Iraq rejects US terror label for PMU commander
madaresharghi Iraq’s Foreign Ministry declared the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known by its Arabic name Hashd al-Shaabi, an “inseparable” part of the national forces and rejected the United States’ labelling its deputy commander a “terrorist”. The Popular Mobilization Units under the deputy command of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, are a legal Iraqi force that has […]
Iraq’s Foreign Ministry declared the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known by its Arabic name Hashd al-Shaabi, an “inseparable” part of the national forces and rejected the United States’ labelling its deputy commander a “terrorist”.
The Popular Mobilization Units under the deputy command of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, are a legal Iraqi force that has fought bravely against terrorism in Iraq, the ministry’s spokesperson said in a statement on Friday, rudaw.net reported.
The ministry also rapped the US for describing Muhandis as a terrorist.
At a press briefing on Thursday, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Muhandis, who is the PMU’s second-in-command, is a “terrorist”.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said Nauert’s comments did not correspond with the reality and that she had to correct her remarks.
Additionally, PMU spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi said Nauert’s characterization of Muhandis had been a “transgression” of Iraqi sovereignty, stressing that such remarks would not discourage the group.
Hashd al-Shaabi is an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization composed of some 40 groups, which are mainly Shia Muslims. The force reportedly numbers more than 100,000 fighters. Iraqi authorities say there are between 25,000 and 30,000 Sunni tribal fighters within its ranks in addition to Kurdish Izadi and Christian units.
The fighters have played a major role in the liberation of Daesh-held areas to the south, northeast and north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, ever since the terrorists launched an offensive in the country in June 2014.