Recent Appearances...

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Hello !
Recent Appearances...

Iraq

Sadr-linked activist found killed in Babil

2024-02-20

Intramural games — they’re Shiites all.

[Rudaw] The body of an Iraqi activist linked to influential Shiite figure Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
Moqtada <q>Tater</q> al-Sadr

...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival al-Khoei assassinated shortly after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry...
was found killed in Babil province on Monday morning, a day after he was kidnapped by an unidentified gang in front of his house.

Babil security forces found the body of Aysar al-Khafaji dumped on the highway Jableh area, north of Babil, according to a statement from the Iraqi interior ministry.

"At a time when the security services in the Ministry of Interior are seeking to establish security and stability in different regions of the country, criminal elements are trying from time to time to disturb this stability, something that the Ministry of Interior will not allow," read the statement.

The Khafaji tribe released a strongly-worded statement later in the day, holding the Iraqi government responsible for Aysar’s death and calling on relevant authorities to uncover the perpetrators as soon as possible and hold them accountable.

"Condemnations and denunciations have become useless... Enough silence. Enough bloodshed," said the tribe.

Videos published on social media of the funeral processions depicted a member of the Khafaji family saying that they will grant Babil governor Adnan Faihan 24 hours to uncover the killers "otherwise all offices shall become our target."

Faihan is a senior member of Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), a pro-Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
gang and rival of Sadr’s Saraya al-Salam militia.

The interior ministry noted that security forces have found "important leads" regarding the suspects, stressing that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

Clashes between Saraya al-Salam and Asaib Ahl al-Haq are a common occurrence in southern Iraqi provinces.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of Shiite paramilitary forces that was formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) under a fatwa from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. A number of forces within the umbrella group are backed by Iran.

Saraya al-Salam was founded by Sadr himself in 2014 and considered as a revived version of Sadr’s Mahdi army, turbans who fought the Americans following their invasion in 2003.

Link

Iraq

Amnesty calls on Iraq to reveal fate of hundreds allegedly abducted by PMF

2023-06-07

[Rudaw] ~~Amnesia~~ Amnesty International on Monday called on Iraqi authorities to reveal the fate of over 600 people "forcibly disappeared" by government-linked Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Anbar province in 2016.

On June 3, 2016 thousands of men and boys in the city of Saqlawiyah in Anbar’s Fallujah district were put into buses and trucks by gunnies believed to be members of the PMF as part of military operations and under the pretext of suspected affiliation to the Islamic State

."

It also urged Iraq to criminalize enforced disappearances, which is still not identified as a crime under Iraqi law.

ISIS seized control of vast areas of northern Iraq in 2014, killing civilians and enslaving others across Sunni-majority provinces. Fallujah was the first major urban center seized by the turban group. The Iraqi army and the PMF launched an offensive on May 22, 2016 to retake the city.

According to the International Committee of the Red Thingy (ICRC), Iraq has one of the highest numbers of missing people in the world, to a point that every Iraqi family has firsthand experience or knows someone who was forcibly disappeared.

The PMF was formed when a group of militias responded to a call-to-arms from revered Shiite holy man Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to stand against ISIS in 2014. While the force has been officially incorporated into the Iraqi security apparatus, militias within their ranks operate outside of Baghdad’s control and receive support from Iran.

Link

Iraq

Suspected clashes between rival Shiite factions erupt in Basra

2022-09-02

[Rudaw] Clashes reportedly broke out between rival Shiite militia groups in Iraq’s southern city of Basra on Thursday morning, days after deadly fighting between militias of Shiite holy man Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival, al-Khoei, assassinated only a few hours after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry...
and Iran-backed factions in Baghdad left at least 30 people killed.

A well-informed civil society source, who requested complete anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic, told Rudaw English that Sadr-affiliated Saraya al-Salam and pro-Iran
Iran

...The nation is noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence...
Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) engaged in heavy confrontations which continued from 2am to 6:30am on Thursday morning in Basra, adding that the number of casualties remains unknown.

Videos circulating on social media and various telegram channels linked to both sides purportedly showed festivities continuing on Thursday morning, despite Sadr calling on his supporters to withdraw and end the violence on Tuesday.

