MESOP NEWS : FRESH CASH – Iraq Allocates $80 Million for Arms for PMF from International Loans

SOUTH KURDISTAN (IRAQ) – Basnews English -04/12/2017 – 12:37 – ERBIL — Iraqi government has authorized the finance minister to borrow from international banks $80 million for the purchase of arms for the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in 2018.

A source from the Parliamentary Finance Committee told Al Maalomah website on Sunday that the Iraqi government has allocated $80 million for weapons for Hashd al-Shaabi (PMF) and the same amount for the anti-terrorism service.

“The budget bill of 2018 sent to parliament by the government authorizes the minister of finance after the approval of the Council of Ministers to borrow from international banks the amount of 906 million dollars for the purchase of weapons and equipment for Hashd al-Shaabi, the counter-terrorism forces and the ministries of defense and interior,” according to Al Maalomah. Among these funds, $80 million is for PMF, $80 million for the Counterterrorism Service, $146 million for the Ministry of Interior and 600 for the Ministry of Defense, the source explained. Hashd al-Shaabi have been receiving Iraqi government’s support while the Peshmerga forces who are part of Iraq’s defense system and have been heroically fighting the Islamic State (IS) over the past three years, the government in Baghdad has been withholding their share from the budget and international loans. www.mesop.de