Al-Maliki: PMF members are "a whole nation of Jihadists"

Shafaq News / The head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, said on Sunday that al-Hashd al-Shaabi's leaders and members are "a whole nation of Jihadists".

Al-Maliki said in a tweet, "Al-Hashd, its heroes, and commanders, are a nation of free Jihadists and martyrs. They are our big hope."

"Since day one, I supported it (PMF), and stood against all attempts to target it."

He added, "Fabrications and falsification will never succeed in ruining my relationship with our armed forces and al-Hashd al-Shaabi, who are the protectors of the homeland, as well as the country's political process."

This statement comes a few hours after a series of leaked recordings, attributed to al-Maliki, appeared, in which he allegedly insults influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and al-Hashd al-Shaabi (PMF).