Asaib Ahl al-Haq moves towards disengagement from the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces
On Tuesday (June 2nd), the Asaib Ahl al-Haq movement announced the start of practical steps to implement the decision to disengage from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) formations, through the formation of a central committee to complete the necessary organizational and administrative procedures, as part of the trend towards limiting weapons to the Iraqi state.
The movement stated in an official document that the committee will complete all the requirements and procedures for the implementation of the decision, headed by Jawad Talibawi and the membership of a number of the movement's leaders.
The committee's tasks include conducting a comprehensive inventory of personnel, weapons, vehicles and logistical supplies, as well as organizing liaison mechanisms with the commander-in-chief of the armed forces in accordance with the requirements of the state and its security institutions, it added.
Informal negotiating deadline ends in September
This decision came after the Coordination Framework announced, yesterday evening, the authorization of Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Ali Al-Zaidi, to take the necessary measures and decisions to protect the country's supreme interests, while affirming its support for the project of limiting weapons to the state and separating the Popular Mobilization Authority from political, partisan and social frameworks.
The movement stressed that this step comes in compliance with the calls of the religious authority and in response to the unifying national position, at a time when the Shiite arena is witnessing remarkable transformations, most notably the announcement by the leader of the Shiite National Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, of the complete separation of the Peace Brigades and its accession to the state, which opened the door to a rearrangement of the file of the factions at the national level.
These measures are linked to an informal negotiation deadline that political leaders, including Ammar al-Hakim, have talked about, as the factions are waiting for next September – the deadline for ending the military presence of the international coalition in Iraq – to complete the handover of weapons to the state and end the armed manifestations completely within the framework of a political and security process aimed at consolidating the authority of the state and unifying the military decision.
Muqtada al-Sadr announces the enlistment of his forces in the official Iraqi army
On Wednesday (May 27th), the leader of the Sadrist movement in Iraq, Muqtada al-Sadr, announced that the military formations affiliated with him, "Peace Factions", would be completely separated from the "National Shiite Movement", and that they would be fully annexed to the state and the military formations affiliated with the official authorities.
Al-Sadr said in a statement, through his official accounts, that the decision comes "based on the national interest and in order to avoid the dangers facing the country," stressing that the civilian bodies affiliated with the Peace Brigades will turn into "solid structures, without any headquarters, weapons or other organizational addresses."
At the same time, he called on all PMF formations to separate from "partisan and sectarian orders" and hand over their weapons to the state, he said.
Al-Sadr's decision included stripping the civilian entities associated with the Peace Brigades of weapons, headquarters and independent uniforms, and turning them into a service and social project called "Al-Bunyan al-Marsous", as part of an announced transition from military action to organized civilian work.
Al-Zaidi welcomes Sadr's decision
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi welcomed what he called the "responsible national position" of the leader of the national Shiite movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, when he announced a few hours ago the separation of the "Peace Brigades" from the movement and the joining of its members to the Iraqi state.
He called on the rest of the Popular Mobilization Forces to work under the authority of the Iraqi state, saying that "this initiative represents an important step towards strengthening internal stability, consolidating the principle of limiting weapons to the hands of the state, and supporting the security agencies in carrying out their national and constitutional duties."
Since taking office in mid-May, al-Zaidi has vowed to keep weapons in the hands of the Iraqi state, at a time when the United States is increasingly pressuring Iraq to control the weapons of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which it classifies as "terrorist" and pro-Iranian.
What is the ASAP Ahl al-Haq movement?
One of the most prominent factions in Iraq, Asaib Ahl al-Haq was formed in 2006 following a split from Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, in the context of disagreements over the way to confront US forces, and was led by Qais al-Khazali and Akram al-Kaabi (who later broke away to found Harakat al-Nujaba).
In its early years, the group focused on armed action and carried out complex operations against U.S. and British forces, including the 2007 storming of the Karbala provincial council headquarters, according to numerous reports.
Over time, the movement moved towards official political action through its political wing known as the Sadikoun bloc, which participated in parliamentary and local elections and gained representation in parliament, and Asaib became an essential part of the Coordination Framework Alliance, where its armed wings—led by the 41st and 42nd Brigades—merged into the Popular Mobilization Authority after the 2014 fatwa of "Jihad al-Kifa'i," transforming from an independent armed faction to an official force operating under the umbrella of the Iraqi state.