Iraqi mobilization forces will not be incorporated or dissolved: govt spokesman

Iraqi government spokesman Saad Al-Hadithi. (Photo courtesy: social media)
Updated 19 December 2017
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Iraqi mobilization forces will not be incorporated or dissolved: govt spokesman

BAGHDAD: The Iraqi Shiite-dominated Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) will not be incorporated or dissolved, but will be restructured in line with military laws and regulations to ensure that fighters are free of ideological, political and partisan affiliations, Iraqi government spokesman Saad Al-Hadithi told Arab News on Sunday.
“According to the law approved by the Parliament, we have only one mechanism to resolve this case by issuing instructions and regulations to reorganize the work of the PMF,” said Al-Hadithi.
“This issue (the fate of the PMF) is resolved. The law authorized the prime minister to issue the required regulations to restructure this institution and reactivate its work in line with Iraqi law and submit it to the military regulations applied in all the Iraqi military institutions.
“(Resolving) this case is linked to the restructuring measures and (when it is) fully implemented on the ground, and this is what is currently being worked out with the participation of military specialists authorized to make (the required) decisions and representatives of the PMF,” Al-Hadithi, said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi last week declared the full liberation of the Iraqi territories seized by Daesh in the summer of 2014 after the collapse of the Iraqi army. Tens of thousands of Iraqis volunteered to fight Daesh and stop their advance on the capital.
The volunteers, mostly Shiite, have fought the militants alongside the government under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), a governmental body established by former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki to cover the armed factions who fought Daesh.
Although the PMU consists of tens of thousands of Shiite, Sunni, Turkmen, Christian and Yazidi volunteers, the Shiite militias have represented the backbone of PMF troops.
To subject PMF to the control of the government, the Iraqi Parliament voted on the law late in 2016. The law states that the PMF is a part of the regular Iraqi security establishment and subject to military laws and commanded directly by the commander-in-chief of the armed forces (the prime minister), who is fully responsible for arming, financing and equipping them.
PMF commanders and security officials contacted by Arab News confirmed that talks on the restructuring of the PMU had started weeks ago between the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and the commanders of the PMF.
Al-Hadithi said that as long as the PMF was a part of the Iraqi security establishment, “they must be fully subject to the will and decision of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and central security institutions.”
The number of registered fighters on the payroll of the PMF is 120,000. Shiite-armed factions have played a key role in the three-year fight against Daesh.
The Iraqi government spokesmen said that all armed factions, individuals and parties that had fought Daesh alongside the government and were formally covered by the PMF, have no option but to legalize their existence and give up their political and ideological affiliations. This was “fundamental” for the work of the PMF, and the government was “fully keen to implement this.”
Al-Hadathi said that the commanders of the armed factions in the PMF had expressed their commitment to keep working under the umbrella of the PMF and to dismantle any political or ideological ties between the fighters and their parent organizations.
“Actually, the announced situations (of the commands of the Shiite-armed factions within PMF) related to this issue (to abandon affiliations), all have poured in this direction.
“We hope that there will be an understanding of the government’s position at this time and the necessity of taking this step during the next stage. The situations were all positive and we look forward to translating these positions into action,” Al-Hadithi said.
Al-Hadithi said that although there was no time limit to achieve this goal, the government was keen to accomplish it “as soon as possible.”
The Iraqi government estimated the cost of reconstruction and rehabilitation of the areas affected by terrorism, and the military operations to terminate the militants, at $100 billion. The support of the international community is vital for the Iraqi government to secure these funds, mainly by attracting foreign investment and donations from the international community.
“We look forward to bringing investors and international companies to work in Iraq. The existence of any armed manifestations outside the framework of state institutions sends a negative message (for the international community).
“The Iraqi government cannot alone provide the required funds of reconstruction and provide the basic services. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain international aid through (the recruitment) of major investment companies ... which can provide hundreds of thousands of jobs.
“Any step taken by any side that contradicts the will of the government to disarm (the armed factions) will damage the economy, the peace and security of the community and will negatively impact investment opportunities in Iraq.
“The Iraqi government will confront any armed faction operating outside the official system of the state, and will take all necessary legal measures to prevent its activity regardless of its title (name or affiliation),” Al-Hadithi said.


