“Our mujahid brother Mahdi al-Muhandis, as the deputy commander of the Hashd forces, has been a defender of the country and its fate and he’s fought ISIS terrorists with honesty,” said Falih Fayyadh, a senior Hashd al-Shaabi leader and national security advisor.
“The accusations of the State Department and especially at this time are rejected and useless and we are the ones valuing our personalities not others. Our Hashd al-Shaabi will remain defenders of this country and its interests without any regard for those who reproach,” he said.
Mohandis is designated a “terrorist” by the United States for his membership in Hezbollah, targeting of Coalition and Iraqi forces in 2009, and ties to Quds commander Qassem Soleimani.
At a press briefing on Thursday, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert was asked about reports that Mohandis was a Hashd al-Shaabi commander and had opened a recruiting center in Kirkuk.
"I saw that report earlier,” said Nauert. “You are correct, he is a terrorist. I cannot confirm that report, but if that report is correct, we hope his recruitment efforts fail miserably.”
The Hashd al-Shaabi published a short video clip on its YouTube page showing Muhandis speaking on the Rabia border on Thursday, when the most serious clashes took place between the Iraqi and Peshmerga forces.
Iraqi forces attempted to take control of the Fishabur border crossing on Thursday, but were repelled by the Peshmerga. Fishabur is located within the undisputed Kurdistan Region borders.
In a separate statement to the press earlier on Friday, Fayyadh had condemned comments from US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson calling on “Iranian militias” in Iraq to “go home.”
Fayyadh said Tillerson was “not qualified to comment on the Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi” who he described as the “pride of all Iraqis.”
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