Abadi: The Quds Force Commander Had No Impact on the Recapture of Kirkuk

While some reports have indicated that Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, issued an 'influential warning' to the Kurds of Iraq to withdraw from Kirkuk, the Prime Minister of Iraq states that Soleimani's impact on the events in Kirkuk was 'zero.' Sources close to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan recently claimed that Soleimani's visit to northern Iraq and his coercion of the Kurds to leave Kirkuk played a significant role in the Iraqi forces' control of the area. According to reports published by Reuters and the Associated Press, Soleimani met with leaders of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan at least three times in the city of Sulaymaniyah, warning them strongly to either leave Kirkuk or lose Tehran's support. Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, had an interview with the British newspaper The Independent on Tuesday, November 9, where a reporter asked him about this. In response, Abadi referred to the Quds Force commander, stating, 'He certainly had no military role in this crisis [in Kirkuk].' The Prime Minister emphasized, 'I assure you that his influence on what happened in Kirkuk is zero.' Abadi further added that it was he [Haider al-Abadi] who contacted the Kurdish leaders and persuaded them not to fight and to withdraw the Peshmerga from disputed areas. Tensions between the central government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have escalated since October 3, when a referendum for independence was held in Kurdish areas, with over 92 percent voting for independence from Iraq. The Iraqi army, along with Shiite militias, advanced towards Kirkuk to reclaim disputed areas from the Kurdistan Region. Some Peshmerga commanders have stated that IRGC forces were also present alongside Iraqi forces around Kirkuk. The publication of these reports led a group of individuals to enter the Iranian consulate in Erbil and take down the flag of the Islamic Republic. Iranian officials, including Ali Akbar Velayati, advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, have denied the IRGC's involvement in the Kirkuk operations. Regarding the number of 'advisors' from Iran in Iraq, the reporter from The Independent asked about the role of the IRGC and also the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi), the Shiite militia supported by Iran, in the political and military scene in Iraq. Haider al-Abadi responded that many foreign advisors from the United States, Britain, France, and other countries, including Iran, are present in Iraq. He stated that the number of Iranian advisors in Iraq is 'only 30,' while a few years ago it was '110.' The Prime Minister of Iraq also mentioned that the Hashd al-Shaabi must be a 'disciplined force' under government control, without any political role. He emphasized that particularly the Hashd al-Shaabi should not play a role in the upcoming general elections in Iraq, scheduled for May 12, 2018. The Hashd al-Shaabi forces were active in the battles over the past two years against the Islamic State (ISIS) and were also present alongside the Iraqi army during the developments related to Kirkuk that led to the withdrawal of Kurdish Peshmerga from the area. Rex Tillerson, the U.S. Secretary of State, called on Sunday, October 30, for 'Iranian and Shiite militias supported by Tehran to leave Iraqi soil.' In his interview with The Independent, Haider al-Abadi commented on Tillerson's request, stating that there must have been 'a misquote or misinformation' regarding this matter. He added that Mr. Tillerson 'apparently interpreted it this way' that IRGC personnel were fighting in Iraq 'and did not know that the Hashd al-Shaabi members are all Iraqis.' Abadi further questioned reports suggesting that the number of Peshmerga fighters in Iraqi Kurdistan is '300,000,' stating that 'many leaders of Kurdistan have told me that the number of fighting forces [Peshmerga] is small and the rest are homebound.' The Prime Minister of Iraq continued that he intends to either integrate the Peshmerga into Iraq's security forces or accept them as a small local security force. He stated, 'I am ready to pay salaries to Peshmerga who are under the control of the federal government. If they want a small local force - which should not be large - then they [the Kurdistan government] must pay their salaries.'