Paramilitary al-Hashed al-Sha’bi force is not Shiite militia, says Abadi
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi. File photo.
(IraqiNews.com) Baghdad – On Saturday, Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said, that whoever describes the paramilitary al-Hashed al-Sha’bi force as Shiite militia is “wrong and unjust,” noting that the al-Hashed al-Sha’bi forces are formed from all Iraqi components.
During his speech at the event of al-Jihad al-Kefa’i and al-Hashed al-Sha’bi, Abadi said, “Whoever describes al-Hashed al-Sha’bi as Shiite militia is wrong and unjust,” pointing out that, “Al-Hashed does not consist only of the Shiite elements; rather it includes all Iraqi components.”
He added, “Al-Hashed includes Shiites, Sunnis, Yazidis, Christians, Turkmens and some Kurds,” noting that, “The brothers in Kurdistan had a decision not to participate in al-Hashed.”