After Mosul victory, Iraq mulls future of Shiite militias
The Canadian Press The Canadian PressJuly 24, 2017
After Mosul victory, Iraq mulls future of Shiite militias
More
NAJAF, Iraq — In the wake of victory against the Islamic State group in Mosul, Iraq's political, religious and military leaders are debating the future of the country's powerful Shiite militias — the tens of thousands of men who answered a religious call to arms three years ago and played a critical role in beating back the extremists.
Some are demanding the mostly Iranian-backed forces be disbanded but the militias say their sacrifices on the battlefield and the fact they were sanctioned by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi have earned them a permanent place in the hierarchy of Iraq's security forces.
The Shiite militias stepped into a vacuum when the Iraqi army largely dissolved after IS overran Mosul and pushed within 80 miles (130 kilometres ) of the Iraqi capital.
Shiite Sheikh Fadil al-Bidayri was among the clerics at an emergency meeting in the holy city of Najaf in June 2014, when Iraq's Shiite religious elite — led by the country's top Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani — issued a call to arms as a last-ditch effort to protect Baghdad.
Tens of thousands of men, many of them members of the long-established Shiite militias with close ties to Iran, answered al-Sistani. In the days that followed, Iraq was flooded with training, money and weapons from Tehran. Billboards praising the groups — depicting Iraqi and Iranian paramilitary leaders side by side — popped up across Baghdad, alongside posters of martyrs honouring the fallen.
The government-sanctioned groups became known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, known as Hashed al-Shaabi in Arabic.
Although the Shiite militias did not play a central role in the battle for the city of Mosul itself, they moved into the deserts held by IS west of the city, massing around the town of Tal Afar and taking a border crossing between Iraq and Syria. They also took control of highways bisecting the Sunni heartland in western Iraq and used as vital military and civilian supply lines.
In past fights against IS, including the operation to retake for the cities of Tikrit and Fallujah, the Shiite militias were accused of sectarian killings and other abuses against minority Sunnis. They acknowledge some abuses may have occurred but say those responsible have been disciplined.
Over the past three years, as the military fight against IS in Iraq pushed the extremists back, Iran's influence in the country grew.
"We always knew that Iran would use this (call to arms) to increase its own power in Iraq, but we had no other choice," said al-Bidayri, recounting the meeting in Najaf and the panic-filled days after the 2014 fall of Mosul.
Al-Bidayri says now that Mosul has been retaken and the Iraqi military has been partially rebuilt, he believes the Shiite militias should be disbanded, to curb Iranian influence in Iraq and reduce sectarian tensions. The elderly sheikh, like much of Iraq's religious establishment in Najaf, is a staunch nationalist and wary of Iran's growing influence.
"From the very beginning ... Iran used every opportunity to get involved in Iraq," al-Bidayri said. "Each time they used the protection of the Shiite people as an excuse."
Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also called for the militias to disband during a March anti-government rally that saw thousands of his supporters fill the streets of Baghdad.
According to the 2017 Iraqi budget, the government-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces now number about 122,000 fighters. The umbrella is dominated by Shiite militias but also includes Sunni and Christian groups.
"The Hashed (Shiite militias) will remain . and our relationship with Iran will remain," said Hadi al-Amiri, a senior leader of the Badr Brigade, one of Iraq's most powerful Shiite militias.
Al-Amiri said IS' insurgent capabilities will pose a long-term security threat to Iraq after the military fight against the group is concluded.
Iraq's prime minister has also repeatedly professed his backing for the Popular Mobilization Forces, telling reporters at a press conference last week that they "must remain at least for years, as the terrorism threat still exists."
When asked if the Shiite militias would play a role in the fight for Tal Afar or move into Syria, Ahmad Ghanem, a member of the Popular Mobilization Forces training at a camp in Najaf said "we are waiting for instructions ... ready to move wherever they order us."
As the conventional fight against IS winds down, it's unlikely Iraq's existing security forces will be able to absorb all the militia factions.
"If you add up all of the demands from all the different factions and militia leaders, and then you look at how much actual power and money Iraq has to distribute to them, their claims are like 250 per cent of whatever pie there is to be divided," said Nathaniel Rabkin, managing editor of Inside Iraqi Politics, a political risk assessment newsletter.
Rabkin said he doubted the groups would be content with patrolling rural areas or hunting so-called IS "sleeper cells."
