05-08-2025
US pressures Iraq to block PMF Law, Iraqi MP
Shafaq News – Baghdad
MPs and political leaders opposing the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Authority Law will be publicly named if the vote is postponed again, an Iraqi lawmaker told Shafaq News on Tuesday, accusing the United States of pressuring Iraqi parties to block the bill.
The Member of the State of Law Coalition, Hussein Mardan, urged Iraqi forces to take a firm national position and resist external influence, stressing that passing the PMF Authority Law is critical to asserting state authority over armed groups.
Passing the law aligns with the broader demand to place all weapons under the control of the state, Raed al-Maliki, a member of the Parliamentary Legal Committee told Shafaq News, warning that the PMF currently remains vulnerable to political influence, 'which undermines the role of an institution widely respected for the sacrifices its members made in defending Iraq.'
Earlier, a parliamentary session was cut short following a heated exchange between Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, his deputies, and lawmakers from key Shiite and Sunni blocs. The dispute was reportedly triggered by objections to the session's amended agenda, including the contentious PMF Authority Law.
