BICOM

A new decree by the Iraqi Prime Minister to integrate all militias into the army has been criticised by the Iranian-backed militia, the Hezbollah Brigades.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi earlier this week issued a decree which called on the Popular Mobilization Units (also known as Shia Hashd al-Shaabi) to choose between full integration into the Iraqi armed forces or disarmament. It also requires the militias to close headquarters and replace their militia names with official military designations such as “division, brigade or battalion,” as well as cutting all political affiliations. There are thought to be more than 120,000 militia fighters in Iraq, organised in at least 40 militias that have enjoyed wide support among Iraq’s population for their role fighting ISIS.

The Hezbollah Brigades, which has pledged spiritual allegiance to Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei, said that “criminalising the mujahedeen” and harming them directly or indirectly may hurt “those elements supporting the security effort”. Whilst the group did say if they would abide by the order, it argued that the government’s foremost responsibility was to remove what it described as ‘US occupation forces’ (over 5,000 troops) and their business affiliates, which it said was a ‘major threat’ to Iraqi security.

Influential Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said his militia, known as the Peace Brigades (Saraya al-Salam), would implement the order, which he described as an important ‘first step’ toward building a state.

In February, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran Andrew Peek warned the Iraqi government that international reconstruction aid for Iraq “will not be there forever” and is “dependent on the choices of the Iraqi government” with regards to the militias. “We cannot expect internally displaced peoples to return … to areas where there are armed gangs running around” he said.