American Pressure or Internal Rivalry: What’s Fueling Disputes within the PMF in Iraq?

Amid the dismissal of Hussein Falih, the head of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Security apparatus in Iraq, and the subsequent retraction of that decision less than 24 hours later, Western reports revealed a U.S. threat to label the same apparatus a terrorist organization.

The developments within the PMF have raised questions about whether the Iraqi government is under pressure from the United States to isolate certain leaders of the military formation, which was composed of armed militias, most of which were pro-Iranian, in 2014 to fight ISIS after it had taken control of a third of Iraq's territory.

American Direction

Without prior warning, the head of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Falih al-Fayyadh, issued an order on June 26, 2024, to dismiss the founder and head of the Security and Discipline Directorate in the PMF, Hussein Falih, also known as Abu Zainab al-Lami.

The Iraqi Mawazin News agency, citing an anonymous source within the PMF, reported that al-Fayyadh appointed Ali al-Zaidi as a replacement for al-Lami, while at the same time, al-Lami was transferred to the position of Deputy Chief of Staff in the PMF.

The following day, al-Fayyadh issued a decision retracting the removal of al-Lami from his role as head of the PMF Security apparatus, following reactions rejecting his dismissal from various political and armed entities, according to Shafaq News agency on June 27.

Commenting on the matter, a Facebook account believed to belong to al-Lami posted on June 27, thanking "all the brothers from my clan and honorable people who stood by us during this critical period and the unjust decisions directed by the American occupation."

Abu Zainab Hussein Faleh Aziz al-Lami was born in 1969 in the Maysan Governorate in southern Iraq. His educational background is unknown, but he worked as a commissioner in the security apparatus during the era of the late President Saddam Hussein, a position usually held by those who had not completed their secondary education.

When the American civilian administrator of Iraq, Paul Bremer, ordered in 2003 the integration of Shia militia members into the Iraqi security forces, Abu Zainab al-Lami was passed through the ranks along with groups from the Badr Militia, led by Hadi al-Amiri, to become an officer in the Ministry of Interior, according to the writer Haroun Mohammed.

In 2020, the Iraqi government sent Abu Zainab al-Lami to Egypt with a group of officers to study war tactics for a full year. At that time, he held the rank of Major General. Then, in January 2023, he was promoted to Lieutenant General as part of the army officers' promotion schedule.

Al-Lami's career has been accompanied by accusations of killing protesters during the October 2019 demonstrations, by leading the operations room that managed groups of snipers who shot at protesters from rooftops surrounding Tahrir Square, the main site of what became known as the "Tishreen Revolution."

Reuters report on October 17, 2019, revealed that snipers affiliated with Iran-backed militias under al-Lami's command took positions on rooftops and fired at protesters in Iraq, resulting in the deaths of over 100 people and injuring around six thousand others.

On December 6, 2019, the United States placed al-Lami on the sanctions list for reasons related to serious human rights violations linked to the assassination and suppression of protesters.

Reasons for Dismissal

Regarding the reasons for the dismissal of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Security Chief, Iraqi sources (who requested anonymity) revealed to Al-Estiklal that "al-Lami, along with other political figures, is accused of leading a money laundering network through the establishment of a local bank."

“The Iraqi government is in an embarrassing position with the United States concerning this network, leading the Prime Minister to remove al-Lami from his executive responsibilities in the PMF to alleviate the pressure, especially since he is already sanctioned by the U.S."

In August 2023, al-Lami's name surfaced prominently in the media and on social networks after residents of al-Jadriya area in Baghdad sought help from the government and Shia religious authorities to reclaim their lands allegedly stolen by the PMF Security Chief.

Following this, Shia cleric Ali al-Sistani received the affected families and issued a statement on August 19, 2023, confirming that "these individuals complained of pressure and threats to relinquish their lands to certain parties," condemning "these actions as contrary to Islamic law and legal norms."

On June 28, 2024, the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat, citing unnamed Iraqi sources, reported that "intensive contacts were made between government officials, security personnel, and faction leaders, marked by tension and threats among different parties following al-Lami's dismissal."

The report indicated that the Hezbollah Brigades militia, to which al-Lami belongs, sent 15 vehicles armed with heavy weapons to take control of the PMF headquarters, coinciding with communications between its Chief of Staff, Abd al-Aziz al-Muhammadawi (Abou Fadak), and government officials, resulting in the reversal of the dismissal decision.

The reason for the dismissal decision, according to the report, was that al-Lami had been "making decisive decisions without consulting PMF head Falih al-Fayyadh or the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces (Prime Minister) Muhammad Shia al-Sudani."

The report suggested that the dismissal order was issued by al-Sudani, but some believe that the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq militia was behind it, having secured the order through the Prime Minister's signature.

The newspaper noted that the root cause of the dismissal was "deep disagreements between the Hezbollah Brigades and Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, with the latter aiming to take full control of the PMF."

According to the newspaper information, “the events on the night of the dismissal led to a sharp division among PMF leaders, and it will take a long time to mend the rift, possibly requiring intervention from Tehran.”

American Threats

Simultaneously with the decision to dismiss and then reinstate al-Lami, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) warned the United States against designating the "PMF Security" as a terrorist organization. This came after an American request for the Iraqi government to close its airspace to Iranian cargo planes heading to Syria and Lebanon.

On June 26, 2024, Monte Carlo reported that the United States is seeking to classify the PMF Security apparatus (led by al-Lami) as a terrorist organization for several reasons, including its close relationship with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

The Americans believe that the PMF Security coordinates between the Revolutionary Guard and Iraqi armed factions, according to the site.

The United States accuses the PMF Security of supporting Iraqi militias in attacking American forces previously in both Syria and Iraq, as well as launching attacks into Israeli territory with rockets or drones.

Another reason for the tension between the PMF and the United States is that the PMF Security apparatus has been accused by the Americans of kidnapping and killing activists from the Iraqi civil movement in recent months, particularly in southern Iraq, where these activists primarily oppose the militias.

The U.S. also accuses the PMF Security apparatus of being responsible for smuggling dollars to Iran to support its economy and bolster the political regime in Tehran, according to Monte Carlo radio.

As of June 30, no comments had been made by the Iraqi government or the PMF regarding the information about the U.S. threat to classify the PMF Security as a terrorist organization.

The radio report mentioned that the United States informed Iraq that there are frequent flights of Iranian cargo planes through Iraqi airspace to Lebanon and Syria. There are strong suspicions that they are transporting weapons and fighters or volunteers to support Hezbollah in Lebanon, amidst escalating tensions with “Israel” due to Israeli aggression on Gaza.

The radio quoted the Iraqi Parliamentary Security Committee, stating that the American request to the Iraqi government, headed by al-Sudani, included two options: impose strict restrictions on the flights of Iranian cargo planes or prevent them from passing through Iraqi airspace towards Lebanon and Syria.