Iraqi Official Requests U.S. Military Assistance Against Shiite Militias

On Tuesday, November 7, the Vice President of Iraq described the growing influence of Shiite militias backed by the Islamic Republic as the "most significant security threat" for the future of Iraq. Osama al-Nujaifi, who is a Sunni, is in Washington to meet with officials from the U.S. government and Congress. According to the Associated Press, al-Nujaifi also called for increased U.S. military assistance to Sunni forces in Iraq. He expressed hope that the U.S. government would fulfill its promises to "counter Iran's increasing influence in Iraq and throughout the Middle East." Concerns about Tehran's influence in Iraq are occasionally voiced by some Iraqi officials, but the characterization of Shiite forces as a "security threat" may echo the demands of Muqtada al-Sadr, an Iraqi Shiite cleric, from last summer. On August 4, al-Sadr called on the Iraqi government to disband the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which is estimated to consist of about 122,000 members. According to AFP, al-Sadr made this request during a conversation with thousands of his supporters in Baghdad, a week after he met with Saudi Arabia, a rival of the Islamic Republic in the region. The PMF, or "Popular Mobilization Forces," primarily consists of Shiite militias supported by Tehran and was officially recognized by the Iraqi parliament in December 2016 as a reserve force for the army and police. These forces played a role in retaking the important and strategic city of Mosul in Iraq last July, the first city captured by the Islamic State group. The Islamic Republic's support for these forces is such that Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, explicitly stated in late July that "the commander of the PMF was able to take the key to the Islamic Republic's weapons depots for himself, because the Islamic Republic was not like others who would take the money of the Iraqi people and not provide them with weapons in times of emergency." Now, the Iraqi Vice President has expressed concern about the influence of these forces in his country and described them as a security threat for the future of Iraq. According to the Associated Press, Osama al-Nujaifi referred to Shiite militias as a "parallel army" that could cause division and fragmentation in the country during a speech at the "Institute for Peace" in Washington. This Iraqi official also expressed interest in attracting more funding and assistance for Sunni forces in Iraq. Al-Nujaifi explained that "a new coalition party consisting of Sunni, Shiite, Kurdish, and Christian groups" has the best chance to counter the militia forces. The Associated Press interpreted this statement as a reference to the upcoming general elections in Iraq in 2018. Previously, Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, had also emphasized that the PMF, in particular, should not have a role in the upcoming general elections scheduled for May 12, 2018. According to the Prime Minister, the PMF should be a "disciplined force" under government control, without any political role. It is reported that 15 groups of Iranian-backed Shiite militias are engaged in fighting in Syria and Iraq. Members of these militia groups, which are trained and organized by the Quds Force in collaboration with Hezbollah, consist of Shiites from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.