US Calls on Iraq to Halt Militia Attacks on Israel

Initially, Iraq turned to Tehran to help restrain the militias, but Iran refused to be of any assistance.

U.S. State Department Spokesperson, Matthew Miller. (Photo: Archived/ Kurdistan 24)
U.S. State Department Spokesperson, Matthew Miller. (Photo: Archived/ Kurdistan 24)

Nov. 20, 2024

WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan 24) The U.S. has pressed the Baghdad government about the importance of controlling Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and stopping them from attacking Israel.

Indeed, the Kurdish leadership was the first to express concern about the risk that Iraq could be drawn into the conflict with Israel.

In July, the long-time Kurdish leader, Masoud Barzani, now head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), paid a rare visit to Baghdad. While there, he warned about exactly this danger, including in a meeting with the U.S. ambassador, Alina Romanowski.

Read More: US Envoy Lauds Meeting with Masoud Barzani

Last month, Hoshyar Zebari, a long-time Kurdish opposition figure with the KDP, who became Iraq’s first post-Saddam Foreign Minister and then Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, issued a similar warning last month.

It is only two Iraqi militias that are attacking Israel: al-Nujaba and Kata’ib Hizbollah. Thus, it is not clear what they represent, if anything, within Iraq, even as they do appear to act at Tehran’s direction.

Initially, Iraq turned to Tehran to help restrain the militias. However, Tehran refused to be of any assistance. Then, In late October, Iraqi National Security Adviser, Qasim al-Araji, visited Erbil and met with the Kurdish leadership. The question of how to stop the militia attacks figured prominently in his discussions.

Subsequently, Zebari issued an alarming tweet about the need for Baghdad to be tougher in dealing with the militias and their Iranian sponsor “in order to create a sound path and an independent policy for our government and our national state.”

US: Iraq Needs to Stop Militia Attacks

On Monday and then, again, on Tuesday, responding to questions at the State Department briefing, Spokesperson Matthew Miller explained that the U.S. had pressed Baghdad on the need to end the militia attacks on Israel.

“We have engaged with the Government of Iraq,” he said on Monday, “to make clear to them” that they “should not allow the territory of Iraq to be used to launch terrorist attacks against anybody.”

“It is not in Iraq’s interest to be pulled into a regional conflict,” Miller continued. “So the Government of Iraq should take all appropriate steps to prevent these terrorist organizations from launching such attacks.” Miller essentially repeated that position on Tuesday.

Indeed, that is just what happened in a phone call on November 5 between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

According to the U.S. read-out of their discussion, Blinken “emphasized it is important that Iraq not be drawn into regional conflict and underscored the need for Iraq to exert control over armed groups launching unauthorized attacks from its territory.”

So the U.S. has warned the Iraqi government about the danger in the militia attacks on Israel. The Iraqi government appears to recognize that, but it also appears either unwilling or unable to control the militias..

Diplomatic Exchange Between Iraq and Israel

The questions at the State Department briefings were prompted by Israel’s protest at the United Nations and the Iraqi response.

On Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar sent a letter to the Security Council, complaining about the strikes on Israel carried out by the Iraqi militias and threatening retaliation..

“Israel has the inherent right to self-defense,” he said, “and to take all necessary measures to protect itself and its citizens against the ongoing acts of hostilities by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shi’a al-Sudani responded the next day, denouncing the Israeli complaint as “a pretext and argument to attack Iraq” and an attempt to “expand the war in the region.”

And so the outcome of this dispute remains to be seen.