Alwaght- Iraq�s Public Mobilization Forces (PMF) take their genuine legitimacy from the fatwa issued by top Iraqi Shia cleric Ayatollah Sayyed Ali al-Sistani. The fatwa makes people religiously obliged to help the army and other parts of armed forces to protect the holy places and confront the terrorism that is hitting the country. The Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi upon coming to office adopted a bill of council of ministers, making the PMF an official affiliate of Iraq's armed forces. Al-Abadi�s new order which merged the PMF into the body of the country's army has doubled legitimacy and formality of the popular forces.

Although the voluntary forces since their foundation have worked under supervision of the government, there appeared some differences over some cases between them and the government. The differences found their way to settlement and harmony after the two sides reached a common understanding of the sensitivity of Iraq's current conditions. The sticking points between the government and the popular forces are as follows:

 

Difference over US presence in Iraq

The presence of the American forces in Iraq represented one of the stumbling blocks ahead of a consistency between the PMF and the government. As the time went by, however, the two sides to some degree removed the difference over the case and reached a shared understanding on the issue. The PMF also looks negatively at the US-led anti-ISIS international military coalition, arguing that instead of fighting terrorists in Iraq the US-led coalition in practice supports them by providing them with weapons and intelligence. The airdrops of weapons in terrorist-held areas is a case that grants credibility to anti-US argument of PMF. The Global Research website confirmed earlier that the US delivered weapons to ISIS through airdrops.

The opposition of PMF to presence of US-led coalition is coming while the Iraqi prime minister initially was optimistic about activities of the Western military alliance. However, with the passage of time al-Abadi noticed the intentions and behavioral conflicts of the military coalition. He in a speech has called the US-led coalition a failed alliance. In his latest comment on presence of US forces in iraq al-Abadi announced that he was against deployment of 560 American troops to Iraq. So, after some time the government and the popular forces reached a common view on the case. Still, PMF is more resistant than Iraqi government to the US pressures in Iraq.

 

Reaching a favorable tactic in recapture operations

After a period of resistance to the advances of the terrorists, the PMF forces changed tactics from defensive to progressive mode, seeking to liberate the captured areas of the country.

As an experienced popular force, the PMF wanted to take part in liberation of Ramadi, the center of Al Anbar province. But the Iraqi government had to limit participation and role of the voluntary forces in the liberating campaign due to pressures coming from some hostile countries. As the time went by, this problem, too, was settled with a show of wisdom by the two sides. The Iraqi government and PMF agreed that the latter does not enter the majorly Sunni-inhabited cities, and that popular forces fight the terrorists around the cities as a backing force. This tactic presented a favorable pattern for cooperation between two sides. This is well observed in the operation to retake Fallujah. Having in mind that Iraq has ahead the operation for reclaiming Mosul, the two sides displayed a wisdom during Fallujah recapture operation, and beside guaranteeing victory in the battle they foiled the hurdles put ahead of them by Iraq's enemies.

 

Future requirements of PMF

Beside working to provide the country with security and stability, PMF needs to have eyes also on the future. The voluntary forces are supposed to protect their revolutionary and resistant identity in post-crisis time in Iraq. In other words, they should not limit activities to military support, rather, they have to choose pathways that in the long run guarantee and increase their legitimacy in the Iraqi society. In post-crisis Iraq the PMF have to use the popular support they enjoy and commence activities in new and wide-ranging fields including in reconstruction of the country, education, medical services, social services, science, and technology. These activities in the long run would yield results and even further improve their position publicly. Lebanon�s Hezbollah can present a good example for the PMF in terms of future approaches.

Considering the large number of PMF community, revolutionary and organizational institution building is another case that PMF need to take into account. Such a move protects the revolutionary potentials created by the popular forces, and increases and firms up their power in their political branches and also in the Iraqi community. Tasking PMF with security provision in the country is another issue that appears to be necessary to consider. Due to a positive experience of this popular force in dealing with ISIS crisis and its Islamic and national patriotism, this issue can guarantee permanent stability and protected sovereignty of Iraq.

By Al Waght