US defense chief holds first call with new Israeli counterpart

Updated 55 min 59 sec ago
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US defense chief holds first call with new Israeli counterpart

  • Katz was sworn in before parliament the previous day
  • The US defense chief also discussed “the need to improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza“

WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed Lebanon and Gaza on Friday in his first call with his new Israeli counterpart Israel Katz, the Pentagon said.
Katz was sworn in before parliament the previous day, after his predecessor’s shock dismissal by the prime minister over a breakdown in trust during the war in Gaza — a conflict that began with a devastating Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.
Austin “held an introductory call today with the new Israeli minister of defense, Israel Katz, and congratulated him on his recent appointment,” Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement.
He told Katz that Washington is committed to a deal that allows Lebanese and Israeli citizens displaced by more than a year of cross-border violence to return to their homes, as well as to the return of hostages seized by Palestinian militant group Hamas, Ryder said.
The US defense chief also discussed “the need to improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza,” after he and Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israel in a letter earlier this month that it needed to allow more aid into the small war-wracked coastal territory.


Palestinian leader tells Trump ready to work for Gaza peace

Mahmud Abbas told Donald Trump he was ready to work toward a “just and comprehensive peace” in Gaza. (Reuters)
Updated 56 min 46 sec ago
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Palestinian leader tells Trump ready to work for Gaza peace

RAMALLAH: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas expressed readiness to work toward a “just and comprehensive peace” in Gaza during a phone call with US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday, his office said.
Trump’s victory came with the Middle East in turmoil after the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, triggered by the unprecedented attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Congratulating Trump on his victory, Abbas expressed “readiness to work with President Trump to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on international legitimacy,” his office said in a statement.
It said that Trump also assured Abbas that he will work to end the war.
“President Trump stressed that he will work to stop the war, and his readiness to work with president Abbas and the concerned parties in the region and the world to make peace in the region.”
While Trump struck a note of peace during his campaign, he also touted his status as Israel’s strongest ally, even going so far as to promise Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he would “finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza.


Lebanon says three dead in Israel strikes on Tyre

Updated 08 November 2024
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Lebanon says three dead in Israel strikes on Tyre

  • The strikes targeted three buildings in the city
  • Israel had issued no evacuation warning ahead of the strikes

BEIRUT: The Lebanese health ministry said at least three people were killed and 30 others wounded on Friday in Israeli strikes on the southern city of Tyre.
The official National News Agency said the strikes targeted three buildings in the city and caused heavy damage to neighboring apartment blocks.
It said Israel had issued no evacuation warning ahead of the strikes.
Israel has been at war with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah since late September, when it broadened its focus from fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip to securing its northern border, even as the Gaza war continues.
Hezbollah began low intensity strikes on Israel in support of Hamas following its Palestinian ally’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel which triggered the Gaza war.


‘Strong likelihood’ famine imminent in north Gaza, say food security experts

Updated 08 November 2024
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‘Strong likelihood’ famine imminent in north Gaza, say food security experts

  • The warning comes just days ahead of a US deadline for Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza

LONDON: There is a “strong likelihood that famine is imminent in areas” of the northern Gaza Strip, a committee of global food security experts warned on Friday, as Israel pursues a military offensive against Palestinian militants Hamas in the area.
“Immediate action, within days not weeks, is required from all actors who are directly taking part in the conflict, or have influence on its conduct, to avert and alleviate this catastrophic situation,” the independent Famine Review Committee (FRC) said in a rare alert.
The warning comes just days ahead of a US deadline for Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or face potential restrictions on US military aid.


Israeli army claims discovery of ‘Hezbollah training center’ near UNIFIL outpost as raids continue in Lebanon

Updated 08 November 2024
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Israeli army claims discovery of ‘Hezbollah training center’ near UNIFIL outpost as raids continue in Lebanon

  • Several videos showed residential houses and tourist, social and religious facilities being set with explosives and blown up remotely
  • Adraee also accused Hezbollah of “using ambulances to transport saboteurs and arms” and called on “medical personnel to avoid dealing and cooperating with Hezbollah members”

