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Iraq's Leadership Finally Setting Limits on Iranian Intervention
(Ha'aretz) Zvi Bar'el - When Mustafa al-Kadhimi took over as prime minister of Iraq in May, he ruled that every person entering Iraq, including VIPs, will need a visa. This included Gen. Esmail Ghaani, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force and successor to Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Al-Kadhimi also began a campaign to weaken the clout of Iran's supporters, removing a long list of senior officers and officials from their posts, including national security adviser Falih al-Fayyadh. When Ghaani met in April with the commanders of the Shi'ite militias in Iraq that Iran supports and funds, not only did he not bring the usual cash, but said that henceforth the militias would have to rely on the Iraqi government for funding. Since Soleimani's killing, some militias have switched loyalties to serve under the orders of Iraqi religious leader Ali al-Sistani. Meanwhile, those loyal to Iran have begun developing alternative sources of funding, such as collecting fees at random checkpoints and stealing property. The Iranians could well be showing restraint over al-Kadhimi's actions against the Shi'ite militias because, in return, they expect that this will lead to the withdrawal of American forces, which will widen the window for Iranian involvement in the end.