Iraq’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Lebanese ambassador to Baghdad on Wednesday in protest over remarks made by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that were deemed offensive to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
In a statement, the ministry said Deputy Foreign Minister for Bilateral Relations, Ambassador Mohammed Bahr Al-Uloom, conveyed Iraq’s discontent to Lebanese Ambassador Ali Habhab regarding “inappropriate” comments made by President Aoun in a recent media interview.
“The Popular Mobilization Forces are an integral part of Iraq’s security and military framework. It is a legal and governmental institution,” Bahr Al-Uloom said. “It is unacceptable to use it as an example in the context of an internal Lebanese crisis that does not concern Iraq.”
He stressed that Iraq has consistently supported Lebanon during its most difficult times and that it is “inappropriate to involve Iraq in Lebanon’s internal disputes.”
The ministry called on the Lebanese presidency to clarify and rectify the statement in a way that reinforces bilateral ties and mutual respect for national sovereignty.
President Aoun, in an interview published Tuesday, had dismissed the possibility of “replicating the PMF model” in Lebanon to integrate Hezbollah into the national army. He stated that “Hezbollah would not be allowed to function as an independent unit within the Lebanese Armed Forces, though individual members could join through established integration processes similar to those used for former militias after Lebanon’s civil war”.
Ambassador Habhab expressed Lebanon’s deep appreciation for its fraternal relationship with Iraq, vowing to relay Baghdad’s concerns to President Aoun. “Lebanon relies on Iraq’s pivotal role in supporting reconstruction efforts, alongside other Arab partners.”
Source: Shafaq News Website
