Popular Mobilization Units (PMU)

Within the space of a few months, Iranian proxies and allies in Iraq and Lebanon suffered significant setbacks in parliamentary elections. Some commentators have ventured that the era of Tehran’s hegemony may be over. While it is hard to predict the final outcome of these electoral shifts, such hopes might be premature.

Hopefully, Pope Francis’ trip to visit the Christians in Iraq will not only lift their spirits but also inspire change so that they can stay and prosper in their ancient homeland, which would benefit all of Iraq.

Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq now pose a threat greater than the services they once provided.

The United States and the international community could make a difference in the future of Iraq by informing the incoming government that there will be no investment or access to capital markets until these militias, and Iranian influence, have been eliminated.

After becoming direct victims of ISIS violence in 2014, no significant Christian groups in northern Iraq chose neutrality, and most fought in Christian militias rather than integrating into larger Iraqi or Kurdish forces.