Iraq: Orders to strip Al-Kadhimi of his protection despite death threats
The force protecting former Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has been ordered to withdraw and leave its position in front of his home in the Green Zone, despite occasional death threats.
A military source told Iraqi Kurdish website Shafaq News, “The force includes about 100 members, and most of them have not yet carried out the surprise orders to leave Al-Kadhimi’s house, which were issued Thursday morning.”
Although a number of officials are usually allowed to keep the government’s protection regiments for years after the end of their duties, the decision to strip Al-Kadhimi of his protection comes just three weeks after Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani assumed the prime minister position, “which puts him in the crosshairs of many of his opponents,” according to observers.
The unexpected move comes after Iraq’s Hezbollah Brigades issued explicit warnings to pursue Al-Kadhimi, who sought during his time in government to counter the influence of some undisciplined militias and seize illegal weapons, making him vulnerable to being targeted.
The party has been locked in a confrontation with the outgoing government of Mustafa al-Kadhimi, especially after it was defeated and pro-Iranian forces defeated in the 2012 legislative elections.
Al-Kadhimi purported to free the state apparatus from the control of militias. A number of individuals belonging to armed groups were arrested after they carried out attacks on American bases, but they were released under pressure and threats from some political forces.
Iranian-linked militias have not forgotten these measures. In November, they launched an attack on Al-Kadhimi’s house using a drone, which resulted in the injury of a number of guards. This apparently was a strong message to the former prime minister.
In a statement last month, Abu Ali al-Askari, the military commander of Iraq’s Hezbullah Brigades, called for the prosecution of al-Kadhimi and his team, which he described as “spying”. He blamed the killing of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the head of the Quds Force, which is part of the Revolutionary Guard, on the law.
The statement said, “The legal brothers must make double efforts to complete the legal action against the treacherous Al-Kadhimi and his spy team, and we have rights that must be collected, the first of which is the blood of the martyr Abu Mahdi and his companions, and the blood of our guest, the great commander Soleimani.”
Despite the military commander’s talk of legal prosecution, there are real fears that some armed groups will resort to killing operations against Al-Kadhimi and other security, military, and political leaders. These efforts sought to limit, as much as possible, the influence of armed groups and prevent their infiltration into state agencies and their control of border crossings and crossings, without achieving major successes.
“During his tenure as prime minister, a number of Al-Kadhimi’s inner circle were targeted for execution, such as Hisham al-Hashemi, a well-known security analyst and government adviser who was assassinated in July 2020.”
