While Iraqi security forces continue its progress towards the center of Mosul city to recover it from the control of the organization Daesh, with the support of what is known as the popular crowd, and the flight of the international coalition led by the United States , the Iraqi Council of Representatives is witnessing a major division between the political blocs on the endeavors of some parties to adopt “the popular crowd Act “. It is scheduled to vote on the draft law on “Saturday:” The law states , according to deputies in the Iraqi parliament may have acquainted with the draft , to transform the “Association of the popular crowd and its forces to a formation that enjoys with legal personality, and it is part of the Iraqi armed forces and associated to the general commander of those forces. This formation and its members are subject to the military laws in force of all aspects . And the members of it also enjoy with all the rights and privileges guaranteed by military law and other relevant laws. And tasks of the formation , and its parts , units and their property, and other administrative and technical, financial and organizational affairs are identified under the system issued by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. ”
It is worth noting to suggest the popular crowd Act at this stage precisely involves with the paradox because it coincided with the campaign of promotion of the project known as the “historic compromise” aiming according to its advocates to correct the political process and to reduce the sectarian and ethnic tension to perform the reconciliation among Iraqi factions , the matter which is seen by Iraqis as a contradictory blatantly with the establishment of the Army for a specific component armed and funded at public expense, and devoting more of the power of the people of this community in the public life on the account of the rest of the sects and components .
A spokesman for the «crowd» MP Ahmad al-Asadi, said that «Saturday’s parliament session will see the presentation of the Draft Law on the crowd to vote after the legal stages have been completed, and can not be delayed more than that». He stressed that «the majority of parliamentary blocs will vote in favor of the law and the different viewpoints of some lawmakers are normal in any democratic system.» He added that «this law has been put forward for the debate for a very long period and a lot of adjustments have been made, and any attempt to impede it means that foreign political agendas and motives are standing behind it.» He said «transform the crowd into a formal organization at this time is very necessary, especially that we are on the verge of completion of battles with Daesh, it must be to organize the country’s situation in the next stage, and the first steps are the adoption of the law of the crowd who made sacrifices and had a prominent role in the liberation of the country ». The question here what is this democracy that maximize gains of social component on the account of other social components ? and If that component demanded the application of democracy, including serving his interests and the interests of all of Iraq , that component would become a terrorist, why would approve the draft law of the popular crowd while rejecting the National Guard law, which takes into account all the components of the Iraqi people, without exception, which is a popular demand.
Followers of the Iraqi affairs believe that the vote on the draft law at this stage precisely where the war on Daesh is approaching to an end, is part of the thinking process in which the Shiite personalities and parties were engaged in it taking advantage of the factions , the “future” of their factions that still have significant roles to play in addition to the role of the war on militant organization, particularly the control of power in the country and ensure its survival in the hands of Shiite parties, after the appearance of many voices calling for the civic state after the failure of the current existing experience of the governance fully at the various political, economic and security levels.
Followers of Iraqi affairs also believe that if the law was passed in the House of Representatives with the Iraqi Shiite majority, there is a new sectarian crisis in Iraq would appear, and only political beneficiaries will take advantage of this law, which neither the state nor society will benefit from it. And would be a real blow to national settlement and gives a negative message about the continuation of the policy of arm-twisting and lack of seriousness of the presence in the construction of a new stage on the basis of partnership, and Followers of the Iraqi affairs see that the process to fortify the popular crowd with Act, is the efforts of the ruling National Alliance to cut the road in front of anyone trying to make the lawsuit or open the file of major crimes committed by -or will be committed- by elements belonging to the crowd that have already involvement in the crimes of sectarian nature against civilians under the banner of fighting terrorism in the provinces of Sunni majority, such as Diyala and Salahuddin and Anbar during the past few years during the military operations witnessed by those areas in order to be recovered from the organization Daesh. Especially there are many reservations on the popular crowd, which was created based on a fatwa of the Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani as military formations and militias , existed before the emergence of al Daesh and the formation of the crowd , have entered to the crowd, and have known programs and loyalties and regional relationships , such as the Badr Organization and Alasaib, Hezbollah and al-Khorasani, and thus It is not permissible to give legal cover to such organizations, who can guarantee that these factions after the issuance of the popular crowd Act, to obey the orders of the commander in chief of the armed forces , not orders of militia leaders who will have the favor for their appointment within the crowd and they were subject to their leadership for years. And then the militia elements will keep their loyalty to the leaders of the organizations to which they belong, not to the prime minister, and therefore can not be controlled even if the law was passed.
