US not backing Shia militia even with Baghdad support

By Kasim Ileri

WASHINGTON

The U.S. military will not support the Shia militia group Hashd al-Shabi even if it acts under the command of the Iraqi military, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

“Depending on who can pass the vetting test they could get our support but not that particular group,” agency spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said.

Regarding efforts by Iraqi and Kurdish forces to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from Daesh, Davis confirmed that Shia militias have begun to move from the southern outskirts of Mosul toward Tal Afar, located 63 kilometer (39 miles) west of Mosul.

“There is still a considerable distance for them to traverse before they get anywhere near Tal Afar,” he said.

Turkey has expressed concerns about sectarian feud orchestrated by Hashd al-Shabi.

Ankara said it would take any necessary measure to protect Turkmens in Tal Afar against Shia militias.

Davis said the Shia militia is still under the control of Baghdad and the U.S. does not have a problem with the group although it does not support it.

“We said before any action within Iraq the other parties are doing to include PMF (Popular Mobilization Force) to be under Iraqi command and control and they appear to be,” he said. “We support ISF [Iraqi Security Forces] and KSF [Kurdish Security Forces] specifically. We have vetting requirements for who we work with.”

A Pentagon official told Anadolu Agency the conditions for passing the vetting test is based on the allegations against a group regarding violation of human rights and its ties with Iran.

Turning to Yemen and Syria, Davis said the U.S. military confirmed the deaths of two al-Qaeda leaders who targeted last month in those countries.

Abu Hadi al-Bayani, an Al-Qaeda in Arabic Peninsula, (AQAP) was targeted by American drones Oct. 21 in Yemen’s Ma’rib governorate -- approximately 120 kilometers (74 miles) east of the capital, Sanaa.

The strike also resulted in the deaths of four other AQAP members, he said.

U.S. drones targeted and killed a “core al-Qaeda leader” named Haider Karkan in the Syrian town of Idlib.

“He had ties with senior leaders to include Osama Bina Laden himself,” Davis said. “He was al-Qaeda’s senior external terror attack planner in Syria.

He had access to terrorist organization’s most senior leaders and “responsible for facilitating al-Qaeda efforts in Syria, Turkey and the Europe.”

Davis said he had no indication if he was linked to Jabhat al-Fath al-Sham, formerly known as Nusra Front.

“If he was connected to those, that is very interesting but that is not why we targeted him.”

U.S. aircraft also targeted two al-Qaeda leaders, Farouq al-Qatani and his deputy, Bilal al-Utabi, in Kunar province but Davis said the investigation into that strike continues.