Sources told Rudaw that the fighting broke out in response to the killing of a member of Saraya al-Salam outside the offices of Asaib Ahl al-Haq.

The Iraqi Security Media Cell said "conflicting reports" have been circulated on social media regarding the incident in Basra, confirming the death of one and the injury of another, without specifying the nature of the festivities or naming any parties involved.

Security forces have arrested a number of suspects and the situation is under control, the statement added.

The source that spoke to Rudaw English claimed that the authorities in Basra represent certain political parties, and believed that there may have been attempts to "cover" the incident as to not incite further instability, particularly at a time of soaring tension.

Salih Mohammed al-Iraqi, a close associate of Sadr, later in the day "warned" the villainous-looking Qais al-Khazali
......sinister-looking Iranian stooge, Secretary General of Persian proxy militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq, wannabe Nasrallah......
, secretary-general of AAH, to restrain his "disrespectful militias" and "mad dogs."

"If you don’t absolve yourself from the killers and criminals following you or prove that they do not belong to you then you are disrespectful too," said Iraqi.

Khazali responded to Iraqi’s statement, telling his supporters to refrain from negatively responding to the comments that have been made about him, and asking the AAH to close down all of their offices "until further notice."

"Any office that they want to burn, let them burn it and do not care about that, because God will compensate you more than you would expect," Khazali said.

Clashes between Saraya al-Salam and Iran-backed militia groups broke out on Monday after Sadr announced he was quitting politics. Heavy gunfire took place inside Baghdad’s Green Zone, with footage on social media depicting both sides using heavy machine guns. The fighting also spread to other Iraqi provinces, including Basra. According to the latest numbers by AFP, 30 people were killed and 500 others were maimed as a result of the ~~violent~~ mostly peaceful festivities.

AAH is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd al-Shaabi), an umbrella group of Shiite paramilitary forces that was formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) under a fatwa from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. A number of forces within the umbrella group are backed by Iran.

Saraya al-Salam was founded by Sadr himself in 2014 and considered as a revived version of Sadr’s Mahdi army, bully boyz who fought the Americans following their invasion in 2003.

Link

Iraq

US sentences Asaib Ahl al-Haq former member to four years in prison

2022-05-08

[Rudaw] A former member of an Iran-backed Shiite militia group was sentenced to four years in prison by the US on Friday for "lying" to US officials during his immigration application process, announced the Department of Justice late Friday.

The 36-year-old Chasib Hafedh Saadoon al-Fawadi, an Iraqi who lives in New York, was sentenced to 48 months in prison after allegedly admitting to submitting false information to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services while applying for permanent residency in the country in 2017, stated the US Department of Justice.

Al-Fawadi had previously denied being a member of any groups engaged in ~~violent~~ mostly peaceful activities, but was later revealed that he had been a member of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) militia group until he migrated to the US in 2016, according to the Department.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd al-Shaabi), an umbrella group of Shiite paramilitary forces that was formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) under a fatwa from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. A number of forces within the umbrella group are backed by Iran.

US State Department designated the AAH as a terrorist organization in January 2020 and its leaders the villainous-looking Qais al-Khazali
......sinister-looking Iranian stooge, Secretary General of Persian proxy militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq, wannabe Nasrallah......
and Laith al-Khazali as terrorists.

The statement added that as a part of the murderous Moslem group, al-Fawadi had travelled to Syria in 2013 to engage in combat operations that supported the Syrian regime. "Al Fawadi concealed his travel to Syria, Iran, and Jordan when he applied for refugee classification and again in his application for permanent resident status," read the statement.

The former member of the AAH claimed during his immigration application that he was being persecuted by the AAH for refusing to help the murderous Moslem group in kidnapping Sunni citizens of Iraq.

Investigation into al-Fawadi’s case by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI
FBI

...Formerly one of the world's premier criminal investigation organizations, something for a nation to be proud of. Now it's a political arm of the Deep State oligarchy that is willing to trump up charges, suppress evidence, or take out insurance policies come election time...
) and Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations began in September 2020. He will be removed from the US upon his release from the federal prison without any further immigrations proceedings, according to his sentence.

