Iraqi Shiite lawmakers responded angrily Sunday to the Saudi ambassador's criticism of militia forces in the country, with some calling for his expulsion less than a month after he arrived, AFP reports.
Thamer al-Sabhan is the first Baghdad-based Saudi ambassador in a quarter century, but while full diplomatic relations are restored, many Iraqi Shiites view Riyadh as a supporter of jihadist groups and an enemy of their community.
Sabhan said in interview with Al-Sumaria television that the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary forces, which are dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias, are not wanted in Sunni Arab and Kurdish areas as "they are not accepted by the sons of Iraqi society."