MP Al-Hafaci Says US and Iraqi Political Forces Seek to Weaken Hashd al-Shaabi

Haklar Bloc lawmaker Mikdad al-Hafaci said some Iraqi political forces, along with the United States and other regional powers, are trying to end the presence of the Hashd al-Shaabi forces by attaching them to other institutions. He said the aim is to neutralize the group by integrating its personnel into different ministries and security agencies. Al-Hafaci said these efforts are being used as leverage against resistance factions and Hashd al-Shaabi representatives in Iraq’s parliament. He argued that the same pressure is being used to push through certain decisions and projects in the coming period. He said he rejects any plan to transfer Hashd al-Shaabi personnel to other ministries or institutions, noting that the force has more than 200,000 fighters. He added that his bloc opposes any such merger plan. The remarks come as discussion grows in Iraq about establishing a new security ministry that could include Hashd al-Shaabi, border forces and the federal police. The reported idea has become a subject of political debate in recent days.