The meeting of leaders of RCD Forum 2019 -Baghdad hosted Sheikh Qais Al-Khazali, Secretary General of Asaib Ahl Al-Haq. The meeting was moderated  by Sarmad Al-Ta'ei, in which a large number of representatives of Think Tanks for more than twenty states, intellectual elites, academic and government figures from Iraq and worldwide were participated in an extraordinary dialogue for the first time.

Sheikh Al-Khazali said that the United States not only changed the regime after 2003, but also dissolved the state institutions, especially the Iraqi army. After that, Iraq became a weak country, and when the army was supposed to built it on a strong foundations, but it was accused of sectarianism, also the political system made the government and the state weak and cannot have the ability to make the decision. Regarding the economic side, the period of 2003 was characterized by the spread of financial and administrative corruption, however, Iraq has not benefited from its imports throughout the past 15 years, also, the community sectarianism has been consolidated and almost reached the civil war where thousands of Iraqis were martyred. Concerning the security side, Al-Khazali  said that the terrorist group which led to the foundation of ISIS, has worked to consolidate the social division between Sunnis and Shiites.

He added that ISIS was not only a military threat between the years 2014-2018, but left economic and social effects, as agendas intended to take advantage of their strategic projects and targeting the lives of Iraqis, and thus weaken the state and collapse it, then divide it and make the society intellectually extremist. The main steps that must be taken by the state are the activation of intelligence and the redeployment of military forces, including the popular mobilization forces (PMF).

Regarding the US presence in Iraq, Sheikh Al-Khazali said that it depends on the military, which determines the number of soldiers and areas of presence.

Answering many questions by the audience about the unification of PMF leadership, Sheikh Al-Khazali said "I think this is a challenge, and it needs to be determined by law.  The terms (5) and (6) of the popular mobilization act stipulated that PMF should be disassociated from all partisan frameworks, but the problem is in the application of that law. There is fear of the role of PMF and its factions".

"We have stated our commitment to this matter, as PMF is a successful Iraqi military experience, where all the factions will meet under one banner with the existence of a religious authority that will not allow PMF to leave the official framework of the state" he added.

He concluded as saying "PMF is not impeccable but within reasonable areas, the accusations of PMF has not exceeded the number of the US military violations and abuses in Iraq, and that the crisis is not a crisis of characters, and there are other problems including the constitution, where we need to amend it".

RCD Forum 2019-Baghdad was a historical event, in which the decision makers and influential figures, from important countries that have a prominent role in shaping the events in Iraq and the region, was attending to take part there.