Iraq: Iraq’s parliament adopts law legalizing Shia militias
Baghdad, Iraq 26/11/2016
Iraq’s parliament on Saturday voted to accord full legal status to government-sanctioned Shia militias as a “back-up and reserve” force for the military and police and empower them to “deter” security and terror threats facing the country, like the Islamic State group.
The legislation, supported by 208 of the chamber’s 327 members, was promptly rejected by Sunni Arab politicians and lawmakers who said it was evidence of what they called the “dictatorship” of the country’s Shia majority.