In a post on X/Twitter on December 10, US Congress member Joe Wilson called out the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.
“President Trump is bringing about a future of peace and prosperity, commerce and not conflict, to the peoples of the Middle East. Iraq can be a shining example of that with strong economic and diplomatic relationships with the United States, the Gulf, Syria, Turkey, and others. This cannot happen if it continues to act as a puppet of Iran. The time has come to FREE IRAQ FROM IRAN.”
Wilson has been a critic of Iranian-backed militias in Iraq in the past and has also been a passionate supporter of Syria. The Congressman shared, “Iraq has an opportunity to thrive if it changes its behaviour. Congress is ready to back up President Trump with new provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act that condition aid to Iraq’s security forces, for the first time, on Iraq taking real steps to stop supporting Iran-backed militias.”
As the NDAA passed the House of Representatives on December 10, Wilson highlighted, “The NDAA also continues to include provisions I sponsored for years prohibiting US taxpayer dollars from going to both the Badr Corps and any Iran-backed militias. I am grateful for the leadership of Special Envoy Savaya, who I am sure will implement these laws,” he added.
Further on, the Congressman called out the Iranian-backed militias by name, groups that have grown more powerful in Iraq since 2014. They grew in part because of a fatwa by Iraq’s Ayatollah Sistani, which called for men to help fight ISIS.
In sequence, Iran took advantage of the call and helped form those people into militias, as part of a group called the Popular Mobilization Forces or Hashd al-Shaabi. The militias helped defeat ISIS, but then turned their attention to attacking US forces and Kurds, murdering civilians and taking over parts of Iraq.
US warns Iraq: Exclude militias or risk cooperation
“As I have said on many occasions, Iraq is coming under the total control of Iran, which runs its military and security forces (which include several designated terrorist organizations such as Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Kataib Imam Ali), its judiciary (through corrupt judges like Fayiq Zaidan, who always rule with Iran), its police (completely overrun by the Badr Corps), and its political system (totally dominated by the Coordination Framework and other Iran-backed militias),” Wilson said.
He declared that it is time to “stop funding Iranian puppets (such as the Popular Mobilization Forces and other Iran-backed militias, including designated terrorists) through Iraq’s federal budget and Central Bank or via the Ministry of Oil."
The Congressman added, "All money laundering and money transfers to Iran and its puppets must also end. There needs to be an international audit of all oil and fuel product sales domestically and internationally, and an audit of all oil-related organizations, including the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Oil, and the Ministry of Industry and subordinate organizations.”
Wilson complemented by saying, “Iraq must continue to respect the security of the Kurdistan Regional Government and stop allowing or encouraging Iran-backed puppets from attacking the KRG.”
He also slammed “Fayiq Zaidan, head of Iraq’s Higher Judicial Council, issued orders to prosecute anyone who “undermines the legitimacy” of the so-called Iraqi political system, basically anyone who criticizes Iran’s puppets!”
The Congressman added, “It is sad to see Iraq go back to the Ba'ath era police state mentality, going after the majority of its citizens simply for opposing domination by Iran and its puppets! We haven't forgotten about the arrest warrant for President Trump for killing Iranian terrorist Soleimani.”
Iraq has been critical of the US recently, more specifically, of US Envoy Tom Barrack’s recent statements last week. It also continues to show that it will not sanction Hezbollah or the Houthis, and understands that the US is watching the government formation after a parliamentary election in November.
Al-Ain news says that Iraqi politicians in the Shi’ite Coordination Framework “received an important verbal message from the United States in the past few hours regarding the formation of the new Iraqi government.”
Sources reported that "the message included several key points and American conditions, most notably: no participation of armed factions in the next Iraqi government."
Al-Ain highlights, "Washington does not want to directly interfere in the process of selecting the new prime minister, and has no reservations about any of the names circulating within political circles, but it will not cooperate with a government in which armed factions (Shia militias) participate.”
“The sources also said the message included a clear warning that the level of US cooperation with the next government would depend on its commitment to agreed-upon pledges, particularly on security matters, managing the relationship with the international coalition, and economic commitments,” it reported.
The US will not tolerate the Iranian-linked groups playing a role in the ministries and government of Iraq. “The document includes an explicit clause prohibiting any funding for the Badr Organization, led by Hadi al-Amiri, which won 21 seats in the new parliament, noting that any authorized funds, including those allocated to the US Department of Defense, may not reach the Badr Organization or any entity that the Defense Intelligence Agency considers to be associated with it or an extension of it.”
Meanwhile, Iraqi Shi’ite politicians continue to gather. Last Thursday, they came to the home of Ammar al-Hakim, one of the Shi’ite leaders, to discuss what comes next.