Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces control one of the entrances to the Green Zone in Baghdad during a recent show of strength. Reuters
Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces control one of the entrances to the Green Zone in Baghdad during a recent show of strength. Reuters
Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces control one of the entrances to the Green Zone in Baghdad during a recent show of strength. Reuters
Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces control one of the entrances to the Green Zone in Baghdad during a recent show of strength. Reuters

Iraqi militias challenge defence minister over comments against PMF


Mina Aldroubi
  • English
  • Arabic

Iraqi Defence Minister Juma Anad must be “held accountable” for accusing state-sanctioned paramilitaries of igniting violence in the country, politicians linked to the militias said on Monday.

Tensions between the government and the militias rose after the arrest last week of Qassem Musleh, the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) head of operations in Anbar province.

He has been accused of terrorism, assassinations and attacks on US troops based in the country.

PMF militias backed by Iran responded with a show of force in and around Baghdad's heavily guarded Green Zone where government buildings and embassies are located, leading to a standoff with the army.

Mr Anad described the incident as a “security breach” and warned against such actions.

"We are calling on the groups to not repeat what happened.

"It is shameful for a conflict to take place within the security system, but there are parties that seek to cause chaos in the country, and monitor from a distance by pouring fuel that ignites the flames of a civil war," Mr Anad said.

Iraqi Defence Minister Juma Anad, left, pictured with his predecessor, Najah Al Shammari, during the handover of office in May 2020. AFP
Iraqi Defence Minister Juma Anad, left, pictured with his predecessor, Najah Al Shammari, during the handover of office in May 2020. AFP

The minister’s remarks were criticised by members of parliament linked to the PMF.

“Parliament must hold politicians accountable for fuelling and inciting violence between armed forces,” said Mohammed Abdul Karim, a deputy in the Fatah alliance that includes MPs associated with the Iran-backed groups in the PMF.

The alliance is led by Hadi Al Ameri of the Badr Organisation, one of the oldest, largest and most important of the Iraqi Shiite groups that are closely linked to Tehran.

“The fighting between officially recognised armed forces is only of interest to the American occupation forces, which are trying to stay in Iraq under any pretext,” Mr Karim said.

Saad Al Saadi, a member of the political bureau of Asaib Ahl Al Haq, another militia group affiliated with Fatah, accused Mr Anad of siding with the Americans.

"The defence minister is now part of the US project," he said.

Mr Al Saadi said Mr Anad's comment was “an insult to the efforts made by the PMF to counter ISIS".

The PMF was a major force in Iraq's war against the extremist group from 2014 to 2017, supporting Iraqi troops backed by US-led global coalition.

Former prime minister Nouri Al Maliki said on Twitter that efforts to draw members of the PMF into a confrontation with the army had not succeeded.

“There are attempts to drag the army and the PMF into clashes but they’ve failed,” he said, adding that both sides have “mixed their blood” in liberating Iraq from ISIS.

Mr Al Maliki warned against those who ignite “sedition”.

During Mr Al Maliki’s eight years in office, Iraq witnessed sectarian violence that contributed to the rise of ISIS.

Washington accused his administration of running a sectarian government that alienated sections of Iraqi society, particularly the Sunni minority, pushing them into the arms of ISIS, and undermined the morale of the army.

Mr Al Maliki left office reluctantly in 2014 after security forces crumbled in the face of a lightning advance by ISIS in northern Iraq.

The PMF was formed after tens of thousands of Iraqis responded a call from Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani, Iraq's top Shiite cleric, to take up arms against the extremist group.

The militias were formally inducted into Iraq’s state security in 2018, after the defeat of ISIS, and are supposed to report directly to the prime minister.

However, Iran has had a clear hand in co-ordinating with PMF leaders since then, undermining the Iraqi state.

Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi promised to rein in the Iran-backed militias that operate outside of the state’s control after he took office last May, but has been unsuccessful so far.

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Abu Dhabi World Pro 2019 remaining schedule:

Wednesday April 24: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-6pm

Thursday April 25:  Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 11am-5pm

Friday April 26: Finals, 3-6pm

Saturday April 27: Awards ceremony, 4pm and 8pm

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Results

5pm: Warsan Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Dhaw Al Reef, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer) 

5.30pm: Al Quadra Lake – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Mrouwah Al Gharbia, Sando Paiva, Abubakar Daud 

6pm: Hatta Lake – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Yatroq, George Buckell, Ernst Oertel 

6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adries de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel 

7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship – Listed (PA) Dh180,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami 

7.30pm: Zakher Lake – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Alfareeq, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.  

Crazy Rich Asians

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan

Four stars

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Recipe

Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo

Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Method

Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.

Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.

Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking,  remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.

Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.

 

What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

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Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The struggle is on for active managers

David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.

The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.

Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.

Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.

Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.

At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn. 

AndhaDhun

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan

Rating: 3.5/5

About Krews

Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

Sector: Technology/Social media 

Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support

 

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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)

Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)

Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)

Wednesday

Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)

Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)

Norwich City v Everton (9pm)

Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)

Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)

Thursday

Burnley v Watford (9pm)

Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)

Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

Babumoshai Bandookbaaz

Director: Kushan Nandy

Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami

Three stars

The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback

Price, base: Dh315,000

Engine: 3.0-litre V6

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm

Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km