Is Maliki Making a Comeback?

This is while the Shiite forces, known as the Popular Mobilization Units, were founded following a fatwa issued by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, which called on all segments of the Iraqi society to join the legal security forces under the Iraqi government’s supervision.

These remarks, in which Maliki proclaimed himself leader of the Popular Mobilization Units, have raised the ire of Abadi, who said, “No one has the right to proclaim himself leader of the volunteers, while he endangered their lives.”

Remarkably, Maliki’s recent activity coincided with the June 17 remarks of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who called for a political role of the Popular Mobilization Units in shaping Iraq's future. “The Popular Mobilization Forces’ huge capacities are a backup for Iraq at all levels, and are not only limited to the battleground,” Khamenei said.

This logic points to the Iranian ambition to equate the Popular Mobilization Units to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, particularly assuming a prominent political role that is being clearly seen in the elections, and the country’s major political events and developments.

There seems to be an attempt backed by Iran to bring Maliki back to power or to cling to him as an influential and decisive element on the political arena who uses the Popular Mobilization Unitss as a steppingstone to power. Maliki’s repeated appearances with the Popular Mobilization Units’ commanders, who are known for being associated with Iran, reinforce this suggestion.

Religious authorities and leaders in Najaf have firmly opposed foreign political interference in Iraq. They have repeatedly called for Iraq’s political independence, a comprehensive national administration and legal procedures far removed from the military authority and militias.

Senior cleric Jawad al-Khoei told al-Baghdadia TV on June 18 that the Shiite seminary (hawza) in Najaf is against all forms of quotas and sectarianism, highly criticized the correlation between the ruling political parties and foreign parties, and is against engaging in other countries’ political agendas, which is a phenomenon that prevails over the ruling political class.