"They want to have real power and control," Rabkin said. "So I think there's going to be a lot of disappointed people with small to medium-sized militias running around Iraq six months to a year from now."
On the outskirts of Najaf, graves of militiamen who died battling IS have swelled among the plots in Wadi al-Salam, the well-known Shiite graveyard that is also the world's largest. Garlands of plastic flowers adorn headstones bearing the crests of the most powerful militia groups: the Badr Brigades, Saraya Salam and Kataib Hezbollah.
Abdullah Abbas, a thin 18-year-old from Najaf, guarded a plot of graves of Katib Imam Ali fighters, a small militia closely tied to Iran and active both in Iraq and Syria.
In 2013, he left school at age 14, to become a fighter. The militia at the time mainly fought in Syria where it propped up President Bashar Assad's government. Since then, he has bounced between Syria and Iraq.
Abbas said that if the government decides to dissolve the Shiite militias, he could easily find better paying work as a labourer . But he admitted he couldn't imagine life without the purpose and prestige of being a militia fighter.
"I don't think a normal life is an option for me now," he said, shaking his head. "I can't imagine going back to what it was like before."
___
Associated Press writers Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad and Bassam Hatoum in Najaf, Iraq, contributed to this report.
Susannah George, The Associated Press
The Canadian Press The Canadian PressJuly 24, 2017
After Mosul victory, Iraq mulls future of Shiite militias
More
NAJAF, Iraq — In the wake of victory against the Islamic State group in Mosul, Iraq's political, religious and military leaders are debating the future of the country's powerful Shiite militias — the tens of thousands of men who answered a religious call to arms three years ago and played a critical role in beating back the extremists.
Some are demanding the mostly Iranian-backed forces be disbanded but the militias say their sacrifices on the battlefield and the fact they were sanctioned by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi have earned them a permanent place in the hierarchy of Iraq's security forces.
The Shiite militias stepped into a vacuum when the Iraqi army largely dissolved after IS overran Mosul and pushed within 80 miles (130 kilometres ) of the Iraqi capital.
Shiite Sheikh Fadil al-Bidayri was among the clerics at an emergency meeting in the holy city of Najaf in June 2014, when Iraq's Shiite religious elite — led by the country's top Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani — issued a call to arms as a last-ditch effort to protect Baghdad.
Tens of thousands of men, many of them members of the long-established Shiite militias with close ties to Iran, answered al-Sistani. In the days that followed, Iraq was flooded with training, money and weapons from Tehran. Billboards praising the groups — depicting Iraqi and Iranian paramilitary leaders side by side — popped up across Baghdad, alongside posters of martyrs honouring the fallen.
The government-sanctioned groups became known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, known as Hashed al-Shaabi in Arabic.
Although the Shiite militias did not play a central role in the battle for the city of Mosul itself, they moved into the deserts held by IS west of the city, massing around the town of Tal Afar and taking a border crossing between Iraq and Syria. They also took control of highways bisecting the Sunni heartland in western Iraq and used as vital military and civilian supply lines.
In past fights against IS, including the operation to retake for the cities of Tikrit and Fallujah, the Shiite militias were accused of sectarian killings and other abuses against minority Sunnis. They acknowledge some abuses may have occurred but say those responsible have been disciplined.
Over the past three years, as the military fight against IS in Iraq pushed the extremists back, Iran's influence in the country grew.
"We always knew that Iran would use this (call to arms) to increase its own power in Iraq, but we had no other choice," said al-Bidayri, recounting the meeting in Najaf and the panic-filled days after the 2014 fall of Mosul.
Al-Bidayri says now that Mosul has been retaken and the Iraqi military has been partially rebuilt, he believes the Shiite militias should be disbanded, to curb Iranian influence in Iraq and reduce sectarian tensions. The elderly sheikh, like much of Iraq's religious establishment in Najaf, is a staunch nationalist and wary of Iran's growing influence.
"From the very beginning ... Iran used every opportunity to get involved in Iraq," al-Bidayri said. "Each time they used the protection of the Shiite people as an excuse."
Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also called for the militias to disband during a March anti-government rally that saw thousands of his supporters fill the streets of Baghdad.
According to the 2017 Iraqi budget, the government-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces now number about 122,000 fighters. The umbrella is dominated by Shiite militias but also includes Sunni and Christian groups.
