Nuri added, “Sunni volunteers are nothing like some Sunni politicians who are trying to discourage the morale of the fighters in the war against terrorism and offend some of them. [The volunteers] believe in the importance of defending their homeland."
The Iraqi parliament last year approved a draft law to create a National Guard. Adding Sunni fighters to the Popular Mobilization Units could set the stage for the force to become the core of the National Guard. The draft law has raised disputes between political parties, and parliament has not yet set a date to take further action. Yet supporters believe the proposal eventually will be approved.
Meanwhile, Abadi's spokesman Saad al-Hadithi told Al-Monitor, “Balance will be achieved in the National Guard law, according to political agreements. Prime Minister Abadi is making serious efforts to grant everyone their rights according to demographic proportions.”
The National Guard draft law stipulates the importance of having 5,000 Sunni fighters for every 1 million Iraqis.
Security expert Hisham al-Hashemi told Al-Monitor, “The presence of Sunni fighters within the Popular Mobilization Units ranks is a prelude to the establishment of a national military movement — which may be the National Guard — especially in light of the positive relationship between Shiite and Sunni fighters within the Popular Mobilization, as they are fighting side by side to liberate Sunni towns.”
The 40,000 Sunni fighters will be concentrated in the provinces of Anbar, Salahuddin and Ninevah, where they will be joined by 10,000 more at a later stage, he said.
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