Libya's GNU, LNA Discuss Means to Unify Military

LNA Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Abdulrazek al-Nadoori meets with GNU Chief of Staff Mohammed al-Haddad in Sirte. (LNA press office)
LNA Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Abdulrazek al-Nadoori meets with GNU Chief of Staff Mohammed al-Haddad in Sirte. (LNA press office)
TT
20

Libya's GNU, LNA Discuss Means to Unify Military

LNA Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Abdulrazek al-Nadoori meets with GNU Chief of Staff Mohammed al-Haddad in Sirte. (LNA press office)
LNA Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Abdulrazek al-Nadoori meets with GNU Chief of Staff Mohammed al-Haddad in Sirte. (LNA press office)

Libyan National Army (LNA) Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Abdulrazek al-Nadoori held talks on Saturday with Mohammed al-Haddad, the Government of National Unity (GNU) chief of staff, on efforts to unify the military.

Member of the 5+5 joint military committee, Khairy al-Tamimi said the meeting, which was held in Sirte city, was aimed at building trust between the two sides.

Efforts to unify the military institution "are moving in the right direction," he added.

Meanwhile, the High National Election Commission denied reports that it had declared "force majeure", meaning the cancellation of the upcoming elections.

A statement had been published on the commission's official website, claiming the polls have been canceled.

The commission said the website was hacked and the statement has since been taken down.

The statement had condemned what it said was the threat of one presidential candidate, who holds dual nationality, to use force against the commission, which prompted it to declare "force majeure".

Meanwhile, Stephanie Williams, adviser to the UN chief on Libya, stressed on Friday the need to respect the will of 2.8 million Libyans who had registered to vote in the elections.

The diplomat had held talks with head of the High Council of State Khalid al-Mishri in Tripoli.

In a tweet, she said she highlighted the calendar set by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum roadmap and "called for urgent and serious efforts to end Libya's already too long transitional period with free, fair and credible elections."

She added that talks with Mishri also "outlined his vision to work towards national elections via a referendum on the constitution in a timely manner."



PMF Sparks Dispute between Washington and Baghdad 

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (C) and PMF leader Falih Al-Fayyadh (L). (Iraqi government file photo)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (C) and PMF leader Falih Al-Fayyadh (L). (Iraqi government file photo)
TT
20

PMF Sparks Dispute between Washington and Baghdad 

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (C) and PMF leader Falih Al-Fayyadh (L). (Iraqi government file photo)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (C) and PMF leader Falih Al-Fayyadh (L). (Iraqi government file photo)

The United State has rejected the law on the legalization of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which is aligned with Iran.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held telephone talks on Wednesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on the latest developments in Iraq.

A State Department statement said Rubio “reiterated serious US concerns with the Popular Mobilization Commission (PMC) bill currently pending in the Council of Representatives (COR), emphasizing that any such legislation would institutionalize Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups undermining Iraq’s sovereignty.”

Rubio later posted on X: “We support a prosperous Iraq, free of Iran’s pernicious influence.”

Rubio also spoke to Sudani about the recent attacks on energy infrastructure, including those operated by US companies. He stressed the importance of the Iraqi government holding the perpetrators accountable and preventing future attacks, added the State Department.

The Iraqi government has been investigating the recent attacks in northern Iraq with reports widely suspecting Shiite factions of perpetrating them.

Meanwhile, Sudani’s press office said Iraq supports efforts to consolidate stability in the region and the sustainability of ceasefire agreements.

The PM added that the recent attacks on oil companies “target Iraq’s national economy.”

On the PMF, Sudani informed Rubio that legislation is part of “security reform” efforts adopted by his government.

“The PMF is an official Iraqi military institution that works under the authority of the commander of the armed forces,” read the statement from Sudani’s office.

The main factions of the pro-Iran Coordination Framework have been pushing for legislations that would enshrine new laws related to the recruitment of PMF fighters.

Head of the Center for Political Thinking in Iraq, Dr. Ihssan Shmary told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US has started to focus more on Iraq in recent months in wake of the American strikes on Iran.

The telephone call between Rubio and Sudani revealed American reservations over the PMF and armed groups in Iraq, he added.

Washington has started to sense that Iran was beginning to consolidate its influence in Iraq through the PMF laws, which led it intervene directly through diplomatic channels, he remarked.