09-07-2025
Iraqi faction: US diplomat meddling in PMF legislation
Shafaq News – Baghdad
The chargé d'affaires at the US Embassy in Baghdad is pressuring political blocs to block legislation aimed at formalizing the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) under Iraqi law, the Secretary-General of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, a prominent Iraqi armed faction, stated on Tuesday.
On X, Abu Ala al-Walai warned against sidelining what he called 'the nation's defenders and guardians of security,' referring to the PMF, a coalition of mostly Shiite paramilitary groups.
He stressed that the relative decline in terrorist threats and improved security should not justify neglecting those 'who secured Iraq's survival.'
Al-Walai described the proposed PMF law as a firm response to 'ongoing US pressure' exerted by the embassy's chargé d'affaires on Iraqi parties to derail the legislation.
— ابو الاء الولائي (@aboalaa_alwalae) July 8, 2025
The draft law, which seeks to regulate the status, rights, and institutional integration of PMF members, remains a divisive issue among Iraqi political factions and a flashpoint in Iraq's broader debate over sovereignty, foreign influence, and military command structures.
