ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s Council of Ministers on Tuesday voted in favor of a controversial law to restructure the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and referred it to parliament for voting, the prime minister’s office announced. 

“The cabinet voted in favor of the Popular Mobilization Forces bill. It approved referring the bill to parliament for a vote, in accordance with constitutional provisions,” Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s office said. 

The proposed bill includes the PMF Service and Retirement Law and aims to organize the Popular Mobilization Commission (PMC) like other state security and military agencies.

When integrated into the state in 2016, the law did not spell out issues such as structure, institutionalization, retirement, benefits, or compensation for the families of fighters killed in battle. The new law aims to fill those gaps and put PMF personnel on equal footing with members of other security institutions.

The bill, however, is heavily opposed by Washington, with the US concerned that it would legitimize armed groups with strong links to Iran, including some responsible for attacks on US interests and the killing of American personnel. 

Its approval comes a day before the deadline for US-led coalition forces to withdraw from Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Their withdrawal is set to come despite powerful Iran-backed armed groups – components of the PMF – having refused to disarm by an initial late September deadline. 

The PMF, known as Hashd al-Shaabi, was formed upon a call by Iraq’s top Shiite authority Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani soon after the Islamic State (ISIS) took over large swathes of territory in Iraq. The force has been officially incorporated into the Iraqi armed forces, enjoying similar privileges as the Iraqi army.

The bill, which further signals long-term integration for the network, would give them greater autonomy from the defense ministry.