KNOWING YOUR ALLIES:

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced Dec. 15 that his government had begun implementing its policy to bring all weapons in the country under state control, following a statement by the premier days earlier declaring the "end of the war" against the Islamic State (IS). 

Abadi's announcement came just hours after the speech that Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai -- spokesman of Iraq's Supreme Shiite leader Ali al-Sistani -- gave on the same day, in which he called for the need to integrate "volunteers" (in reference to fighters of the Popular Mobilization Units, or PMU) "into the constitutional and legal framework that limits [the possession of] weapons to the state" so that the PMU fighters "are not exploited for political objectives."

Abadi welcomed Sistani's call to "not use PMU volunteers and fighters politically," adding, "The government is working to organize the PMU in accordance with the state's legal framework."

PMU factions had already begun to disengage from their internal organization and hand over their fighters and weapons to the prime minister as commander in chief of the armed forces.

The leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Sheikh Qais al-Khazali, said Dec. 13 that his forces were under the direct control of Abadi. Prior to that, Al-Abbas Combat Division had dissolved itself and handed over its fighters and weapons to the Iraqi government.

The Iran-backed Badr Organization, the largest PMU faction, followed suit, handing over its troops and weapons to the Iraqi government. Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri told his fighters Dec. 14 to "follow the orders of the commander of the armed forces and cut off all contacts with the group's political wing."

Tweet   @brothersjudd