Iraq is listed as the 20th most corrupt country in the world in the latest ranking by anti-corruption organisation Transparency International. Venality is rampant in a country still emerging from the shadows of several wars, terrorism and long-time sanctions. One aspect of this is the widespread practice of <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iraq-corruption-how-ministry-officials-make-millions-in-cash-for-jobs-schemes-1.1190570">paying bribes to secure government jobs</a>. Despite laws that criminalise the briber and the bribe-taker, new graduates desperate for jobs say they have no other option. Since 2003, job creation has mainly been a government task. In this week's Beyond the Headlines host Ahmed Maher asks: is corruption in Iraq impossible to beat?
