Iraq
Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) participate in military display in Baghdad, Iraq on February 24, 2024. Photo: Iraqi defence ministry
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s Council of Ministers approved a new bill for the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) on Tuesday, referring it to the Iraqi legislature for final approval. The move comes amid growing concerns that Washington may impose sanctions on some of the PMF-affiliated armed groups.
“The approval of the new Popular Mobilization Forces bill is part of broader efforts to reform Iraq’s security institutions in line with the government’s ministerial program,” an official source told the Iraqi News Agency. The bill aims “to organize the PMF in the same manner as other state security and military entities,” the source added.
The PMF was formed amid the Islamic State (ISIS) blitz in 2014, as an umbrella organization which gathers some 70 predominantly Shiite armed groups in Iraq.
The approval of the PMF law ahead of its passage by the legislature, comes after “a series of laws to regulate the works of security agencies” have been passed in Iraq in recent months, including the approval of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service law in late January and the National Security Service law in June.
Although the exact provisions of the PMF law remain unclear, it has emerged as a topic of contention in recent months, particularly among Shiite political blocs vying for greater influence over the 250,000-member organization. A key issue of debate is the proposed structure of the PMF and the retirement age of its commanders, including its head, Falih al-Fayyadh.
Discord also persists over the degree of independence the PMF should retain. Some groups within the Shiite-led Coordination Framework oppose excessive oversight over the umbrella organization, arguing that it could weaken the PMF’s effectiveness.
Meanwhile, the United States has repeatedly criticized the PMF’s ties to Iran-backed Shiite armed groups, warning about the growing influence of such groups on Iraq’s political and military apparatuses.
The timing of the bill's approval coincides with reports suggesting that the US may impose further sanctions on these groups and their affiliates.
Iraq’s Deputy Speaker Shakhawan Abdullah on Saturday stated that Iraq might face “significant” decisions from the US administration, cautioning that such decisions should not come as a surprise to the federal government.
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