evidence of good service. Good service includes those who may have been expelled from the military for disagreeing with the former regime,” Al Abaidi said. “We also conduct interviews with families and friends and are currently undertaking an audit and validation process of all listed benefit recipients.” he added.

According to Al Abaidi, former resistance fighters are considered veterans and will receive the same kind of benefits as people in military service. If their time in the resistance forces meets the requirements for an Army pension, they will receive the same pension as someone in the Army.

Their time in service will count towards eligibility for a pension should they wish to join one of the new Iraqi security forces; they are eligible for benefit programs such as preferences in the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs’ job training and placement programs; and the widows and orphans of those martyred in the fight against Saddam Hussein will receive the same survivor benefits as deceased Iraqi soldiers.

“Pensions for retired members of the Peshmerga forces are currently being managed by the Kurdish Regional offices as they have well maintained and accurate records of members,” Al Abaidi said.

“We are committed to establishing a responsive agency for all of the people who have fought hard for this country, but it takes time to do things right and we have much work yet to do,” Al Abaidi said.