ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The US Department of State on Friday confirmed the visa revocation of former Iraqi minister of finance, Taif Sami, following her placement on the Terror Watchlist by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
“This Iraqi national’s visa has now been revoked by the State Department following her placement on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Terror Watchlist,” Assistant Secretary Dylan Johnson stated, noting that she is “no longer present in the United States.”
Johnson added that “Taif Sami Mohammed Al Shakarchi was given the International Woman of Courage Award in 2022 by former Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and former First Lady Jill Biden.”
Sami served as finance minister from October 2022 until her departure in early July. She received the International Woman of Courage award in March 2022 for her leadership in advocating for human rights and gender equality, in which the US Department of State described her as the “iron woman” and a "frontline leader against corrupt practices" who played an important part in preventing corruption in Iraq's budget.
US lawmakers previously accused Sami of facilitating terrorist financing through the Iraqi financial system, urging the US President Donald Trump administration to impose sanctions, calling her a "key enabler of terrorist funding in Iraq."
“Under President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, suspected terrorists will never be allowed to remain in the United States,” Johnson said on Friday.
"While the Biden State Department shamefully celebrated and awarded foreigners who threaten our nation, the Trump State Department revokes their visas and ensures these individuals are removed from our country," the assistant secretary told Fox News earlier on Friday.
Sami addressed the allegations later on Friday about her travel status and purported inclusion on terror watchlists, stating, "What has been circulated in this regard is untrue." She clarified that she remains in Iraq and refuted claims regarding travel bans to the United States, describing the rumors as "political rhetoric representing the stances of members of Congress."
Furthermore, Sami dismissed reports of any legal summons, emphasizing that "what is being published in this regard is not based on any information or official documents issued by a competent authority." She concluded by stating, "I reserve my full legal rights against any entity or person proven to have deliberately published false or misleading information against me."
Last Updated 10:30 PM.
