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The situation in Iraq, rendered through Iran's lethal meddling, has left the region and the world facing grave dangers. The only solution lies in taking solid action against Iran-backed Shiite militias as the other side of the ISIS coin.

The Story Behind Iraq's Iran-backed Shiite militias



As the international coalition in Iraq may be tightening their grip over ISIS, another very dangerous phenomenon spiraling out of control are the Iran-backed Shiite militias roaming freely on killing sprees across Mesopotamia. This is a dire menace called Islamic extremism that can threaten the very fabric of this once iconic cradle of humanity. True is the undeniable fact that ISIS has occupied more than one third of Iraq, yet Iran-loyal Shiite militias are seen across the country murdering and massacring innocent people, especially Sunnis, bombing and setting homes and mosques ablaze. Recent scenes of Shiite militias killing Sunnis are stark and uninvited reminders of the ferocious 2006-07 ethnic cleansing and sectarian war that pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war. Yes, ISIS deserves much-delayed attention; however, Iran is taking advantage of the international community's ordeal to strengthen its proxies and this should not go unanswered.
Crystal clear is the irrefutable fact that the rise of ISIS and the complete meltdown of Iraq's security, political and economic structure is the end-result of an 8-year period under the tenure of former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki as he enjoyed widespread support from Iran. Under al-Maliki, with Tehran calling the shots, Iraq was unfortunately directed into sectarian war. Bloodbaths, such as the Hawija episode, were the response to any protests by Sunnis, and even Shiites, challenging the status quo or Maliki's policies. All Iraqi government assets were ordered to serve under the demands of Iran's sectarian policies. The Central Bank of Iraq played a vital role in allowing Iran a bypass crippling international sanctions, and as a result provide a windfall of desperately needed revenue for Iran. This is just one reason why the economy in Iraq was literally falling apart thanks to skyrocketing plundering and corruption during Maliki's tenure. Iran lost its center pond in Iraq with the fall of Maliki from power in 2014. Under the pretext of combating ISIS, Tehran has been busy equipping its associated militia groups with heavy weapons. The shadowy Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani was at the helm of numerous campaign attacks launched by these sectarian groups in various provinces across Iraq. For example, Christian representatives in the Iraqi Parliament have recently raised concerns over Iran-backed Shiite militias resorting to force and robbing Iraqi Christians' property in Baghdad. The United Nations Human Rights Council, Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch have issued concerning reports over the crimes committed by these militia groups in various parts of Iraq. The cities and towns of Muqdadiya and Perwana in Diyala Province, Tikrit and Baiji in Salahadin Province, Anbar Province, Abu Qarib and the Baghdad beltway area in Baghdad Province all witnessed horrific crimes at the hands of Shiite militias. For an entire week in January the town of Muqdadiya was the scene of a horrific ethnic cleansing in which more than 100 youths were murdered along with hundreds of homes and stores, and dozens of mosques set ablaze. Not even Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, being the commander-in-chief, was permitted to enter the besieged town. Iran-associated militias had also launched a full religious cleansing in Jurf al-Sakhar, located south of Baghdad.

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The oil-rich province of Basra in southern Iran is also under the tight grip of numerous Iran-backed groups directly involved in plundering the province's oil and having them literally transferred to Iran, murdering innocent people and even smuggling narcotics from Iran. In addition to ethnic and religious cleansing Shiite militia groups make a living out of kidnappings and demanding ransom money. The abduction of Qatari citizens in southern Iraq in December 2015 and three Americans in Baghdad this month were all carried out by these Shiite militia groups, reports revealed. Astonishing is the fact that over 90% of the abovementioned crimes are carried out by three main groups.

The Badr Corps

This terrorist group was founded by Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) back in the 1980s under the name of the "9th Badr Corps". These militias played a very significant role in fueling the 2006 sectarian wars in Iraq. Badr leader Hadi al-Ameri was al-Maliki's transportation ministry, using all airports, seaports and ground routes in Iraq to transfer militias and weapons from Iran to Syria to prop up the Bashar Assad regime. The Badr militia group is currently controlling a number of ministries (including the Interior Ministry) and a number of seats in the parliament.

Asaeb al-Haq

Commanded by Sheikh Qeis al-Khaz'ali, this Shiite militia group committed numerous crimes in the sectarian wars of Iraq, especially massacring the Sunnis population. Asaeb continues to play a major role in massacring mainly Sunni locals of Salahadin and Diyala provinces located north of Baghdad. Foreign Policy wrote on February 19, 2015:
Qais al-Khazali, the commander of the Iranian-sponsored Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) militia, which kidnapped and killed five American soldiers at Iran's behest in the holy city of Karbala in 2007, proudly shared his recent photo with Suleimani via social media.

Kataib Hezbollah

Iran's Quds Force has provided special training to the Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah in Iran's military bases to carry out terrorist attacks in Iraq. The commander of this militia group is a very dangerous figure by the name of Jamal Jafar, aka Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. He is a known Iran IRGC terrorist from the 1980s who played a major role in the US embassy bombing in Kuwait in 1983, and is known to have resided in Iran up to 2003. This group has carried out many major abductions, including recently taking hostage a group of Turk laborers in Baghdad. Foreign Policy - February 19, 2015:
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the alleged mastermind behind the bombing of the U.S. and French embassies in Kuwait in the 1980s, was given command of the Kataib Hezbollah (KH) militia, an Iranian-sponsored group responsible for some of the most lethal attacks against U.S. and coalition forces throughout the war. Muhandis and KH pose such a grave risk to Iraqi stability and American interests that they were designated as terrorists by the U.S. Treasury soon after Obama took office in 2009.
The situation in Iraq, rendered through Iran's lethal meddling, has left the region and the world facing grave dangers. The only solution lies in taking solid action against Iran-backed Shiite militias as the other side of the ISIS coin. A major boost is needed once and for all to establish lasting peace and security in Iraq, the entire Middle East and the entire globe.


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Heshmat Alavi -- Bio and Archives

Heshmat Alavi is a political activist and supporter for regime change in Iran. He writes on Iran and the Middle East.

He tweets at @HeshmatAlavi


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