Are US and Iran-Backed Militias Getting Friendlier?

 Along with the decrease in accusations, comes an increase in what appears to be cooperation between the two parties. A few days ago Ahmed al-Assadi, a spokesperson for the Shiite militias, also known as the Popular Mobilisation Units, who also heads one of them, the Jund Al Imam brigade, went to the US; the Jund Al Imam brigades are fighting the IS group in the Salahaddin province.

 NIQASH contacted other officials to ask why al-Assadi was in the US but they would not contact on reasons for his visit. Rumour had it that the visit had to do with increased cooperation between the US and the Shiite militias.

 “The international coalition has started to change its position in regard to the Popular Mobilization Units,” says one official close to the Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi; he was speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to speak to media on the topic. “In the past they used to reject any cooperation with this units outright. Now that attitude seems to have changed.”

The official had been with al-Abadi in Paris in early June during a conference to discuss the international strategy in the fight against the IS group. “Representatives of major powers in the coalition approved of a plan presented by al-Abadi that included the militias,” the official said. “Nobody was opposed.”

This is despite recent comments by the likes of US General Lloyd Austin, commander of US Central Command, who told politicians that after “three tours in Iraq commanding [US] troops who were brutalized by some of these Shiite militias, I will not, and I hope we never, coordinate or cooperate with Shiite militias”.

Austin made those comments in late March during the fight to recapture the city of Tikrit. During these battles, the US-led international coalition said air support for the fighters was conditional on the withdrawal of the Shiite militias from the mostly-Sunni-populated city.