PM Barzani: Shiite Militias should be Regulated

Al-Monitor:  Including in Kurdistan?

Barzani:  Not inside Kurdistan per se but along the border areas — Saadiyah, Jawlawla. Amerli. But these forces need to be regulated, to be brought under control, and to operate under a well-defined legal mandate.

Al-Monitor:  And who will provide that?

Barzani:  The Iraqi state. The central government. There are various groups inside the PMU; they can act without impunity sometimes. We saw this in Diyala, even in Baghdad. Sadly, when a country is in desperate need for assistance and another country comes to the rescue not too many questions are asked.

Al-Monitor:  Given your differences with Baghdad, do you foresee a situation in which these Shiite militias could be used against the Kurds? Especially in the disputed territories?

Barzani:  Of course we are concerned about this. But we need to approach this matter from several angles. And — just a reminder — we do not refer to those areas as “disputed areas.” That is the official jargon. We believe those areas are part of the Kurdistan region. If the militias are drawn from locals in these areas, we will not have any problems. Because there is also a sizable Shiite population living in areas such as Jawlala, Saadiye. The major problem, and particularly if these militias remain unregulated, will arise between them and the Sunnis.

Al-Monitor:  While we are on the topic of the “disputed territories,” they will have certainly added to your financial burden. The Baghdad government has virtually stopped all payments to you from the budget because of the oil dispute. Who pays the salaries of people living in those areas? You or the central government?

Barzani:  We provide them some services, like electricity, for example. But the monthly salaries of civil servants are being paid by Baghdad. Civil servants in Mosul are being paid by Baghdad too.

Al-Monitor:  What of Iran’s growing and increasingly visible presence in Iraq?

Barzani:  The role of Iran is known and its not the first time that Iran is intervening in Iraq. But there are certain exaggerations about Iran’s role. And I find it neither helpful nor constructive for either Iraq or for Iran for the Iranian role to be exaggerated in this way. For instance, when some top [Iranian] officials say, “If it were not for us, Erbil would have fallen,” that is clearly unhelpful. It is not true. Or when they say that “Baghdad is the capital of Iran.” The plain truth is that the most decisive role in pushing back ISIL was played by the United States. Without the Americans it would have been impossible for us to succeed. We Kurds we want to thank the Americans for all they have done.