Popular Mobilization Forces (Iraq)

The People's Mobilization (الحشد الشعبي al-Hashd al-Shaabi), also known as the National Mobilization (الحشد الوَطنيّ al-Hashd al-Watani), and as the Popular Mobilization Forces/Units/Committee (PMF/PMU/PMC), is an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization composed of some 40, almost exclusively Shiite, militias. The People's Mobilization was formed for deployment against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The organization was formed by uniting existing militias under the "People's Mobilization Committee" of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior in June 2014. Despite being a force outside the Iraqi regular armed services, militants of the Popular Mobilization Forces openly reject the qualification of "militia".

Name
With regard to the official native name, the Arabic word الشعبي (al-shaabi) translates as "people's" or "popular", as referred to the people; the Arabic word الحشد (al-hashd) translates as "mobilization", as in the group of people mobilized rather than the process of mobilization. In other contexts al-hashd may translate as other terms such as "crowd", "horde", "throng", "gathering" or "mob".

Background and formation
The PMF were formed by the Iraqi government on 15 June 2014 after Marja' Ali al-Sistani's fatwa on "righteous jihad" on 13 June. The fatwa called for defending Shi'ite holy sites, defending Baghdad, and to participate in the counter-offensive against the Islamic State, following the Fall of Mosul on 10 June 2014. The forces brought together a number of Shi'ite militias, most of which receive direct support from Iran. Along with a small number of Sunni tribesmen. The forces would be to fall under the umbrella of the state’s security services and within the legal frameworks and practices of the Ministry of Interior. In the course of events, some of these groups embarked on a different path, operating independently.

According to some sources, the Popular Mobilization Forces have made a fundamental difference on the battlefield, as they have undermined the superiority of IS at the level of guerrilla warfare, as well as at the level of the psychological operations.

Composition and organization
While there are no official data about the strength of the Popular Mobilization Forces, there are some estimates, differing significantly; around Tikrit are believed to be about 20,000 engaged militiamen, while the grand total ranges are from 60,000 – 90,000 to 100,000 – 120,000 armed men, including from 1,000 to 3,000 Sunni fighters.

The Popular Mobilization Forces consist of both new volunteers and pre-existing militias, which have been grouped within the umbrella organization formally under the control of the Ministry of Interior Popular Mobilization Units directorate. Among these militias there are the Peace Companies, formerly known as the Mahdi Army, Kata'ib Hezbollah, Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Kata'ib al-Imam Ali, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and the Badr Organization.

The chairman of the Popular Mobilization Committee in the Iraqi government is Falih al-Fayyadh, who is also the National Security Adviser. The PMF are allegedly led on the battlefields by Jamal Jaafar Mohammed, also known as Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the head of Kata'ib Hezbollah, but the chain of command runs through pre-existing leaders. According to Iraqi sources, the different militias rely on their own chain of command, and rarely work together. Alongside Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, other people in charge of the PMF include: Qais al-Khazali, commander of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and Hadi Al-Amiri, the chief of the Badr Organization. According to The New York Times, such organizational autonomy may present a challenge to the consolidation of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's authority.

The militias are trained and supported by military advisers, coming from Turkey (for Sunni and Turkmeni troops), Iran and Hezbollah, including prominent Quds Force figures such as Qasem Soleimani. The PMF also appeared to have deployed at least a Regiment under the command of Colonel Jumaa al-Jumaily in Al-Anbar province. They are also said to have their own Military Intelligence as well as administrative systems, as well as a sort of “Media War Team” which provides morale boosting, battlefield updates and propaganda videos.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered on April 7, 2015 that the Popular Mobilization Forces be placed under the direct command of the prime minister’s office, thus giving a further official status to the militia.

