Iraq’s reputation at ‘risk’ if PMF law passes: Former US diplomat

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s proposed controversial law to restructure the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi) could “risk” the country’s “reputation,” a former US State Department official warned, with Washington concerned that the legislation would institutionalize Iranian influence and empower armed factions accused of targeting US personnel.

Washington has expressed increasing caution about a potential bill that seeks to organize the Popular Mobilization Commission (PMC) - a government board created to bring the PMF under state control. The bill, which has divided lawmakers, aims to regulate the PMF’s structure, salaries, and retirement benefits, a politically sensitive issue given the PMF’s central role in Iraq’s security framework and the political influence it wields.

“Pursuing this law can put Iraq’s reputation at risk both regionally and internationally,” Vincent Campos, former public diplomacy officer at the US State Department, told Rudaw on Monday.

“This law represents everything that is wrong with Iranian influence in Iraq, and everything wrong with having, essentially, an independent militia doing whatever they want,” Campos said.

The PMF was formed in 2014 after revered Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a call to arms in response to the Islamic State’s (ISIS) rapid territorial gains.

“The PMF served its purpose… to expel ISIS to the greatest extent as possible, and that purpose has passed,” he added.

Although the group was officially incorporated into the Iraqi security apparatus and granted formal legal status by parliament in 2016, many of its factions still operate independently, with impunity, and reportedly maintain strong ties to Iran. Some have been involved in attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria and remain openly hostile to Washington.

Campos said that both Washington and “US experts who have worked in Iraq over the years” consider the PMF legislation “very, very troublesome,” hoping that US officials will follow up “at the appropriate levels in Erbil and Baghdad" to convey their disapproval of the bill.

A State Department spokesperson on Sunday asserted Washington’s staunch opposition to the law, labeling it a “deeply unhelpful step” and explaining that its passage would empower pro-Iran militias in Iraq that have attacked US forces.

“The United States strongly opposes any legislation that is inconsistent with the goals of our bilateral security assistance and partnership and runs counter to strengthening Iraq’s existing security institutions and genuine Iraqi sovereignty,” the spokesperson told Rudaw.

In September 2024, Baghdad and Washington jointly announced their agreement to end the mission of the US-led coalition against ISIS in Iraq by September 2025. Prominent Iraqi politician Izzat al-Shabandar told Rudaw in April that the US withdrawal of American troops will clear the path for Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups to disarm and commit to national interests to prevent Baghdad from involvement in regional conflicts

“The bill further institutionalizes armed groups associated with terrorist entities and leaders, including some that have attacked U.S. interests and killed U.S. personnel. Passing this bill would be a deeply unhelpful step,” the spokesperson added.

Steven Fagin, charge d’affaires of the US embassy in Baghdad, met with the Iraqi parliament’s First Deputy Speaker Muhsin al-Mandalawi on Sunday, where he “reiterated U.S. concerns with two proposed PMC/PMF bills,” the embassy said on X.

“As @SecRubio [US Secretary of State Marco Rubio] stated, PMC legislation would institutionalize Iranian influence and strengthen armed terrorist groups, undermining Iraq’s sovereignty,” it added.

Mandalawi’s office did not mention the PMF bill in its own statement, which broadly discussed bilateral cooperation and regional security.

The PMF is composed of various armed factions, including groups designated as terrorist organizations by the US. Among them is Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), whose leader Qais al-Khazali is a senior member of the Shiite-led Coordination Framework, a key component of Iraq’s governing coalition. In March, AAH and the State of Law Coalition boycotted a parliamentary session after the PMF bill was excluded from the agenda, forcing its postponement.

In February, the Iraqi Council of Ministers approved the bill so that the parliament can give its final approval. It has emerged as a topic of contention in recent months, particularly among Shiite political blocs vying for greater influence over the 250,000-member organization. Some groups within the Framework oppose excessive oversight over the umbrella organization, arguing that it could weaken the PMF’s effectiveness.

Meanwhile, tensions between the PMF and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have escalated following drone attacks targeting oil infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region. The KRG’s interior ministry has blamed the PMF for the strikes, though Baghdad has dismissed the accusations as “unacceptable.”

Kurdistan Region Interior Minister Rebar Ahmed said on Sunday that both Erbil and Baghdad “know who is behind the recent drone attacks,” adding that a joint committee formed to investigate the attacks should “produce a fair report and announce its results.” He stressed that “those parties and individuals behind the attacks must be punished” once investigations are complete.

The drone attacks have compounded ongoing tensions over budget and oil revenues between Erbil and Baghdad. The KRG said the strikes resulted in the loss of 200,000 barrels per day in production.

Baghdad halted the Region’s budget transfers in May, delaying salary disbursement to civil servants for months. Although salaries for May were eventually paid following a deal, low oil output is seen as an obstacle to releasing funds for June and July.

Iran is believed to have many proxy groups in Iraq, which it has used in the past to target US interests in the region. Washington has taken several measures to ensure that Baghdad is free of Tehran’s influence, including the termination of a waiver which had allowed Iraq to buy Iranian electricity for years.


Nalin Hassan contributed to this report.