"The Hashed (Shiite militias) will remain . and our relationship with Iran will remain," said Hadi al-Amiri, a senior leader of the Badr Brigade, one of Iraq's most powerful Shiite militias.
Al-Amiri said IS' insurgent capabilities will pose a long-term security threat to Iraq after the military fight against the group is concluded.
Iraq's prime minister has also repeatedly professed his backing for the Popular Mobilization Forces, telling reporters at a press conference last week that they "must remain at least for years, as the terrorism threat still exists."
When asked if the Shiite militias would play a role in the fight for Tal Afar or move into Syria, Ahmad Ghanem, a member of the Popular Mobilization Forces training at a camp in Najaf said "we are waiting for instructions ... ready to move wherever they order us."
As the conventional fight against IS winds down, it's unlikely Iraq's existing security forces will be able to absorb all the militia factions.
"If you add up all of the demands from all the different factions and militia leaders, and then you look at how much actual power and money Iraq has to distribute to them, their claims are like 250 per cent of whatever pie there is to be divided," said Nathaniel Rabkin, managing editor of Inside Iraqi Politics, a political risk assessment newsletter.
Rabkin said he doubted the groups would be content with patrolling rural areas or hunting so-called IS "sleeper cells."
"They want to have real power and control," Rabkin said. "So I think there's going to be a lot of disappointed people with small to medium-sized militias running around Iraq six months to a year from now."
On the outskirts of Najaf, graves of militiamen who died battling IS have swelled among the plots in Wadi al-Salam, the well-known Shiite graveyard that is also the world's largest. Garlands of plastic flowers adorn headstones bearing the crests of the most powerful militia groups: the Badr Brigades, Saraya Salam and Kataib Hezbollah.
Abdullah Abbas, a thin 18-year-old from Najaf, guarded a plot of graves of Katib Imam Ali fighters, a small militia closely tied to Iran and active both in Iraq and Syria.
In 2013, he left school at age 14, to become a fighter. The militia at the time mainly fought in Syria where it propped up President Bashar Assad's government. Since then, he has bounced between Syria and Iraq.
Abbas said that if the government decides to dissolve the Shiite militias, he could easily find better paying work as a labourer . But he admitted he couldn't imagine life without the purpose and prestige of being a militia fighter.
"I don't think a normal life is an option for me now," he said, shaking his head. "I can't imagine going back to what it was like before."
___
Associated Press writers Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad and Bassam Hatoum in Najaf, Iraq, contributed to this report.
Susannah George, The Associated Press
Today at 1:54 pm by Rocky
» Integrity and the Financial Supervision Bureau agree to activate the cooperation agreement between t
Today at 5:06 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani faces 170 suspended laws.. Will they be approved or deported?
Today at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary demands to cancel the security agreement with Washington
Today at 5:02 am by Rocky
» MP: Oil derivatives smuggling has decreased by 80% in Iraq
Today at 5:00 am by Rocky
» After years of controversy, the Minority Protection Act is submitted for the first reading
Today at 4:59 am by Rocky
» Al-Sayhoud: The ministerial reshuffle is useless for several reasons
Today at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Iraqi government makes changes to the General Secretariat: Al-Juhaishi succeeds Al-Halbousi
Today at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Extension of the legislative term of the Iraqi parliament for an additional month to pass laws
Today at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister: The necessity of strengthening Iraq's position to be at the forefront of the region'
Today at 4:52 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Transportation: We are determined to pass the Civil Aviation Authority Law
Today at 4:50 am by Rocky
» Baghdad Council: Study of the reality of companies applying to implement projects
Today at 4:49 am by Rocky
» Water Resources announces its control over the oil slick in the Tigris River
Today at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Reconstruction: A new government vision for distributing serviced lands among those entitled to them
Today at 4:47 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Immigration Committee demands increasing the amount of the return grant
Today at 4:44 am by Rocky
» Accreditation of specialized graduates to support quality control
Today at 4:42 am by Rocky
» Heritage markets and buildings in Mosul after its reconstruction
Today at 4:41 am by Rocky
