Shafaq News / The Secretary-General of Asaib Ahl al-Haq Movement, Qais al-Khazali accused Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi of being hostile to al-Hashd al-Shaabi.
Al-Khazali said in an interview, "We rejected the arrest of the commander of al-Anbar and Karbala operations command in al-Hashd al-Shaabi, Qassem Musleh, for violating the legal contexts."
"The accusation was initially directed against Ali Musleh (the brother of Qasim Musleh), but God knows how, and as a result of interferences in from inside Karbala, he was replaced by Qassem Musleh."
He added, "one of the reasons for the arrest is a lawsuit from Ihab Al-Wazani's mother against four parties, including the commander of Karbala operations command, the governor of Karbala, and the Imam Hussein shrine security force. So the question is, why was not the arrest warrant implemented against the other three figures against whom the case was filed, and how did Qasssem replace Ali?"
"There was not enough evidence to issue the arrest warrant against Musleh. However, arresting him that way in this timing proves that this is a political targeting that occurred one day after the demonstrations", he noted.
"When someone becomes Prime Minister, that does not mean that he has become infallible or the state and the law. If we accept this logic, this will make us return to dictatorship and the police state."
Al-Khazali said, "al-Kadhimi's move is a media show. However, he is supposed to be protecting the PMF. The adversary between the PMF and the PM is only Unilateral from the PMF's side only", hinting that it emerged from the PM's support to the US presence in Iraq.
"Accusing al-Hashd's leaders and affiliates of targeting the demonstrators falls within the second policy of the government," noting, "the accused is innocent until proven guilty and what is happening is an unprecedented defamation."
Khazali said, "There are protesters' killers known to the security forces, and the demonstrators know them by name. Al-Hashd is targeted because of its conviction that the American forces will be removed by force."
Musleh is not affiliated with any factions, and the other party considered him the weakest link," noting that "the prime minister violates the law by forcing his conviction regarding the presence of the American forces."