US House Speaker Warns Baghdad about Hashd al-Shaabi

US House Speaker Warns Baghdad about Hashd al-Shaabi
ERBIL — Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Paul Ryan has welcomed Erbil’s proposal to halt the military confrontations between Shi’ite militias of Hashd al-Shaabi and the Peshmerga forces.



“Ongoing clashes between forces aligned with the Iraqi government and Kurdistan Regional Government are undermining hard-fought gains in the fight against ISIS, and threatening to plunge Iraq into a new wave of sectarian violence,” Ryan said in an official statement on Wednesday.

“The bloodshed must stop immediately. We support a united Iraq under the federal government in Baghdad, and we support the Kurdistan Regional Government.”

Ryan has also urged Baghdad to accept the proposal by Erbil and immediately enter into “meaningful discussions that address long-term Kurdish concerns about autonomy, share of the national budget, and oil revenues”.

However, the Speaker has warned again about Iranian forces and their proxy militias, mainly the Hashd al-Shaabi, saying  “they have no place in a peaceful, united, and stable Iraq”.

“It is critical that the Iraqi government heed Secretary Tillerson’s concern about the role and activities of Iranian-backed Shia militias. We are very concerned about Iranian involvement in recent operations. These forces have been responsible for horrible abuses, including the deaths of Americans.”
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