Shaykh Humam Hamoudi:

Proposed Iraqi National Guard act must respect goals of Popular Mobilization Forces

Rasa – A senior Iraqi MP said that the proposed Iraqi National Guard act should guarantee the rights of the Popular Mobilization Forces and the security forces.

News ID: 3319

Date: 09 September 2015 - 22:11

RNA – Shaykh Humam Hamoudi, a member of the Council of Representatives of Iraq or the Iraqi parliament and a senior official in the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraqi, issued a statement in regard to the “Iraqi National Guard” draft act, saying that this act was carried out according to an agreement and removed from the agenda by the parliament’s Board of Directors.

In February 2015, the Iraqi cabinet presented the parliament with the draft of a National Guard law that aimed to regulate the activities of the armed forces battling ISIL. But political parties are still at odds over the content of the document.

Shaykh Hamoudi added that the parliament should not vote on the Iraqi National Guard act if it does not respect the goals and full rights of Popular Mobilization Forces and government security forces.

He said that this act must preserve Iraq’s unity of the country and guarantee the participation of all people to take responsibility in various areas and in various provinces of the war-torn country.

The Iraqi Shi’a cleric and politician said the act must support the security forces and Popular Mobilization Forces against the ISIL terrorist group and maintain the stability and unity been the various groups in the country.

Shaykh Hamoudi noted that local forces in Iraq’s 18 provinces should follow the government and the provincial armies.

The Iraqi National Guard act is an eight-point plan which calls for the formation of a National Guard force based on religious divisions in all of the country’s provinces, except in the autonomous Kurdistan region.

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Some lawmakers and opponents believe the draft law would weaken national unity and independence as it orders the formation of separate provincial armed units that are not necessarily in coordination with each other.

Moreover, it prohibits the return of former military officers (which may be Ba’thists) and Popular Mobilization Forces from joining the National Guard.