The Popular Mobilization Committee office in Basra has announced the establishment of “mobilization forces and reservists of thousands of volunteers,” a move seen by the city’s residents as an attempt to build an Iraqi copy of Iran’s Basij.
Although the Committee confirmed the mobilization forces would operate under the framework of service and volunteering activities, several Iraqi activists fear that the new forces would turn into an oppression tool against Basra residents in general and young protesters in particular.
“Creating a volunteer force is very dangerous, and I believe it would operate as a copy of the Basij forces in Iran,” activist Ahmad al-Basri said.
This month, protests erupted in Basra, Iraq's main port, over a lack of basic services and after tens of thousands of citizens were hospitalized from drinking water that is heavily polluted.
Protesters attacked many government buildings, and a number of demonstrators were killed.
Local sources said Sunday at least 20 people, including activist Waleed Al-Ansari, have been apprehended as part of an arrest campaign launched in Basra.
Separately, the new Parliament Speaker, Mohammed Al-Halbousi, set Sept. 25 as a date for electing the new President.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) politburo met on Sunday to choose its candidate for the Iraqi presidency, shortlisting two members - Mala Bakhtiyar and Lateef Rashid.
During a telephone conversation, Halbousi invited his Iranian counterpart Ali Larijani to pay an official visit to his country.
Halbousi also described the US economic sanctions against Iran as “unjust.”
