Iraqi militias defy government, expand networks and pressure
Militias in Iraq are increasing their activities in response to the government's efforts to rein them in.
A group of pro-Iran militias in Iraq attacked the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Oct. 17, setting the building on fire and raising the flag of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
This comes in reaction to an Oct. 2 statement by Hoshyar Zebari, a former finance minister and foreign minister, who said that Baghdad's Green Zone where most government buildings and foreign ministries are located “should be cleansed from the militias and the PMU presence.”
The social pressure on the outlawed militias within the PMU has been extensive since the eruption of the protests in Iraq in October 2019. The militias have since formed pressure groups to silence any critical voices against them.
Following the protests, the militias have started several groups on social networks such as Telegram and WhatsApp, recruiting supporters and promoting their agendas against the United States and its allies in Iraq, and also against the current government headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, as the militias view him as an American and his government as a pro-US agent.
