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Iraq

PMF show off weaponry in parade for anniversary of founding

2021-06-27

[Rudaw] Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) held a parade northeast of Baghdad on Saturday morning to mark the seventh anniversary of their founding in the presence of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

"Today I attended the parade of our children from the Hashd al-Shaabi," Kadhimi tweeted after attending the event at Camp Ashraf in Diyala province, using the Arabic name of the PMF and mentioning he has also this year attended events for the army and the police.

"We emphasize that our work is done under the Iraqi flag and the protection of its soil and people is our duty," he added. "Yes for Iraq... Yes for a strong Iraq."

The PMF were formed when a group of militias responded to a call-to-arms from Shiite holy man Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to stand against the Islamic State

...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group (ISIS) as it swept across northern Iraq in 2014.

Numerous PMF brigades marched in the parade, including Shiite, Christian, and Yazidi, according to images and video shared by the PMF-linked Sabreen News on Telegram. An image of Abu Madhi al-Muhandis, the PMF commander killed alongside Iran’s General Qasem Soleimani in a US dronezap in Baghdad in January 2020, was carried in the parade.

The equipment on display showed the extent of the PMF’s military strength, including drones, tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery, rocket launchers, and boats.

Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji tweeted his congratulations to the PMF "for its glorious parade as it records in the pages of glory the most beautiful images of patriotism, professionalism and discipline."

"Greetings to every fighter in the Hashd [PMF], the army, the police, anti-terrorism forces and the Peshmerga," he added.

The PMF have been officially incorporated into the Iraqi security forces, but militias within their ranks operate outside of Baghdad’s control and receive support from Iran. These groups are blamed for liquidations of anti-government activists, and rocket and drone attacks on American interests around the country.

Hours before the PMF parade, multiple explosive-laden drones hit northeast of Erbil, a few kilometres from the site of the under-construction US consulate. No group has immediately grabbed credit.

Posted by:trailing wife

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