BAGHDAD (AA) - After the Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization, militia ended their day-long siege on Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone which hosts foreign diplomatic missions on Wednesday, questions were raised over Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s ability to fend off the powerful Shia, Iranian-aligned group.
The militia laid the siege using military vehicles and took control of entrances and exits to the area sharing footage from the siege on social media and demanding the release of senior commander Qasim Muslih.
Muslih was arrested in Baghdad for his involvement in several terror attacks, including killing activists during protests.
Al-Kadhimi, whose residence is also located in the Green Zone, announced on Wednesday that Muslih's interrogation at the Joint Operations Command located in the heavily guarded area is ongoing.
Hours later, Muslih was released and the siege was ended, in what indicated the flexing of power by the group.
This is not the first incident in which the group stormed the Green Zone. In December last year, another powerful Shia faction Asaib Ahl al-Haq led by Qais Khazali and affiliated with Hashd al-Shaabi, stormed the Green Zone hours after fellow members were arrested by the security forces after being accused of targeting the area with rockets. The suspects were later released.
The faction rejects any arrests of their members carried out by Iraqi security forces.
Friction between Al-Kadhimi and the militant group has intensified since the killing of senior Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a US airstrike in Baghdad, as it accused the premier of conspiring with Americans to kill the commander.
Soleimani was the long-time commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, which was designated a terror group by the US.
After formally being incorporated into the Iraqi army in 2017, after being established in 2014 with the purpose of fighting the Daesh/ISIS terror group, Hashd al-Shaabi continued to be a powerful political player in the oil-rich country, independent of the state and at times clashing with it.
Analysts described the incident as a conflict between the state and the non-state elements in the country.
- Upholding rule of law
"The well-known security institutions are linked to the commander in chief of the armed forces,” said Maher Judeh, a researcher at the Al-Qarar Center for Strategic Studies. “So, what happened on Wednesday evening attests that there is a conflict between the state and the non-state.”
Judeh noted that the assumption was that since the arrest warrant against Muslih was issued by the judiciary, it would be respected as investigations into the charges continue. However, he said the latest incident proves that Hashd al-Shaabi “is outside the scope of the military institution” and does not respect the rule of law.
For former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, there is an urgent need for respect for the rule of law and preserving order within the state to avert “chaos” and “state collapse.”
“Building the state is a responsibility. Either the state proceeds to sovereignty and order, or the state falls on everyone’s heads,” al-Abadi tweeted on Wednesday. He warned against “transgression, bullying, and rebellion against the state," adding that “no one is above the law.”
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, military expert Ayad al-Toufan described Hashd al-Shaabi’s recent actions as a “military rebellion” as the group is considered to be part of the security forces. He called on the government to take punitive measures by dismissing those involved from their positions and referring them to the judiciary.
Meanwhile, several activists expressed their dismay at the siege on social media viewing it as a “challenge to the authority of the state,” and held Al-Kadhimi fully responsible.
“We have forces falling under the defense and interior numbering more than a million people, and billions of dollars are spent in salaries, armaments and equipment, and all of these forces are unable to control people acting against the law,” Ziad Adnan, a blogger, wrote on his Facebook page. “It begs thinking,” he added.
“Where is your army Prime Minister?" asked Muhammad Al-Mirani on Facebook, another Iraqi activist.
While Hashd al-Shaabi is legally affiliated with the Iraqi army which receives orders from the prime minister, observers believe that the group’s influence has increased on a large scale over time, and its strength has eclipsed that of other state institutions. Moreover, its leaders are not subject to government orders, rather, are closely aligned to Iran, and have been accused of targeting US troops and bases in Iraq.
*Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar in Ankara