Baghdad Wants to Form Shiite Militia in Kurdistan

[Anthea]

Bas News

Baghdad Wants to Form Shiite Militia in Kurdistan

No forces are allowed outside the control of Peshmerga, Peshmerga commander says

The Kurdish Peshmerga commanders claim that the Iraqi government is working on a plan to form a unit of the Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) known as Hashd al-Shaabi in Kurdistan region.

BasNews has learned that Baghdad is attempting to create a PMF unit consisting of 70,000 fighters in Shiite areas, 50,000 in Sunni areas and 10,000 in the Kurdistan region.

Peshmerga Commander and Deputy Secretary General of the Kurdistan Freedom Party Hussein Yazdanpanah told BasNews, “After Nouri al-Maliki failed in his plans against Kurdistan, some parties in Baghdad are attempting to deploy PMF in the region.”

Peshmerga Commander Jamal Mortka told BasNews from the Gwer frontline, “The Kurdistan Region President, government and Parliament have all decided that no forces are allowed to be created outside the control of Peshmerga.”

“Anybody attempting to create a PMF unit in Kurdistan will face the same fate as Haider Shasho,” Mortka said.

Haider Shasho is the commander of Shingal Protection Force (SPF) who was recently arrested for attempting to form a PMF unit in Sinjar.

President Barzani has recently declared that no forces are allowed in Kirkuk but the Peshmerga, except if they are permitted by the council of the Province and the governor of Kirkuk.

http://www.basnews.com/en/news/2015/04/ ... kurdistan/