» Specialized committee to ensure acceptance of cybersecurity outputs
Today at 4:40 am by Rocky
» The Ministry of Interior issues mechanisms to regulate the work of private security companies
Today at 4:39 am by Rocky
» Baghdad Council: Study of the reality of companies applying to implement projects
Today at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Welcome to the trends of establishing an administrative capital
Today at 4:36 am by Rocky
» Securities trade more than 88 billion shares
Today at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Focus on the banking sector
Today at 4:33 am by Rocky
» Imports and dependence on oil are obstacles to Iraq’s accession to the World Trade Organization
Today at 4:32 am by Rocky
» Launch of the International Chamber of Commerce in Iraq
Today at 4:31 am by Rocky
» Private sector and housing projects
Today at 4:30 am by Rocky
» Sovereign guarantees... a trend that promotes national industries
Today at 4:29 am by Rocky
» Development of tax policies and laws
Today at 4:28 am by Rocky
» Basra Council reviews the mechanisms of the smart transformation system that the Ministry of Electri
Today at 4:26 am by Rocky
» Against the backdrop of the rise in the best subscriptions...Nineveh Council: Fuel quotas for genera
Today at 4:25 am by Rocky
» Trade: Launching the International Chamber of Commerce branch in Iraq
Today at 4:24 am by Rocky
» Parliament.. A new political path under the leadership of President Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani
Today at 4:22 am by Rocky
» ommunications and Media Commission implements 54 projects to serve more than 162 thousand beneficiar
Today at 4:20 am by Rocky
» The Coordination Framework comments on the expected ministerial amendment: Information is exclusivel
Today at 4:18 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani receives draft memorandum of understanding to establish the Supreme Ministerial Council be
Today at 4:17 am by Rocky
» Interior Minister discusses with Iranian counterpart in Tehran common files between the two countrie
Today at 4:16 am by Rocky
» Integrity and the Financial Supervision Bureau agree to activate the cooperation agreement between t
Today at 4:15 am by Rocky
» Victory Coalition: We call for adopting Imam Sistani’s directives as a document of principles for po
Today at 4:14 am by Rocky
» The expected Kurdistan government.. between accelerating events and complex scenarios - Urgent
Today at 4:12 am by Rocky
» Details of Talabani's meeting with the US Ambassador: The next government is a citizen's government
Today at 4:10 am by Rocky
» "Before the axe falls on the head" .. Al-Sadr warns the Sudanese against adopting the issue of the "
Today at 4:05 am by Rocky
» Iraq announces success in investing 67% of associated gas and converting it into energy
Today at 4:04 am by Rocky
» Parliament overcomes Thursday's trap.. Sessions complain about their personal conditions and seek a
Today at 4:03 am by Rocky
» The Election Commission closes the door to appeals in the Kurdistan elections with 41 appeals
Today at 4:02 am by Rocky
» Trade Bank of Iraq signs a contract with “Hisabi Project” to localize salaries of the region’s emplo
Today at 4:01 am by Rocky
» Baghdad faces a new test to maintain balance.. Threats of Iranian response to Israel from Iraqi terr
Today at 4:00 am by Rocky
» Rafidain and Rashid deny the suspension of electronic payment devices: The service continues
Today at 3:58 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani agrees to launch an initiative to attract talent in the public and private sectors
Today at 3:57 am by Rocky
» MP: 11 draft laws ready to be presented to the House of Representatives
Today at 3:55 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani and Al-Mashhadani discuss cooperation between the executive and legislative authorities
Today at 3:53 am by Rocky
» Sudanese agrees to launch an initiative on artificial intelligence
Today at 3:51 am by Rocky
» The dollar continues to rise.. Learn about the exchange rates in the Iraqi markets
Today at 3:49 am by Rocky
» Mechanisms for regulating the work of private security companies in Iraq
Today at 3:48 am by Rocky
» Transport decides to reject partnership between the General Company for Airports Management and the
Today at 3:45 am by Rocky
» What does the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan expect from Mahmoud al-Mashhadani? Al-Sumaria reveals
Today at 3:43 am by Rocky
» MM&C 11/3/24 Launch of the International Chamber of Commerce in Iraq
Yesterday at 1:50 pm by Rocky
» utube 10/31/24 MM&C Central Bank Governor of Iraq-Monetary Stability Directly Stimulating the Econom
Yesterday at 7:15 am by Rocky
» utube 10/31/24 MM&C MM&C News Reporting-Security & Stability-Sinjar Allocations-Unprecedented Develo
Yesterday at 7:15 am by Rocky
» Rafidain and Rashid deny the suspension of electronic payment devices: The service continues
