ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraq's ruling Coordination Framework on Monday rejected US criticism of a proposed law that would formalize the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) as an official Iraqi institution, deeming Washington’s comments to be interference in Iraq’s internal affairs.

The response followed a statement from a US State Department spokesperson, who told The New Region the draft law “undermines Iraqi sovereignty and the interests of the United States in the country.”

A proposed draft bill approved by the Council of Ministers in February includes the Service and Retirement Law for the PMF and aims to organize the Popular Mobilization Authority similarly to other state security and military agencies.

“The US State Department’s opposition to the PMF law is unacceptable,” said lawmaker Mukhtar al-Mousawi, a member of the Coordination Framework. “It’s a blatant interference in Iraq’s internal matters, and we are going ahead with passing the law in the next sessions of parliament.”

Mousawi said there is wide political support for the law despite internal and external pressure. He stressed that the PMF is already an official institution and should have a legal structure, just like other Iraqi security and military forces.

“We reject any US or foreign interference,” he said. “These statements from the State Department are unacceptable and violate Iraq’s sovereignty.”

In the same interview, the US State Department spokesperson said the draft law would legitimize armed groups tied to terrorist organizations and individuals, including some responsible for attacks on US interests and the killing of American personnel.

“This is a step in the wrong direction,” the spokesperson said. “We strongly oppose any legislation that weakens our bilateral security cooperation or the development of Iraq’s formal security institutions.”

The spokesperson added that the US would continue to take action, when necessary, against financial institutions owned by or providing services to groups designated as terrorist organizations.

The PMF, or 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 US has long nursed hostility against PMF groups due to their close ties with Iran, Washington's regional adversary. 

Groups affiliated with the PMF have time and again been accused of targeting US interests inside Iraq, especially after the US assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Qasem Soleimani in January 2020 in Baghdad.