Link

Iraq

Al-Khazali calls on al-Sistani to intervene

2021-11-29

[SHAFAQ] The Secretary-General of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq movement, the villainous-looking Qais al-Khazali

......sinister-looking Iranian stooge, Secretary General of Persian proxy militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq, wannabe Nasrallah......
, called on the supreme Shiite authority, Ali al-Sistani, to intervene and solve the "dangerous" political situation in Iraq.

Al-Khazali said in his speech, "the attack that targeted the prime minister's house is serious and cannot be tolerated at all, and trying to accuse the resistance factions of it is nothing but playing with fire and an attempt to drag the country into a major crisis."

He added, "Al-Kadhimi was not present at his house when the alleged targeting was announced," noting, "Al-Kadhimi did not accept the involvement of resistance factions in the investigation, which makes things more suspicious."

"This is a message to the committee charged with investigating the alleged attack on al-Kadhimi's house... You must provide tangible, real evidence, not speculations, nor media and Facebook gossip, because the situation is intolerable."

Link

Iraq

Al-Hakeem requests a meeting with al-Sistani

2021-11-29

[SHAFAQ] The leader of the al-Hekmah (Wisdom) movement, Ammar al-Hakeem, has requested an "urgent meeting" with the Supreme Shiite authority, Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, to set out a roadmap that leads the country past the current impasse, a source in the Coordination Framework revealed on Sunday.The source told Shafaq News Agency that al-Sistani's bureau promised to respond to al-Hakeem's request soon.

"The meeting is sought to be confidential or personal to give the Marja'iyah [the top Shiite Authority in the country] first-hand information about the initiative launched by the leader of al-Hekmah movement," the source continued, "the Marja'iyah can make the appropriate amendments to achieve consensus in the Shiite house."

"Many political forces had asked for meetings with the Marja'iyah, but their requests were denied," the source said, "the forces of the Cooperation Framework are aware of al-Hakim's request, and they hope it resolves the crisis in the country."

Earlier today, the Secretary-General of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq movement, Qais Khazali, called on the supreme Shiite authority, Ali al-Sistani, to intervene and solve the "dangerous" political situation in Iraq.

Al-Khazali said in his speech, "the attack that targeted the prime minister's house is serious and cannot be tolerated at all, and trying to accuse the resistance factions of it is nothing but playing with fire and an attempt to drag the country into a major crisis."

He added, "Al-Kadhimi was not present at his house when the alleged targeting was announced," noting, "Al-Kadhimi did not accept the involvement of resistance factions in the investigation, which makes things more suspicious."

"This is a message to the committee charged with investigating the alleged attack on al-Kadhimi's house... You must provide tangible, real evidence, not speculations, nor media and Facebook gossip, because the situation is intolerable."

Link

Iraq

Kataib Hezbollah dissolves militia following Sadr’s call

2021-11-20

[Rudaw] The hardline pro-Iran
Iran

...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites....
militia Kataib

Hezbollah announced on Friday the dissolution of one of its gangs, following a call from Shiite holy man Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival, al-Khoei, assassinated only a few hours after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry...
for militias to disband and leave all weapons in control of the state.

Abu Ali al-Askari, a senior Kataib Hezbollah official, said on Telegram that "in response to what was published by one of the friendly parties regarding the initiative to disband its military forces," his militia group has decided to dissolve its Saraya al-Difa al-Shaabi (Popular Defense Brigades), ordering it to "stop all its activities and close its headquarters."

When the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group (ISIS) seized controlled swathes of Syrian and Iraqi land in 2014, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for Iraqis to take up arms and defend the country. This paved the way for the formation militia groups under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi). The PMF has since been absorbed into the Iraqi security forces, but many of the militias operate outside of the control of the state and some are backed by Iran.

Sadr, whose movement won the most seats in last month’s parliamentary election and is set to lead the next government, on Thursday called on the militias to disband if they want to join his cabinet. Political parties affiliated with the pro-Iran militias did poorly in the election and their supporters have rejected the results and staged protests. Askari responded to Sadr saying that Kataib Hezbollah would give up their weapons only after Sadr’s gang, Saraya al-Salam, and the Kurdish Peshmerga did so.