So followers of the Iraqi affairs see that the application of the law literally on the popular crowd would be impossible due to the impossibility of cutting the link of Shiite militias that represent the hard core of the crowd with their leaders who are unwilling to give up about the source of their power and their weapons in the face of their rivals and enemies both from within their community or from outside. Hence the new law will lead to create another military body, without the abolition of the existence of militias. And Followers indicate to it that if they want to reward the martyrs and the elements of the popular crowd on their role in the fight Daesh, it can apply the laws of the army and police on them, and Followers wondered : Why do we distinguish the blood of the popular crowd from the blood of the fighters of the army and police and Peshmerga and others who have defended Iraq?
Followers of the Iraqi affairs believes that the adoption of the draft law of the popular crowd will be a final blow to the military establishment and the end of the Iraqi army. Despite the sacrifices and efforts made by the Iraqi army in the wars fought since its inception until now, and most recently its fight that will continue against Al Daesh currently ; there are actors trying to destroy the military institution to be replaced by the (the popular crowd) , through the adoption of the alleged law of the popular crowd .And the approval will make the militias as a parallel military force to the Iraqi army, that if they were not more powerful; for being backed by the Shiite National Alliance “, arguing that” this decision is of great and serious consequences; due to the fact that the loyalty of the most of these factions is to Iran. ” And that some leaders in the popular crowd were awarded high ranks, while the majority of them do not possess something from a statesmanship and military experience, which threatens to the collapse of the military establishment in Iraq, “and argued that some of the officers in the Iraqi army had left the army and joined the ranks of (the crowd); and so for access to certain privileges .so to put the draft law of the Popular crowd under the banner to control the chaos of weapons and the introduction of the armed factions under the command of the state, is considered in the eyes of Followers of the Iraqi affairs and the objectors of it , only a pretext for the process of reproduction of the experience of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and create an army for specific community that devotes its influence on the rest of sects and components. According to observers of the Iraqi affairs that to approve the draft law of the popular crowd may put an end on what is left of the reputation of the Iraqi state and its prestige, which will legalize the crime and devotes the violence which is already rampant in the country when the citizens will find that they can not to resort to the law , and that it is imperative to take up arms to protect their lives and property. It also opens the door to settle political calculations between warring Iraqi factions competing for power and the achievement of political and material gains.
And the Followers of the Iraqi affairs also believe that the draft law of the popular crowd will be passed in the end and that the reality of the components of the crowd will not change whether the law was passed or not because the requirement of some local and regional powers that the popular crowd to have an important security and political role in Iraq and the region at present and in the future. While in theory is supposed to end the role of the crowd with the end of the control of the organization Daesh on the regions of the country in Iraq, but on the contrary we see clearly the existence of the will of the powerful Shiite political figures to assign apolitical and military role of the militias in the post Daesh. The best evidence of this was announced by a spokesman for the popular crowd Ahmed al – Asadi when he told reporters on the late October of last month , saying that: “One of the future tasks of the popular crowd is to secure the border with Syria, and cutting the supplies of the Islamic State coming from Syria , ” adding that the crowd was ready to go to any place that includes a threat to “national security of Iraq.” and how the militias to enter to Syria, al – Asadi said that “it would be coordination between the Iraqi and Syrian governments.” And also stated by the General Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard , Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari in the current November 24 , saying it is possible that some militias of popular crowd to go to Syria to support Bashar al – Assad after the completion of the Battle of Mosul against al Daesh, and the Islamic world is in need of a mutual support at the moment , and he added , ” the popular crowd may be sent to Syria in this framework.” In this context , we wonder in case of the the adoption of the draft law : Iraq to where?
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies