Controversial PMF Bill Threatens Iraqi Sovereignty, U.S. Relations

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A controversial bill to dramatically expand the power of the Hashd al-Sha’abi, or Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), is unlikely to pass in the current Iraqi parliamentary term, according to an Iraqi lawmaker who warned that its passage would not be in Iraq’s interest and would severely damage the country's relations with the United States. This political battle unfolds against a backdrop of stark warnings from current and former U.S. officials who view the PMF as a fundamental threat to Iraq’s sovereignty.

On Saturday, August 9, 2025, Shwan Kalari, Iraqi Parliament member, told the Kurdistan24 website, "Passing the Hashd al-Sha'abi bill during the current parliamentary term is difficult, and it is likely to be postponed to the next term."

The Iraqi Parliament Member considered it unlikely that the Hashd al-Sha'abi (PMF) bill will be passed in this parliamentary term. He also stated that passing the bill is not in Iraq's interest and will damage its relations with the United States.

According to Shwan Kalari, "If this bill passes, Iraq will be the main loser and its relations with the United States will deteriorate. This will have a negative impact on Iraq economically and in terms of stability, as the US would completely withdraw from the country. Therefore, I do not believe this bill will pass."

Regarding the boycott of parliamentary sessions, the MP noted, "The boycott of the Iraqi Parliament's sessions is partly related to preventing the Hashd al-Sha'abi bill from passing, but what is important to us as Kurdish parliamentarians is ending the precarious situation that Iraq has created for the salary-earners of the Kurdistan Region."

Additionally, David Des Roches, a former high-ranking official at the U.S. Department of Defense issued a stark warning that Iraq cannot be a truly sovereign state as long as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) operate as an armed group paid by the state but existing beyond its control, describing the situation as a dangerous "legitimation of militias" and a step backwards for the country.

In an interview with Kurdistan24 on Monday, August 4, 2025, David B. Des Roches, an associate professor at the Near East South Asia Center for Security Studies, argued that the very existence of the PMF is an intellectual and practical contradiction to statehood.

“The basic concept of the PMF, which is an armed group paid by the Iraqi state that is beyond the control of the Iraqi state, that doesn't just concern America. That should concern anybody who wants sovereignty,” Des Roches stated. He explained that this dynamic is a fundamental challenge for the nation, asserting, "Iraq will not be a sovereign state so long as it has it."

According to the former Pentagon official, the original justification for establishing the PMF—to combat the threat of Daesh—is no longer valid. "The justification for the establishment of the PMF was to defeat Daesh. That threat has been managed. That's been dealt with," Des Roches explained.

He argued that the PMF has now transformed into an internal problem, becoming "an active threat to the Iraqi state from within."

He noted that the group draws an incredible amount of resources from legitimate state security bodies like the Counterterrorism Service and the Ministry of Defense, which could otherwise be used to combat remnants of Daesh and similar groups. "That's not a good deal from Iraq," he added. "So this isn't really just an American deal. This is more of an Iraqi deal."

Des Roches acknowledged the immense difficulty Iraqi politicians face in addressing this issue, particularly given the influence of Iran and the potential for violence.

"They will be there for a long time because Iran wants them to be there," he said of the PMF forces, a majority of whom he described as having murdered Americans. He expressed sympathy for Iraqi leaders, stating, "I don't envy any Iraqi politician who has to deal with this, particularly given the threat of violence from the PMF."

He noted that even many Shia politicians within Iraq desire sovereignty but are constrained by this reality. "This is a step against Iraqi sovereignty," he said, and managing the PMF into a position where it no longer threatens that sovereignty is a "very difficult challenge."

When asked about the possibility of the United States sanctioning the entire PMF, Des Roches described it as a significant and difficult step that would not be taken casually.

"It's actually very rare that the United States employs its sanctioning power against an entire broad based movement that has some level of state capture," he told Kurdistan24. "The last time that was done was against that I recall was against the Revolutionary Guard in Iran."

He emphasized that the effects of such sanctions are "pretty significant," effectively meaning a sanctioned entity would be unable to operate in the West.

Should such a drastic measure be taken, Des Roches suggested it would have to be accompanied by a domestic Iraqi solution.

"I think that if something like that were to happen, there would probably have to be a parallel internal Iraqi initiative to allow PMF fighters to accept the discipline and control of the state in some way, shape or form outside of the PMF," he said.

Even then, he predicted there would be a "great degree of discrimination" in such a process. While acknowledging the U.S. has taken a pragmatic approach on other issues, such as waiving sanctions on Iraqi payments for Iranian electricity, he concluded that the PMF represents a "step backwards" in the long-standing American effort to help Iraq ascend to its rightful place as a sovereign nation.

On Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025, Stephen Fagin, the U.S. Embassy in Iraq's Chargé d'Affaires, also met with Mohsen al-Mandalawi, the First Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, and they discussed the Hashd al-Sha'abi bill.

Previously, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani, emphasized that "passing the bill will increase Iran's influence in Iraq and strengthen armed terrorist groups, which threatens Iraq's sovereignty."

According to political observers, if the bill is passed in the Iraqi Parliament, it would allow the Hashd al-Sha'abi to have its own military academy and train its own officers, in addition to giving it a free hand to engage in commercial activities and find its own sources of revenue. This would make the Hashd similar to the Iraqi army, and in some respects, even more powerful.