Yesterday at 7:10 am by Rocky
» Iraq meets a third of housing needs, two directions identified to solve the crisis completely
Yesterday at 7:06 am by Rocky
» Activating the General Amnesty Law, a summary of the meeting between Al-Mashhadani and Al-Dhari
Yesterday at 7:03 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary recommendations to change "five" ministers in Al-Sudani's government.. Get to know the
Yesterday at 7:00 am by Rocky
» The controversy over the “controversial laws” continues.. and Al-Mashhadani confirms: They will not
Yesterday at 6:58 am by Rocky
» Sunday's currency auction.. 99% of the Central Bank of Iraq's sales went abroad
Yesterday at 6:56 am by Rocky
» Higher fines and powers.. the most prominent amendments to the expected Civil Defense Law
Yesterday at 6:53 am by Rocky
» Transport announces completion of initial design phase of development road with its land and rail ro
Yesterday at 6:51 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Security: The Intelligence Law is ready.. 3 important paragraphs
Yesterday at 5:12 am by Rocky
» Central Bank dollar sales rise in today's auction
Yesterday at 5:10 am by Rocky
» Divided into three... Al-Fatlawi criticizes the Arab and Islamic position towards the aggression on
Yesterday at 5:09 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Transport Committee reveals upcoming quadripartite meeting on development path
Yesterday at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Planning: The ministerial amendment is based on 4 directions
Yesterday at 5:06 am by Rocky
» "Until the case is settled"... the judiciary suspends the decision to dismiss Al-Karwi from the pres
Yesterday at 5:05 am by Rocky
» Increasing for a year and a half.. Announcing the results of the investigation into Baghdad's pollut
Yesterday at 5:03 am by Rocky
» Banking Association: Reducing inflation helped stabilize commodity prices
Yesterday at 5:00 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Investment and Development Committee calls for commitment to the “Investment Law”
Yesterday at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance settles the controversy: This is the fate of the appointments file in the 2025
Yesterday at 4:57 am by Rocky
» Trade Bank of Iraq explains procedures for money transfers and combating money laundering
Yesterday at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Within three days, Iraq indicates an increase in the number of aircraft landing and crossing the air
Yesterday at 4:54 am by Rocky
» Public services reveal the reality of the capital.. This is what it needs
Yesterday at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Population growth and ongoing suffering.. A briefing on the "deteriorating" situation in Baghdad
Yesterday at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Committee Proposes Attracting Real Estate Developers
Yesterday at 4:51 am by Rocky
» Direction to transfer beneficiaries of the protection network to the Social Security Law
Yesterday at 4:50 am by Rocky
» Speaker of Parliament
Yesterday at 4:49 am by Rocky
» I learned {morning}
Yesterday at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani directs to establish the concept of (Made in Iraq)
Yesterday at 4:47 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani to {Al-Sabah}: Controversial laws will be presented unanimously
Yesterday at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Establishment of Al-Ghadeer Residential City in Muthanna
Yesterday at 4:44 am by Rocky
» Work: Transferring beneficiaries of the safety net to the Social Security Law
Yesterday at 4:43 am by Rocky
» The most prominent achievements of the Sudanese government in the education sector
Yesterday at 4:41 am by Rocky
» Welcome to the trends of establishing an administrative capital
Yesterday at 4:40 am by Rocky
» Securities trade more than 88 billion shares
Yesterday at 4:39 am by Rocky
» Focus on the banking sector
Yesterday at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Imports and dependence on oil are obstacles to Iraq’s accession to the World Trade Organization
Yesterday at 4:35 am by Rocky
» Preparatory meetings for the 40th session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Coop
Yesterday at 4:33 am by Rocky
» Minister of Industry: Our visit program to Basra will include following up on the progress of work a
Yesterday at 4:32 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani and the Secretary-General of the Iraqi National Project stress the importance of activ
Yesterday at 4:29 am by Rocky
» Minister of Industry discusses action plan to complete steel plant in Basra and operate it on schedu
Yesterday at 4:28 am by Rocky
» Al-Sayhoud: Accelerating the implementation of the strategic development road project will advance t
Yesterday at 4:26 am by Rocky
» Amnesty International issues a “warning” to the Iraqi government over “violations” inside Al-Jadaa c
Yesterday at 4:24 am by Rocky