"The warriors of the Hashd al-Shaabi are patriotic Iraqis and paid with their lives in the defense of their country and the people of Iraq and they abide by the Iraqi command according to the law of the parliament," said a statement from PM Haider al-Abadi's office.
These words came in response to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson who said in Riyadh on Sunday that Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq must go home now that the war with ISIS was ending.
"No one has the right to interfere in Iraqi affairs and decide what they should do," read the statement.
It went on to say that "any foreign or coalition forces on the ground in Iraq were limited in number and were there to provide training and logistical support and had no combat role."
