Violence has more than doubled recently in the Iraqi capital. Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), or Hashd al-Shaabi, stormed the Ministry of Agriculture building in Baghdad’s Karkh district. The full story began on [insert date]. It escalated into a fatal showdown with Iraqi police, leaving one angry officer dead and nine more shot and wounded. This confrontation illustrates the rift between state-sanctioned paramilitary groups and national security forces still present today.
The PMF first materialized in 2014 to combat the advance of the Islamic State (ISIL or ISIS). Today, it is one of the most influential actors within Iraq’s rapidly evolving security landscape. The PMF started as a rapid reaction to an asymmetric threat. Initially made up primarily of Shia paramilitaries, it is today fully incorporated into Iraq’s armed forces. Civil society forced its legitimacy to be codified into law in 2017, against the will of the Iraqi Ministries of Interior and Defence. This shift furthers the integration of the PMF into Iraq’s security apparatus by placing it under the operational oversight of Iraq’s national security adviser.
PMF’s Continued Influence
The PMF has become an umbrella organization for these factions, many of which have kept their connections to Iran intact. Other factions of the PMF go so far as to violently profess their allegiance to Tehran. They have been regularly criticized for exerting outsized control over Iraq’s political and military direction. These ties and influence have led to alarm within many sectors of Iraqi society who worry that Iranian interests will trump national interests.
Since its formation, the PMF has played a dual role in Iraq: fighting against ISIL and participating in local governance. Its rapidly expanding strength has raised concern about the possible creation of opposing power centers in rivalry with established official Iraqi security forces. The recent violent attack on the Ministry of Agriculture underlines these tensions. To do so, it unabashedly accuses the government of Iraq of betraying its people.
Clashes with Iraqi Police
The incident that occurred on [insert date] bubbled over quickly. Clashes between PMF fighters and Iraqi police erupted when the paramilitary group entered the ministry building. That confrontation ended with one police officer dead and nine others injured. At least 14 PMF fighters were taken into custody following the furious firefight. This incident adds even more confusion to the already jittery relationship between the paramilitary group and the state’s security apparatus.
A member of the Kataib Hezbollah, a prominent faction within the PMF, told me that the group has no desire to further provoke US-Iraqi tensions. They seek to defuse conflict, despite the outbreak of recent deadly violence. This declaration highlights a sophisticated approach. Third, it recognizes the increasing popular concerns with the PMF’s actions and their potentially destabilizing effects on the country.
The Path Forward
The incident shows just how tenuous Iraq’s control over its paramilitary groups and security forces really is. Now the PMF’s influence just got a lot stronger. This leaves serious doubts about how legitimate and effective Iraq’s governance is or indeed whether it can ever effectively keep order. The government must tread carefully among these complexities to avoid provoking additional violence or breaking its social contract with citizens.
