Alwaght- Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), Hashid Shaabi in Arabic, participation in Mosul's liberation operation is necessary, former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki emphasized on Tuesday.
PMF is a state-sponsored umbrella organization composed of some 40 militias, which are mainly Shiite Muslim groups, but there are Sunni Muslim, Christian, and Yazidi groups as well.
Iraq-based nrttv.com cited Mr. Maliki as saying that the PMF is needed to be involved in operations to retake the country’s second-largest city, Mosul as he met with US Ambassador Stuart Jones in Baghdad to discuss political and security developments as well as US-Iraqi relations
"ISIS terrorists are no longer able to find refuge in the country; Maliki said, adding that all attention and efforts in the country should be turned towards liberating Mosul.
The Popular Mobilization Force have played a large part in operations against the ISIS across Iraq, following a call by Shiite cleric Ali al-Shahristani in a 2014 fatwa for citizens to protect Iraq's cities and towns.
The Lebanese Al-Akhbar daily has quoted sources as claiming that commanders from the Popular Mobilization Forces have met with Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi who admitted that he is being pressured to exclude the PMF from the assault on Fallujah.
The sources allegedly said Abadi told the PMF that the US is exerting part of the pressure and prominent Iraqi figures are also doing their part in an attempt to remove them from the Mosul equation beginning with Fallujah.
Iraq’s Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri said the PMF’s participation would lead to sectarian bloodshed under the claim that the resistance block is primarily comprised of Shiite fighters and Mosul is Sunni-dominated.
