15,000 from Mosul join militias but battle for who will fight for city continues
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has ordered 15,000 fighters drawn from the people of Mosul to join the Hashd, meaning paramilitary, forces and participate in the liberation of their city, a spokesperson for the Shiite militia Hashd al-Shaabi, Ahmed al-Assadi, revealed in a TV interview on Friday.
Just days earlier, another order of Abadi’s was revealed in which the Shiite militia are to be turned into an official special operations force, similar to the current counter-terrorism forces.
Although the Iraqi government approved the recruitment of 15,000 fighters from the people of Mosul in June, the issue of their command had been contended by both Sunni leaders, who want the forces to operate under their command, and Shiite leaders who want the Mosul forces to be under the control of the Shiite militia.
“We respect the decision to add that number to the Hashd forces from the people of Mosul, because he is chief of the armed forces,” Bashar Kiki, head of the Nineveh Provincial Council, told Alsharq Al-awsat on Saturday, referring to Abadi’s decision.
“But as the Nineveh Provincial Council, we have already announced that we reject the participation of the Hashd Al-Shaabi in the liberation of Mosul, and we have explained why we made this decision. The main reason was that the people of Mosul have sufficient manpower to liberate the province, as long as the Iraqi government arms the tribal forces, and provides supplies and training for the local police in Mosul to be prepared for the battle.”
“From our view, the Hashd that is supposed to take part is the Hashd al-Watani or al-Asha’ari. They are the official Hashd from the province and they get their orders from the Nineveh operation command,” he added.
Hashd al-Watani and Hashd al-Asha’ari are both Sunni paramilitaries.
The Nineveh Provincial Council, anonymously and in exile, voted in February against the Shiite paramilitary participation in the liberation of Mosul.
Former governor of Nineveh Atheel Alnujaifi stressed that all parties from Mosul agreed that the city should be liberated by the Mosul people.
“The Mosul people, whether politicians, tribal sheikhs or provincial council members, all agreed that the city should be liberated by its people who have the capacity and ability to liberate their city,” Alnujaifi told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday.
“This consensus is to prevent sectarian problems as happened in other provinces that the Hashd entered during the operations in Diyala, Anbar and Saladin provinces,” he added. “The people of Mosul will be happy with the Iraqi army entering their city, but without sectarian tensions,”
Alnujaifi believes that Iraqi politicians who insist on Shiite militia participation are under Iranian guidance and influence.
Despite all the resistance from Mosul representatives and people, Shiite militia leaders insist that their militias will take part in the battle.
“After the active participation of the Hashd in the liberation of Qayara and other areas, the Hashd is ready with all its military capabilities to take part in the liberation of Mosul and Sharqat, especially after the approval from the chief of the armed forces, PM Abadi, in the Nineveh operations,” said Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy leader of the Shiite militia, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
“The Hashd won’t allow, in any way, Mosul province to turn into a base for terrorists, Baathists and Turks,” al-Muhandis added.
Both Iraqi government officials and militia leaders have stressed that Iraqi security forces alone should be the ones to liberate Mosul and other areas still under Islamic State control.
“The Mosul battle is mainly the Iraqi battle, and we won’t allow anyone to do it except Iraqi security forces,” said Khalid al-Obeidi, Iraqi defense minister, on Friday.
Spokesperson of the Sunni militia Hashd al-Watani, Zuhair al-Jabouri, said they do not need any foreign troops to take part in the battle. They are only needed for consulting and logistical matters.
“For the Mosul battle we do not need the participation of the foreign combat forces whether American or Turkish forces,” said Al-Jabouri, according to online Iraq Newspaper on July 22.
“We need the coalition expertise and intelligence in the Mosul battle to defeat ISIS rapidly and to reduce casualties of civilians,” he added, noting, “The Iraqi forces with all its different groups are capable of liberating the city. Already the security forces, Iraqi army, Peshmerga, Hashd al-Watani and local police have liberated many areas in Sharqat and south of Mosul.”
Just days earlier, another order of Abadi’s was revealed in which the Shiite militia are to be turned into an official special operations force, similar to the current counter-terrorism forces.
Although the Iraqi government approved the recruitment of 15,000 fighters from the people of Mosul in June, the issue of their command had been contended by both Sunni leaders, who want the forces to operate under their command, and Shiite leaders who want the Mosul forces to be under the control of the Shiite militia.
“We respect the decision to add that number to the Hashd forces from the people of Mosul, because he is chief of the armed forces,” Bashar Kiki, head of the Nineveh Provincial Council, told Alsharq Al-awsat on Saturday, referring to Abadi’s decision.
“But as the Nineveh Provincial Council, we have already announced that we reject the participation of the Hashd Al-Shaabi in the liberation of Mosul, and we have explained why we made this decision. The main reason was that the people of Mosul have sufficient manpower to liberate the province, as long as the Iraqi government arms the tribal forces, and provides supplies and training for the local police in Mosul to be prepared for the battle.”
“From our view, the Hashd that is supposed to take part is the Hashd al-Watani or al-Asha’ari. They are the official Hashd from the province and they get their orders from the Nineveh operation command,” he added.
Hashd al-Watani and Hashd al-Asha’ari are both Sunni paramilitaries.
The Nineveh Provincial Council, anonymously and in exile, voted in February against the Shiite paramilitary participation in the liberation of Mosul.
Former governor of Nineveh Atheel Alnujaifi stressed that all parties from Mosul agreed that the city should be liberated by the Mosul people.
“The Mosul people, whether politicians, tribal sheikhs or provincial council members, all agreed that the city should be liberated by its people who have the capacity and ability to liberate their city,” Alnujaifi told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday.
“This consensus is to prevent sectarian problems as happened in other provinces that the Hashd entered during the operations in Diyala, Anbar and Saladin provinces,” he added. “The people of Mosul will be happy with the Iraqi army entering their city, but without sectarian tensions,”
Alnujaifi believes that Iraqi politicians who insist on Shiite militia participation are under Iranian guidance and influence.
Despite all the resistance from Mosul representatives and people, Shiite militia leaders insist that their militias will take part in the battle.
“After the active participation of the Hashd in the liberation of Qayara and other areas, the Hashd is ready with all its military capabilities to take part in the liberation of Mosul and Sharqat, especially after the approval from the chief of the armed forces, PM Abadi, in the Nineveh operations,” said Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy leader of the Shiite militia, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
“The Hashd won’t allow, in any way, Mosul province to turn into a base for terrorists, Baathists and Turks,” al-Muhandis added.
Both Iraqi government officials and militia leaders have stressed that Iraqi security forces alone should be the ones to liberate Mosul and other areas still under Islamic State control.
“The Mosul battle is mainly the Iraqi battle, and we won’t allow anyone to do it except Iraqi security forces,” said Khalid al-Obeidi, Iraqi defense minister, on Friday.
Spokesperson of the Sunni militia Hashd al-Watani, Zuhair al-Jabouri, said they do not need any foreign troops to take part in the battle. They are only needed for consulting and logistical matters.
“For the Mosul battle we do not need the participation of the foreign combat forces whether American or Turkish forces,” said Al-Jabouri, according to online Iraq Newspaper on July 22.
“We need the coalition expertise and intelligence in the Mosul battle to defeat ISIS rapidly and to reduce casualties of civilians,” he added, noting, “The Iraqi forces with all its different groups are capable of liberating the city. Already the security forces, Iraqi army, Peshmerga, Hashd al-Watani and local police have liberated many areas in Sharqat and south of Mosul.”