Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY
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A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 25 July 2017
After Mosul victory, Iraq mulls future of Shiite militias
By SUSANNAH GEORGE the long-established Shi-
Associated Press ite militias with close ties to
NAJAF, Iraq (AP) — In the Iran, answered al-Sistani. In
wake of victory against the days that followed, Iraq
the Islamic State group in was flooded with training,
Mosul, Iraq’s political, reli- money and weapons from
gious and military leaders Tehran. Billboards praising
are debating the future the groups — depicting
of the country’s powerful Iraqi and Iranian paramili-
Shiite militias — the tens of tary leaders side by side —
thousands of men who an- popped up across Bagh-
swered a religious call to dad, alongside posters of
arms three years ago and martyrs honoring the fallen.
played a critical role in The government-sanc-
beating back the extrem- tioned groups became
ists. known as the Popular Mo-
Some are demanding the bilization Forces, known as
mostly Iranian-backed Hashed al-Shaabi in Ara-
forces be disbanded but bic.
the militias say their sacri- Although the Shiite militias
fices on the battlefield and did not play a central role
the fact they were sanc- in the battle for the city of
tioned by Iraqi Prime Min- Mosul itself, they moved
ister Haider al-Abadi have into the deserts held by
earned them a permanent Shiite volunteer fighters from the Imam Ali Brigade, an armed faction with the Iraqi Popular IS west of the city, mass-
place in the hierarchy of Mobilization Forces, train in their camp in Najaf, 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Baghdad, Iraq. ing around the town of Tal
Iraq’s security forces. Iraq’s political, religious and military leaders are debating the future of the country’s powerful Afar and taking a border
The Shiite militias stepped Shiite militias after defeating the Islamic State group in Mosul. crossing between Iraq and
into a vacuum when the (AP Photo/ Ali Abdul Hassan) Syria. They also took control
Iraqi army largely dissolved pushed within 80 miles (130 ital. was among the clerics at of highways bisecting the
after IS overran Mosul and kilometers) of the Iraqi cap- Shiite Sheikh Fadil al-Bidayri an emergency meeting Sunni heartland in west-
in the holy city of Najaf in ern Iraq and used as vital
June 2014, when Iraq’s military and civilian supply
Shiite religious elite — led lines. In past fights against
by the country’s top Shiite IS, including the operation
cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sis- to retake for the cities of
tani — issued a call to arms Tikrit and Fallujah, the Shi-
as a last-ditch effort to pro- ite militias were accused of
tect Baghdad. sectarian killings and other
Tens of thousands of men, abuses against minority
many of them members of Sunnis. q
Turkish president meets Qatari
leader over Gulf region dispute
By ADAM SCHRECK Qatar is open to dialogue
Associated Press so long as it respects his
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- country’s sovereignty.
ates (AP) — Turkey’s presi- He earlier met with King
dent on Monday urged Salman of Saudi Arabia,
Qatar and Arab countries which leads an anti-Qatar
isolating it to negotiate an bloc that includes the Unit-
end to the crisis dividing ed Arab Emirates, Egypt
them as he wrapped up a and Bahrain, before hold-
two-day Gulf tour. ing talks with the emir of
Presidential spokesman Kuwait.
Ibrahim Kalin said in a brief On his return to the Turkish
statement that President capital Ankara, Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he believed his visit
voiced his support for me- would help restore trust be-
diation efforts being led tween the sides.
by Kuwait and said initia- “Destruction is easy but
tives underway to resolve reconstructing what’s de-
the crisis through dialogue stroyed is hard,” Erdogan
should continue. told reporters. “Our last visit
Erdogan traveled to Qatar and contacts are an im-
on Monday for talks with portant step toward rein-
Qatari Emir Tamim bin Ha- stalling stability and an at-
mad Al Thani, who has said mosphere mutual trust.” q
