Iraq afraid of a Hezbollah-like model on its territory

Ali Rajab

Iraq is becoming more influenced by the ongoing showdown between Iran and the United States.

An Iraqi political source has revealed the presence of a conflict between the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization militia, on one hand, and Iraqi President Barham Salih, on the other.

At the center of the conflict are ways of dealing with American interests in Iraq and the region, said the sources who requested anonymity.

This conflict comes as Israel continues to strike Popular Mobilization camps in Iraq. Militia commanders accuse the US of complicity in the matter.

Sources told The Reference that the militia plans to attack US interests in Iraq, but is opposed by Salih who has so far succeeded in preventing a proxy war from talking place in his country.

Salih held a meeting with militia commanders at the presidential palace on August 26, in an attempt to contain their anger following Israeli airstrikes against the militia’s weapons warehouses, which caused it to threaten to attack the US embassy in Iraq.

In a statement following the meeting, the Iraqi presidency said the attacks were an attempt to deflect the attention of the Iraqi defense apparatus from maintaining its operations for the total eradication of the leftovers of the Islamic State group in Iraq.

Head of the State of Law Coalition and former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki met, meanwhile, the head of Fatah Alliance, which is the parliamentary umbrella of the Popular Mobilization militia, Hadi al-Amri, in Baghdad. Both men are known to harbor loyalties to Tehran. They discussed attacks against the Popular Mobilization militia, according to Iraqi media reports.

Iranian affairs specialist Mohamed Benaya said Iraq does not want to enter a political confrontation with the US at present at least.

“It worked to effect a calm between Washington and Tehran,” he told The Reference.

He added that Iraq also is afraid that the militia would turn into another Hezbollah, an organization that launches wars on behalf of Iran.