Equipment
The equipment of the Popular Mobilization Forces is a major issue. At the end of January 2015, a video showed a large Kata'ib Hezbollah convoy transporting several American-made military vehicles, including an M1 Abrams Tank, M113 armoured personnel carriers, Humvees, and MRAP vehicles as well as Iranian-made Safir 4x4s and technicals with Kata’ib Hezbollah’s flags flying. According to some sources, the Iraqi government is supplying U.S.-provided military equipment to the militias. Iraqi minister of transportation, and the head of the Badr Organization, Hadi Al-Amiri criticized the U.S. for the lack of providing arms. On the other hand, U.S. officials argue that the operators of heavy weapons allegedly taken over by Kata'ib Hezbollah were regular Iraqi soldiers who raised the Hezbollah flag merely in solidarity with the militant group, while the same source acknowledge that is generally difficult to monitor U.S.-made weapons.

Alongside U.S.-made military equipment handed over to or fallen into the hands of Popular Mobilization Forces, Iran is a major supplier; according to some sources in 2014 Tehran sold Baghdad nearly $10 billion worth of weapons and hardware. Furthermore, there is a daily supply of Iranian weapons, including Iranian-made 106 mm anti-tank guns as well as 120mm, 82mm and 60mm mortars.

In May 2015, the United States started delivering about $1.6 billion worth of military equipment under the supervision of the Government of Iraq. According to some sources, the major beneficiaries of the weapons deliveries are to be the Popular Mobilization Forces.

Major engagements
The Popular Mobilization Forces have been involved in several battles of the military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant since their founding, the most important being the Second Battle of Tikrit. After the end of the battle of Tikrit, the complex of occupation forces handed over security issues to local police and security forces. On Monday April 6, 2015 Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that, while being heavily involved in the conquest of Tikrit, the Popular Mobilization Forces will not join the planned Mosul conquest. However, in June 2015 Shiite forces were in the Anbar province. However, Shiite volunteers reportedly entered in Anbar Province on very first days of May, among heavy protests of Sunnite personalities.

Laws and directives
The Laws and conduct by which the PMF should abide are those of the Iraqi Government since the Iraqi Prime Minister has the final control over the PMF. Nonetheless, Marja' Ali al-Sistani issued an "Advice and Guidance to the Fighters on the Battlefields" which included a 20 points form of how the PMF should conduct themselves.

The main points were that the PMF should treat the liberated areas locals with the Islamic Law which is as quoted from the second point which is a Hadith of the Muslim Prophet Muhammed; "Do not indulge in acts of extremism, do not disrespect dead corpses, do not resort to deceit, do not kill an elder, do not kill a child, do not kill a woman, and do no not cut down trees unless necessity dictates otherwise". Other points included the same aforementioned guidance when treating non-Muslims and also not to steal or disrespect people even if they are the families of the ISIS fighters.

Domestic criticisms and war crimes accusations
Some of the militias constituting the Popular Mobilization Forces have been accused of war crimes motivated by sectarian revenge reasons: according to Amnesty International, Shiite militias have abducted, tortured and killed numerous Sunni civilians and, according to Western sources, in Tikrit militants have committed some violences, while being publicily praised; On the wake of the conquest of Tikrit, Iraqi authorities declared that war crimes will be investigated and their perpetrators punished. Highest Iraqi Shiite authorities, such as Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani or Ayatollah Hussein Al-Sadr, called on the militants in the popular mobilization forces to avoid war crimes or other despicable behaviour and ad hoc government inquiry committees have been established in order to find the truth. Alongside war crimes accusations, also some concerns regarding constitutionality of al-Hashd al-Shaabi have been raised. According to some critics, the Popular Mobilization Forces are not sanctioned by the Constitution of Iraq and, nonetheless, they have a budget and are paid on regular basis by the Iraqi government, whilst the legally established Peshmerga have not received their wages.

International reactions

 * – In a speech of its Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), Jan Kubis on (07/22/2015) mentioned the Popular Mobilization Forces, saying that the Iraqi security forces, with the critical support of the Popular Mobilization Forces, tribal Sunni volunteers, and the International Coalition, have yet to significantly change the situation on the ground" Such mentioning of the PMF by the UN reveals an implicit recognition of its legitimacy internationally, in terms of criticism facing the PMF from some Iraqi political parties and some countries.

Related voices

 * Second Battle of Tikrit (March 2015)
 * Iraqi insurgency
 * Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present).
 * Private militias in Iraq