Some factions of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) are less than satisfied with the visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to Washington on March 19-23, given his controversial statements about his stance toward them.

Abadi said March 22, during his speech to the 68-member global coalition to defeat the Islamic State (IS), “There is an Iraqi force today fighting IS comprising the Iraqi army, the counterterrorism apparatus and the peshmerga [forces].” He did not include the PMU, but later, in a different context, he mentioned them as “volunteers who took part in the fighting against IS side by side with our security forces … under the command of our security forces.”

He then referred to the Popular Mobilization Law, which requires "[PMU forces] to be under the leadership of the state and obey the Iraqi military regimes and Iraqi discipline in the military establishment." Abadi also pledged to confront "outlaws."

In the same vein, Abadi stressed in reference to the PMU that "they should not become involved with politics, and political groups bearing arms should not participate in the elections." He stressed the need to "confront any armed groups outside of the state."