Muhsen AlMustafa, believes that “the appointment of Major General Ali Mahmoud Abbas as Minister of Defense is illogical, as he is not the most senior officer after General Ali Ayoub, especially since many generals in the army are more senior than him.” Al-Mustafa told Al-Istiqlal: “This is why Abbas was promoted to the rank of General. He has also never commanded a military division or a corps like the other ministers since the era of General Mustafa Tlass, making him the first defense minister to hold the rank of Major General since 1972.”