Iraq Moves to Rein In Iran-Allied Militias

(Bloomberg) -- Iraq moved to curtail the power of Iran-backed militias by putting them under the formal command of the military, in an apparent attempt to limit the country's exposure to an escalating showdown between the Islamic Republic and the U.S.

The Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of militias founded to fight Islamic State militants, are now “an inseparable part” of the Iraqi army and fall under the authority of the commander of the armed forces, Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said in an order on Monday. He also ordered the closure of their offices. The prime minister in September declared himself head of the group.

Some of the mostly Shiite militias answer to Iran-aligned commanders and are seen as fulfilling the Islamic Republic's agenda in Iraq and the region. A 2016 law already incorporated the militias into the Iraqi armed forces, and it's not clear that this latest order will be more effective.

The timing of the order suggests “that one of its main goals is to allay American and regional concerns regarding the possibility of Hashd factions being used by Iran in its confrontation with the U.S. and its regional allies,” said Fanar Haddad, senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore's Middle East Institute, using the Arabic name for the Popular Forces.

“The ambiguity surrounding the Hashd's role in the Iraqi state combined with the weakness of the prime minister's position mean that” changes will most likely be cosmetic, he said.

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton in May warned that Iran's use of allied Shiite militia groups in Iraq to attack American interests would “risk a very strong response.” That same month, the U.S. ordered non-emergency government staff to leave Iraq. The order followed the U.S. decision in September to pull staff from its consulate in Basra, blaming threats from Iran-backed militias.

Iraq's prime minister and U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo last month discussed the threat posed by Iran-backed militias following attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf. Aside from Iraq, Iran also supports paramilitary forces in Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and Yemen.

Read: Trump Points Finger at Iran in Attacks on Oil Tankers in Gulf

Iraq is trying not to get dragged into a conflict between its two allies as Iran pushes back against swingeing U.S. sanctions that have crippled its economy. Baghdad has agreed to abide by U.S. curbs against the Persian nation but has warned it won't let its territory become a staging ground for an American war against its neighbor.

To contact the reporter on this story: Abbas Al Lawati in Dubai at aallawati6@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shaji Mathew at shajimathew@bloomberg.net, Amy Teibel, Paul Abelsky

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