ERBIL, Kurdistan Region- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has warned the deputy head of the Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi against politicizing or restructuring the force without his consent as the commander-in-chief of all armed forces.
Abadi's directive, dated August 21, and signed Lt. Gen. Mohammed Hamid Kadhim, personal secretary to Abadi urges deputy head of the Hashd al-Shaabi Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis to abide by the law.
In it, Abadi orders “the annulment of the content of your letter entirely, and the necessity to abide by the law and instructions that stipulate the non-politicization of the Hashd al-Shaabi board,”
Abadi also warns against any restructuring or cancellation of military formations without his consent and coordination with the army, “otherwise relevant parties will face legal responsibility”.
“No formations are to be moved except after total coordination with the Joint Operations Command and obtaining the approval of the commander in chief of armed forces,” adds the directive.
Abadi's orders come just days after under pressure from the Salahaddin provincial council and prominent Sunni politicians the deputy head al-Muhandis planned to withdraw Hashd al-Shaabi forces from urban and “liberated” areas.
Later on Friday, Abadi posted that he had visited Hashd and met with its officials.
"The Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi stresses the significance of not politicizing Hashd al-Shaabi, adding that the sacrifice stories by Hashd heroes and security forces shall be recorded," read a statement from his office, posted on his Facebook account.
Their names and the locations were not mentioned.
It added that "at all international conferences and all places, we say Hashd is an institution which is affiliated with the state and the commander-in-chief of all armed forces, and we have stood against all those who have wanted to distort it."
"The Constitution and laws prevent confusing security, military and intelligence work with politics," the office of the premier also tweeted.
Recent decrees have called on the mostly Shiite forces to leave disputed cities, many of which are Sunni.
"The evacuation of the Hashd from cities should not be subject to political pressure," Abadi said.
Iraq's Sunnis have for long decried the presence of Hashd al-Shaabi forces in city centers and accused the group of disappearances, extrajudicial killings and human rights abuses.
Updated at 7:30 p.m.
