BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi issued a decree on Monday to rein in militias of the popular mobilization forces in an effort to curb its growing influence in some economic fields and control checkpoints in some provinces. Given their association with Iran, the United States put pressure on Abd al-Mahdi to end its influence. In March 2018, former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi tried to limit the independence of militias by making them part of the country's security forces, but remained largely independent. The decree repeats Abadi's order and goes further by issuing strict and explicit orders to the militias to leave their local military headquarters and close what they call their economic offices.
The decree comes two weeks after an attack in a series of attacks on bases in Iraq, hosting US troops, and on the site of an American energy company. Local officials blame the attacks on these militias. At a surprise meeting in May in Iraq amidst the sharp tension between America and Iran, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Iraqi leaders that if they did not enforce these militias, US forces would respond strongly.
The method is ambiguous
It is not yet clear how Abdel Mahdi can implement this decree, or even whether he can implement it. The order set a strict deadline, which the militias would abide by and end on July 31. The decree was welcomed by several popular groups, including the largest and most powerful groups, the Peace Brigades, linked to the influential Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who said they were already putting the new rules into practice.
"As of today, we have dismantled the peace brigades and are now separated from Muqtada al-Sadr," said Safa al-Tamimi, a spokesman for the peace brigades. "From now on we will know in the name of Brigade 313, 314 and 315, we have given up the name of the Peace Brigades, although we love that name, but we will abide by the procedures and we will be under the control of the prime minister."
The Shiite politician, Ammar al-Hakim, also spoke for the prime minister's initiative. "We fully support the decision of Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to implement a strategy that puts all weapons in the hands of the government," Hakim said on Twitter. Hakim is currently taking the opposition position in Abdul Mahdi's government.
Abadi tried to unify the ISF and gain greater influence over the PDF last year. However, the attempts failed miserably because Iran has a huge influence on many unit leaders. At the same time, Baghdad has been under pressure from Washington to unify the command of its armed forces. Regardless of this official language, Abdulmahdi is trying to address a multifaceted problem plagued by Iraq since the organization began calling for the capture of Iraqi territory in 2014, which consists of forming informal armed groups to help fight extremists. At first, Iran sponsored, financed and supported some of these militias, and their numbers soon doubled, many of them connected to Tehran.
The move comes amid growing tension between the United States and Iran in the region, and fears that Iraq will become a proxy battleground in the wake of a series of undeclared attacks near US forces or interests in Iraq in recent weeks. The United States has urged Iraq to rein in the militias and has warned it will respond strongly if US interests are attacked. This comes after the Wall Street Journal reported that US officials had concluded that a drone attack on a Saudi oil pipeline in May came from Iraq, not from Yemen. Abdul Mahdi denied that his country's territory had been used to launch any attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The United States has become increasingly suspicious of the role of the militias, and two of them (Al-Nabaa and Hezbollah) have been classified as foreign terrorist organizations. When US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Iraq in June, he expressed his country's concern about some groups linked to Iran, which pose a threat to US forces in Iraq. Officials working closely with Abdulmahdi say he issued an order to reduce the authority of armed militias under pressure from the United States. These groups will remain under the direct control of the Prime Minister, rather than being fully integrated into the Ministry of Defense or the Ministry of Interior, which controls the police.
Increase the number
After Abadi tried last year to impose more influence on militia leadership and reduce its strength, its numbers have already increased. There are now about 30 armed groups, with between 130,000 and 150,000 troops. "Any attack on the militias would be an attack on Iraq, because it has become an official part of the Iraqi army," said Hisham al-Hashemi, a Baghdad-based security expert who advises the Iraqi government. "At this time, I think that Abdul Mahdi was motivated by American pressure, to put them all in one fund to protect them, but will they abide by these orders? Their commitment depends on Iran accepting these orders. " The move is fraught with potential problems, as militia leaders may simply get upgrades to become the army's leadership through official lines. These militias may not cut off their political relations entirely with their parent units. The resolution of 140,000 armed men with no economic prospects Alternative to them in general is unrealistic and dangerous.
In the past, it was difficult to control the groups, because they succeeded in defending the country when they swept the Iraqi army in 2014 and the Iraqis viewed them as liberating heroes. When the war ended against the Da'ash, these militias showed little willingness to disarm and return to normal life. With fewer extremists to fight, they began to make money by using their own checkpoints to blackmail truck drivers. In some provinces, their economic offices have become involved in existing businesses. In Nineveh, for example, two or three groups of the popular crowd took over scrap metal trade and won millions of dollars until the Iraqi government closed its offices. Local businessmen are very upset by this kind of activity, and they see that some groups behave like local mafia.
After Abadi tried last year to impose more influence on militia leadership and reduce its strength, its numbers have already increased. There are now about 30 armed groups, with between 130,000 and 150,000 troops.
Fears that Iraq will become a proxy battleground, following a series of attacks near US forces. These militias have begun to make money, using their own checkpoints, to blackmail truck drivers.