An Iraqi anti-terror resistance group has rejected amendments to a draft law governing the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), better known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Sha’abi, stating that “suspicious Wahhabi and Zionist hands” were behind them.
The al-Nujaba movement, in a statement released on Thursday, called the amendments “unfair” and said they would weaken the PMU, break it up and shrink its role.
It said the long-awaited law had been held up to appease US President Donald Trump.
“At a time when we have long awaited the passage of the PMU law, which remained suspended to appease the criminal, child-killer, foolish Trump, we are surprised by unfair amendments that we can only explain by the presence of suspicious Wahhabi and Zionist hands behind them,” the statement read.
Nujaba urged those who had held their ground to oppose the amendments.
“As we reject these amendments in their entirety, we call on the honorable people who remain steadfast in their positions to take a stand of dignity, honor and rejection against these amendments that weaken, fragment and diminish the role of the Popular Mobilization Units,” the statement said.
It said rejecting the changes was the least it owed to the blood of the former deputy head of the PMU, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and of other fighters it called “righteous martyrs.”
Abu Mahdi Muhandis was assassinated along with top Iranian anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike outside the Baghdad International Airport in January 2020.
The statement said Arabs, Zionists, and Americans created the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group to conspire against Iraq and its holy places. It called the PMU “Iraq’s heart and backbone” and said its creed was the Islamic resistance.
“We reaffirm our firm position rejecting these suspicious amendments, and we will accept nothing less than a fair law that protects the rights of PMU members, places them on equal footing with their brothers in the security forces, and guarantees all their current and future rights,” the movement said.
The Iraqi cabinet approved a bill on September 29, which purportedly cuts the general goals of the PMU Commission from nine to five and its tasks from 14 to eight.
It is said that the draft also drops the commission’s volunteer service department, its department for combating ideological terrorism, and its military court of cassation.
A committee in the office of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is apparently reworking about 20 clauses of the bill.
The changes under discussion include reorganizing the PMU into independent brigades and putting army and police officers in command posts.
Chairman of the Hashd al-Sha’abi, Falih al-Fayyadh, opposes much of the restructuring.
PMU fighters played a major role in the liberation of Daesh-held areas across Iraq.
In November 2016, the Iraqi parliament approved a law giving full legal status to the PMU fighters.
It recognized the PMU as part of the national armed forces, placed the forces under the command of the prime minister, and granted them the right to receive salaries and pensions like the regular army and police forces.
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