On May 26, the government of Mustafa al Kadhimi was on the verge of resigning, under pressure from the militias that besieged the Green Zone and the government. The conflict arose after the arrest by the security forces of Qasim Muslih, one of the top leaders of the militias, on the basis of the anti-terrorism law.
The militia fighters, fully armed (including rocket launchers), surrounded the Green Zone, threatening the premier himself. The attempt can be considered a repeat of previous episodes, which usually ended with a compromise that involved the release of the detainee in exchange for the withdrawal of the militias. But this time the story went differently.
Muslih’s arrest took place the day after the major demonstrations on May 25, which were attended by people from various Iraqi cities, who arrived in support of the demonstrators in Baghdad. Many of their posters featured images of protesters who died during the demonstrations, all accompanied by the same question: “Who killed me?”. The question is addressed to Al Kadhimi, who at the beginning of his tenure had promised to bring those responsible for the killings to justice, but so far he has not done so. Many protesters said they will not participate in the vote scheduled for October, disappointed by a system that has not been able to protect them.
According to secret sources, during the investigation Muslih confessed his responsibility in many murders that took place in his city, Kerbala, and also admitted that he was the instigator of many other killings, including those of the activist Ihab al Wazn on May 9 and by activist Fahim al Taie in December 2019.
The episode was a difficult test for Al Kadhimi, under the pressure of two conflicting forces: on the one hand the demonstrators, who demand the identification of the culprits, on the other the militias who continue to demand Muslih’s release and demand the the prime minister’s silence on the other killings.
The compromise was not as simple as in the past. It was a threat to the state, as evidenced by the urgent summit held between the three highest offices, the president, the president of the chamber and the prime minister. The US National Security Advisor expressed his “strong” support for Al Kadhimi and “condemned acts that undermine Iraq’s stability”. This will not be the end, but a new phase in the tensions inside and outside the country.
(Translation by Francesco De Lellis)
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