Within about forty-five minutes this evening, two faction-linked channels took opposite approaches to the reported U.S.–Saudi bombardment of PMF headquarters. iNEWS (KSS — affiliated) twice promoted a programme segment asking whether PMF chairman Faleh al-Fayyad knew of the Saudi strikes in advance, saying a guest would reveal important information. Ansar Allah al-Awfiya's official channel, over the same period, carried MP Murtada al-Saadi calling the strikes a rejected and unjust aggression, criticising government statements as falling short of the scale of dead and wounded, and demanding the PMF law be sent to parliament to secure administrative structures, retirement rights and military support, plus an MP Siham al-Mousawi parliamentary intervention on the same strikes.
- iNEWSKSS — affiliated09 Aug, 22:47
“Does al-Fayyad know about the Saudi strikes before they happen?.. Fad'am reveals important information...”
هل يعلم الفياض بالضربات السعودية قبل حدوثها؟ .. فدعم يكشف معلومات مهمة...
- FAAAnsar Allah al-Awfiya — official09 Aug, 23:30
“MP Siham al-Mousawi's intervention in the parliamentary session... concerning the American–Saudi bombardment of PMF headquarters.”
مداخلة النائب( سهام الموسوي ) في جلسة مجلس النواب ... حول القصف الامريكي - السعودي على مقرات الحشد الشعبي
- FAAAnsar Allah al-Awfiya — official09 Aug, 23:31
“MP Murtada al-Saadi affirmed that the American–Saudi bombardment of PMF headquarters is a rejected and unjust aggression, noting that government statements did not rise to the level of the event and the number of martyrs and wounded... He stressed the necessity of supporting the PMF Commission and providing its capabilities, and expediting the sending of its law to parliament.”
أكد النائب مرتضى الساعدي أن القصف الأمريكي السعودي على مقرات الحشد الشعبي اعتداءٌ مرفوض وظالم، مشيراً إلى أن البيانات الحكومية لم ترتقِ إلى مستوى الحدث وحجم الشهداء والجرحى... وشدد على ضرورة دعم هيئة الحشد الشعبي وتوفير إمكانياتها، والإسراع بإرسال قانونها إلى مجلس النواب
Suspicion of foreknowledge raised at the head of the PMF, in the same hours another faction channel demands the state strengthen that same body, marks a split over whether the strikes are a case for institutional consolidation or for internal accounting.