Iraqi Shiite cleric calls on pro-Iran militias to disband

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s influential Shiite cleric who emerged arsenic a victor successful past month’s wide elections connected Thursday called connected the country’s myriad pro-Iran Shiite equipped factions to disband if they privation to articulation his upcoming government.

Muqatada al-Sadr besides asked the factions to manus implicit their weapons to the government-sanctioned umbrella known arsenic Popular Mobilization Forces. In turn, helium besides asked the PMF to “purify” its ranks from “undisciplined elements” and surrender “corrupt individuals” to the judiciary.

The militias are definite to cull the demands, which successful crook could complicate al-Sadr’s efforts to signifier a authorities aft the vote. It could besides summation tensions betwixt Shiites who enactment the pro-Iran factions and al-Sadr’s ain followers.

The pro-Iran factions mislaid a important fig of parliament seats successful the Oct. 10 elections and person called the ballot fraudulent, rejecting the results. Their supporters person held protests extracurricular Baghdad’s heavy fortified Green Zone, location to authorities offices and overseas embassies.

The protests turned deadly earlier this month, erstwhile demonstrators tried to participate the Green Zone, demanding a ballot recount. One protester affiliated with the militias was killed successful an speech of fire, for which the militias blamed Iraq’s incumbent Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

Tensions were further ratcheted up aft a failed assassination effort against al-Kadhimi astatine his residence the adjacent day. The premier curate suffered a airy chopped and respective of his guards were injured successful the Nov. 7 onslaught by equipped drones connected his Green Zone residence. There was nary work assertion for the attack, though suspicion instantly fell connected the equipped factions.

“Your losses can’t beryllium a pretext for ruining the antiauthoritarian process,” al-Sadr said astatine a uncommon property league Thursday, addressing the factions.

As the winner, al-Sadr’s bloc volition question conjugation partners and sanction the adjacent premier minister. The protests staged by supporters of hard-line Iran-aligned militias appeared to beryllium aimed astatine pressuring al-Sadr to guarantee that they are portion of the adjacent Cabinet.

But al-Sadr’s telephone connected Thursday practically ruled that out, alternatively asking the equipped factions who relation extracurricular the PMF to disband.

The PMF is an umbrella radical of mostly Shiite groups officially nether the premier minister’s command. It was created during the warfare against the Sunni extremist Islamic State group, which successful 2014 seized ample swaths of occidental and bluish Iraq. IS was yet defeated but the thousands of chiefly Shiite paramilitary fighters who fought against it ne'er disbanded oregon surrendered their arms.

Some of the astir Iran-friendly militias nether the PMF person shown signs of splintering into new, antecedently chartless groups, allowing them to assertion attacks targeting U.S. interests nether antithetic names to disguise the grade of their involvement.