KDP office attack shows Iraq has no power over militias: deputy Iraq parliament speaker

Iraq's government cannot control armed groups operating outside the state apparatus without cross-party support in Baghdad, Bashir Haddad, Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) member told Rudaw on Sunday, following Saturday's attack on the office of a KDP branch in the Iraqi capital.

The attack by supporters of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) followed comments from Hoshyar Zebari, KDP politburo member and former Iraqi foreign minister, who earlier this month described the clearing of Baghdad’s Green Zone of “militia and popular forces” as an “essential task”.

Zebari also condemned the PMF for its alleged involvement in regular attacks on Baghdad International Airport and the US embassy in the city, saying the paramilitary network is “determined to escalate” the deteriorating security situation.

The PMF is a network of around 60 militias, established in 2014 following a religious call to action (fatwa) from Iraq’s highest Shiite authority Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani as the Islamic State (ISIS) swept through Iraq.

Haddad told Rudaw's Shahyan Tahseen that the attack on the KDP office was not only in response to Zebari's comments, but to increasing security coordination between Erbil and Baghdad in the disputed territories of northern Iraq.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Rudaw: Were Hoshyar Zebari's comments the driving factor behind the attack on the Kurdistan Democratic Party's (KDP) office in Baghdad?

Bashir Haddad: The unfortunate incident is part of the grudge that some armed groups and politicians in Iraq hold against the Kurds, and the KDP in particular. This attack originated from a bigoted and sectarian point of view. Right after 2003, we expected a new Iraq to come into being, one where we would all be treated equally. Unfortunately, bigotry against the Kurds still exists. What has contributed to the growing resentment against Kurds was the stiff resistance put up by the Peshmerga in Sahela [Duhok province, near the Syrian border] and Pirde [40 kilometres north of Kirkuk] during the events of October 2017, and it's been made worse by the latest agreement between Erbil and Baghdad...they interpret agreement between Erbil and Baghdad for the establishment of joint coordination bases in Kirkuk, Salahaddin and Diyala as paving the way for the return of the Peshmerga in these areas. All these developments have left them seething.

So I don't think the motive behind their attack was Hoshyar Zebari's comments alone. Just a few days ago, some other Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish figures made much harsher comments than Zebari did. Even if they didn't like Mr Zebari's comments, we live in a democratic Iraq and comments should be responded to with comments – not bullets, burnings and killings.

Was this attack only to vent anger, or were there other intentions behind it?

Yes, they were venting their anger. It was also to signal that they don't want Kurds to obtain their rights, now that we're preparing the 2021 budget bill. They even want to prevent Kurds from achieving their financial entitlements. They want to tell the public that 'it isn't that we stop services being provided to Basra, it's that the money that goes to Kurdistan'... I believe the best response from Kurdistan would be to put its house in order. This incident in Baghdad should act as a warning. Today the KDP's office was set alight; later, other [Kurdish] parties might witness the same thing.

Kurdish parties denounced the incident after it happened. Have you received any other position on the matter?

The Kurdistani blocs and some Sunni factions condemned the attack. Some Shiite parties, blocs and individuals condemned it too. The protesters said the day before the demonstration that it would be peaceful, but we saw what happened. They burned the building and the flag of Kurdistan too. They even threatened many Kurdish families. The signs suggest that it's not just about the [KDP] building, but Kurds and the Kurdistan Region too. So we must keep our eyes open, stay vigilant and stand together in the face of such actions.

What could you, the Iraqi parliament, do to stand against the burning of a party office, or the burning of a flag?

We've made our position on several [similar] events clear, and we've spoken to the Iraqi government about them. It is the government's responsibility to protect party offices, not just the offices of the KDP. As long as they are part of the political system of Iraq and are licensed, the government must protect them. The burned building belongs to a political party, be it a Kurdish or non-Kurdish party. We condemn such acts in the strongest terms, and have said that the government, security forces and the Supreme Judiciary Council [of Iraq] should establish a committee to follow up on and find the perpetrators.

The security forces indeed didn't respond to the act, and didn't carry out their responsibility to protect the area. They should be questioned.

Will the problem be solved with the arrest of a commander, or should groups behind the act be controlled?

This subject has two aspects; political and legal. The legal aspect is that those behind the attack, those who supported them, and even the security forces should be investigated and brought to justice. A number of people have already been arrested, and the commander of the security force on the scene has been fired and will likely be tried. The government must carry out these tasks in the best possible way. 

The second aspect is political; Kurdistan and Iraq's political parties should review their relations and together throw their support behind the government, so that it can impose its authority on these armed groups in the best possible way, because the current government has no power over the armed groups.

What will the KDP's position now be in Baghdad?

The KDP is a party with a long history and has witnessed many ups and downs. I do not think the wise leadership of the Kurds and the KDP will move towards severing ties with Baghdad because of such an incident. However, the final decision is vested in the [KDP's] political leadership.  

Translation by Zhelwan Z. Wali

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