Iraq Rebuffs French Calls to Disband Militia After ISIS Victory

The vice president of Iraq has accused President Emmanuel Macronof going against France’s constitution by interfering in foreign affairs after he called on Baghdad to disband Shia militias that proved crucial in the fight against ISIL.

Macron met Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), on Saturday in France.

Macron later called on the central government in Baghdad to dissolve the powerful militias – known as Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) – which have now been integrated into Iraq’s military.

Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi vice president, criticised Macron’s comments in a statement late on Sunday.

“France’s constitution calls for non-interference in other country’s internal affairs. We are baffled by the French president’s calls for dissolving the Hashd al-Shaabi, which is a legal and official institution in Iraq,” he said.

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