(January 1) Within Iraq powerful political blocs claim that US-strikes against an Iran-backed militia are a violation of Iraq's sovereignty. There likely will be increased calls in Iraq's parliament to end the agreement allowing US troops to stay in the country
Already there are calls for ending US troop presence
Powerful blocs within Iraq are claiming that the US attack against the Iran-backed militia as violating Iraq's sovereignty. The Wall Street Journal reports that Badr al-Ziyadi a member of the Iraq parliament and also part of a coalition that is closely associated with Moqtada al-Sadr the powerful Shia cleric has called for an end to the agreement that authorizes US troop presence in the country.
Sadr's militia has often fought with US troops after the US-led invasion of 2003. Sadr said that he would work with Iran-backed militia using legal means but would also use other means if legal action such as that in parliament failed. However, at the same time Sadr regards the Iranian militia as his rival. As a recent Reuters article notes: "Sadr, who portrays himself a nationalist rejecting both Iranian and U.S. influence, called in a statement on Iran-backed militias to avoid “irresponsible actions” that can be used to justify attacks on Iraq."
US attacks on Kata'ib Hizbollah(KH) militia
A recent Guardian article reports on the recent attacks on KH: "A senior US official said there had been 11 attacks against Iraqi bases hosting coalition forces in Iraq over the past two months, many of them carried out by a Shia militia group, Kata’ib Hizbullah (KH), culminating in an attack on a base near Kirkuk on Friday, killing a US contractor and injuring US and Iraqi soldiers.On Sunday, the US conducted retaliatory airstrikes against five KH bases in Iraq and Syria, which KH said killed 19 of its fighters and injured 35."
The attack was a violation of Iraqi sovereignty
The Wall Street Journal said that US Defense Secretary of Defense Mark Esper had phoned Iraqi PM Adel Abdul-Mahdi about half an hour before the attacks. Note that there is no mention of Esper getting permission for the attacks or even asking for such permission. The US simply informed the Iraqi PM what the US would do. According to the Wall Street report the Iraqi PM asked Esper to call off the strikes but obviously Esper refused. This meant the attack was clearly a violation of Iraqi sovereignty in that it was carried out against the expressed wishes of the Iraqi PM.
General Khalaf a spokesperson for the PM quoted him as saying: “We consider it a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and a dangerous escalation that will threaten Iraq and the region.”
Grand Ayatollah Ali Ali al-Sistani top Shia cleric in Iraq denounced the US strikes calling them illegal practices that violated Iraq sovereignty. According to Reuters he said: “The Iraqi authorities alone are entitled to deal with these practices and take the necessary measures to prevent them. They are called upon to do so and to ensure Iraq does not become a field for settling regional and international scores and that others do not interfere in its internal affairs.”
Iran , for its part has denied that it has any role in the recent attacks that hit US and other coalition troops. An Iranian spokesperson said on Iranian state TV:“We strongly deny any role in attacks against the U.S. forces. This undocumented U.S. claim cannot justify bombing and killing people in violation of the international laws. This incident showed again that as long as the U.S. continues its uninvited presence in Iraq and Syria, peace will be out of reach for everyone."
The US appears unfazed by reaction to the attacks
The Popular Mobilization Forces
What I have failed to find so far in mainstream accounts is the fact that KH and other militia groups that the US attacked are not just supported by Iran but also have been instrumental in fighting against ISIS. Even the WIkipedia account of KH recognizes this but does not discuss its association with the PMF: "Kata'ib Hezbollah (Arabic: كتائب حزب الله, Brigades of the Party of God[31]) or Hezbollah Brigades is an Iraqi Shia paramilitary group that is supported by Iran.[32] It has been active in the Iraqi Civil War[33] and the Syrian Civil War.[34] During the Iraq War, the group fought against American invasion forces.[31][35] The group is commanded by Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis."
In the Syrian war KH fights on behalf of Assad no doubt this is a reason why the US has labelled it a terrorist organization. Yet the organization is one of the militia's supported by the Iraqi government part of the Popular Mobilization Forces: "The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as the People's Mobilization Committee (PMC) and the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) (Arabic: الحشد الشعبي al-Ḥashd ash-Shaʿbī),[21] is an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization composed of some 40 militias that are mostly Shia Muslim groups, but also including Sunni Muslim, Christian, and Yazidi individuals as well.[22][23] The popular mobilization units as a group was formed in 2014 and have fought in nearly every major battle against ISIL.[24] It has been called the new Iraqi Republican Guard after it was fully reorganized in early 2018 by its then-Commander in Chief Haider al-Abadi. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi issued "regulations to adapt the situation of the Popular Mobilization fighters," giving them ranks and salaries equivalent to other branches of the Iraqi military.[3]"
As shown in the list brigades in the PMC, KH is the 45th brigade. Note that the PMF in Iraq are state-supported militia whose salaries are paid for by the government and who are given ranks and salaries equivalent to other branches of the Iraqi military.
So the US attacked not just a militia supported by Iraq but one financed and recognized by the Iraqi government itself. The PMC members are treated as virtually an adjunct to regular security forces. In other words the US was in effect attacking Iraqi security forces. The US can expect that the attack on the US embassy is just the first move in attacks that could eventually see US forces ejected from Iraq.
US response
The US is critical of the Iraqi government claiming that it has not carried out its responsibility to protect US and other coalition bases in Iraq. However, the Iraqi government may have concerns about using too many resources to protect the foreign troops in the country. There could be negative results politically especially if Iraqi troops were killed carrying out such protection.
The US has already deployed an additional 14,000 US troops to the Middle East. As the appended video shows in reaction to attacks on US bases and the US embassy the US is sending even more troops to Iraq. The New Year is likely to see even more conflict in Iraq with the Iraqi parliament demanding that US troops leave.
Previously published in the Digital Journal
No comments:
Post a Comment