BEIRUT: The Israeli army on Friday continued to destroy houses in Lebanon’s southern border villages to establish a buffer zone. The latest bombing targeted the areas of Yaroun, Aitaroun and Maroun Al-Ras in Bint Jbeil.
Several videos showed residential houses and tourist, social and religious facilities being set with explosives and blown up remotely.
In parallel with the deliberate destruction, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued “a new urgent warning to the residents of southern Lebanon,” instructing them “to refrain from returning to the south, or to their houses or olive fields,” describing the region as “a dangerous combat zone.”
Adraee also accused Hezbollah of “using ambulances to transport saboteurs and arms” and called on “medical personnel to avoid dealing and cooperating with Hezbollah members.”
The army will take the “necessary measures against any vehicle transporting armed members regardless of its type,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army claimed that “surveillance cameras of the Oded Brigade reservists captured a Hezbollah training center just 200 meters from a UNIFIL outpost.”
The army claimed that “the forces discovered the training facility, which was used by Hezbollah for training, studying, and storing large quantities of weapons.”
It said that “the facility contained missile launchers used for firing at Israeli settlements, as well as documents and instructional books detailing Hezbollah’s operational methods, maps of Israel, explanations of the Israeli army’s equipment, and additional weapons.” The army said “the weapons were confiscated and the compound was dismantled.”
The Israeli army resumed raids on the Baalbek-Hermel area, killing and injuring people and causing further destruction.
The Ministerial Emergency Committee estimated that, as of Thursday evening, Israel had conducted 121 raids, including 56 on Nabatieh, 24 on Baalbek and 23 in the south.
The committee said the number of people killed so far in Israeli attacks on Lebanon exceed 3,100, while 14,000 people have been injured.
More than 1.2 million people have been displaced, with close to 200,000 staying in shelters, it added.
Lebanese observers believe this transitional phase, from now until US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, is the most dangerous period for Lebanon.
Raids on Kfar Tebnit killed two people after a building comprising residential apartments and commercial shops was destroyed.
A raid on Zebdine in Nabatieh killed Mohammed Fayez Mokaddam and his sons, Fayez and Hadi Mokaddem, after their building was destroyed.
Zaher Ibrahim Ataya, a medic with Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Committee from the southern town of Tair Harfa, was killed when Israeli forces struck a newly established medical center.
The strike was part of a broader Israeli aerial campaign that targeted more than 50 towns across the Tyre and Bint Jbeil districts in the past 48 hours.
The Lebanese Red Cross chief Georges Kettaneh announced that rescue teams have returned to Wata Al-Khiyam to complete the recovery of victims from an incident on Oct. 27.
Working alongside UNIFIL forces and the Lebanese Army, teams recovered four bodies and remains, with efforts continuing to ensure the mission’s completion.
Earlier the Red Cross retrieved 17 bodies from the site where civilians, who had been tending to livestock, sought shelter in a building during an Israeli incursion.
The Israeli military initially stalled permission for the Lebanese Red Cross to recover the victims, eventually granting only a four-hour window for the operation.
The Israeli air campaign extended to Lebanon’s Bekaa region, with strikes hitting Hrabta town west of Baalbek and Hosh Al-Sayyed Ali near the Syrian border north of Hermel.
Sirens sounded across northern Israel, including Haifa, Nazareth, Kiryat Shmona and surrounding areas, as well as the Ramat Trump settlement in the Golan Heights and Israeli media reported approximately 30 rockets launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel and Haifa’s suburbs.
The Israeli military confirmed detecting about 20 rockets, with some being intercepted, and reported drone incursions in northern airspace, including one near Caesarea.
The Israeli military announced the death of a soldier from Battalion 8207, Alon Brigade (228), who succumbed to wounds sustained in southern Lebanon on Oct. 26, while Israeli army radio detailed a fierce battle in the border village of Aitaroun that claimed the lives of six Israeli soldiers.
Hezbollah said on Friday it had launched “dozens of rockets reaching as far as Haifa and south of Nazareth.”
The group claimed strikes on several targets, including the Stella Maris naval base and Ramat David air base, northwest and southeast of Haifa, respectively, Kiryat Shmona settlement, and military gatherings in Misgav Am and Margaliot settlements.
In response to Israeli infiltration attempts, Hezbollah reported targeting Israeli forces south of Adaisseh with artillery fire. The group also claimed to have destroyed a military bulldozer and inflicting casualties on accompanying infantry forces trying to advance northwest of Kfarkila.