US blacklists second PMF leader for ‘sectarian violence and role in hundreds of abductions’
The US has blacklisted a second senior leader in Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces in the space of a week.
The PMF is an umbrella group composed mainly of Iran-backed Shiite militias and the move is intended to increase pressure on Iran’s proxies in the country.
The US State Department listed Abdulaziz Mirjirash, the PMF chief of staff and Iran-allied militia leader, as a “specially designated global terrorist” for his role in undermining security in Iraq. He goes by the aliases Abu Fadak and Al Khal, or “the uncle”. He is also known by his tribal name Al Muhammadawi.
The sanctions against him follows that of PMF chairman Falih Al Fayyadh last week.
Al Muhammadawi worked with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force to “reshape official Iraqi state security institutions away from their true purpose of defending the Iraqi state and fighting ISIS, to instead support Iran’s malign activities, including the defence of the Assad regime in Syria,” the US said.
It accused him of being “involved in sectarian violence, including the abductions of hundreds of men from areas liberated from ISIS control”, and establishing militant groups under cover names to attack military bases hosting American troops and the US Embassy in Baghdad.
The PMF tweeted its congratulations to “the brave leader” for being blacklisted.
Al Muhammadawi was born in 1968. In the 1980s he joined the Badr Corp, which fought with Iran against Saddam Hussein. He was close to leader Hadi Al Amiri and in charge of its intelligence service.
After the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, he established what the US called “special groups” – militants trained, armed and financed by Iran to attack US troops in Iraq.
He joined the Hezbollah Brigades, one of Iran’s most notorious proxies, becoming secretary general. The group was formed by Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis, who along with Quds Force leader Qassem Suleimani, was killed in a US air strike in Baghdad a year ago.
His name was linked with attacks on Iraqi pro-reform protesters and activists in 2019.
The protests were seen by the pro-Iran camp in Iraq as being instigated by western “agents”. One of the demands was to decrease Iran’s overbearing influence in Iraq.
After the killing of Al Muhandis, who was the PMF deputy chairman, Iran-backed militias pushed for Al Muhammadawi to take his place.
“The US government rightly does not want a known terrorist with American and Iraqi blood on his hands to slip on to the political spectrum,” said Michael Knights, a fellow at the Washington Institute think tank. The designation will allow president-elect Joe Biden’s administration “to maintain pressure” on Iran-allied militias, he said.
Since taking office in February as a de facto chief of staff, Al Muhammadawi has rarely been seen in public, unlike Al Muhandis, who cultivated the image of a man perpetually on the front lines.
His designation came a few days after the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the PMF chairman, Falih Al Fayyadh.
Al Muhammadawi “is the new variant of coronavirus in Iraq”, an activist told The National. “Hezbollah Brigades are the striking force for Iran in Iraq and had a role in killing and kidnapping protesters and activists.”
Hezbollah Brigades was established in Iraq after 2003, and has no formal links to the Lebanese Hezbollah Party.