On Friday, Sadr announced he was shutting down one of his brigades. "As a goodwill gesture from me, I announce the dissolution of the al-Yum al-Wuud [the Promised Day] Brigade, and the closure of their headquarters," he tweeted. He said the group had previously handed over its weapons and that anyone in the brigade who still has a weapon must turn it in within 48 hours.

"I hope this step will be the beginning of the dissolution of gangs as well as the handover of their weapons and closure of their bases," he said.

Askari said that the members of the disbanded Popular Defense Brigades will be embedded within the PMF and maintain their entitlements. He also said he hoped that Sadr would transfer control of his three brigades over to the PMF and "make understandings with the leaders of the Peshmerga to complete its dissolution and be embedded into the Iraqi security forces."

The Peshmerga have not immediately commented on Askari’s statement.

Link

Iraq

Iraqi forces kill one ISIS member during ‘infiltration attempt’ north of Baghdad

2021-09-29

[Rudaw] One Islamic State

...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) member was killed north of Baghdad on Monday during a security operation, state media reported.

The murderous Moslem was killed as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) thwarted an "infiltration attempt" by ISIS in Tarmiyah district, located about 50 kilometers north of the capital, the force told state media.

Both civilians and security forces are vulnerable to ISIS attacks in Tarmiyah. Locals say the murderous Moslem group regularly extorts the population and uses the area as a launchpad to target the nearby capital.

Four soldiers were killed in an IED explosion in the district in May. A security source blamed the attack on the terror group.

Iraqi forces launch frequent operations targeting ISIS remnants in the area. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced a new security operation last month.

ISIS seized control of swathes of Iraq in 2014. The group was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 but remains a threat, carrying out bombings, hit-and-run attacks, and abductions across several provinces.

The PMF also thwarted an ISIS "terrorist plot" in al-Hussainiya village, southwest of djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
, according to state media.

The force found bombs but were demolished before they were detonated.

The PMF is an umbrella network largely made up of Shiite militia groups that was formed in 2014 in response to a fatwa issued by Iraq’s most senior Shiite holy man, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, urging young Iraqis to take up arms against ISIS.

In the latest edition of its weekly propaganda magazine al-Nabaa, ISIS claimed it carried out 6 attacks in Iraq from September 17 to 23, killing and injuring 11 people.

Link

Iraq

PMF show off weaponry in parade for anniversary of founding

2021-06-27

[Rudaw] Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) held a parade northeast of Baghdad on Saturday morning to mark the seventh anniversary of their founding in the presence of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

"Today I attended the parade of our children from the Hashd al-Shaabi," Kadhimi tweeted after attending the event at Camp Ashraf in Diyala province, using the Arabic name of the PMF and mentioning he has also this year attended events for the army and the police.

"We emphasize that our work is done under the Iraqi flag and the protection of its soil and people is our duty," he added. "Yes for Iraq... Yes for a strong Iraq."

The PMF were formed when a group of militias responded to a call-to-arms from Shiite holy man Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to stand against the Islamic State

...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group (ISIS) as it swept across northern Iraq in 2014.

Numerous PMF brigades marched in the parade, including Shiite, Christian, and Yazidi, according to images and video shared by the PMF-linked Sabreen News on Telegram. An image of Abu Madhi al-Muhandis, the PMF commander killed alongside Iran’s General Qasem Soleimani in a US dronezap in Baghdad in January 2020, was carried in the parade.

The equipment on display showed the extent of the PMF’s military strength, including drones, tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery, rocket launchers, and boats.

Iraq’s National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji tweeted his congratulations to the PMF "for its glorious parade as it records in the pages of glory the most beautiful images of patriotism, professionalism and discipline."

"Greetings to every fighter in the Hashd [PMF], the army, the police, anti-terrorism forces and the Peshmerga," he added.

The PMF have been officially incorporated into the Iraqi security forces, but militias within their ranks operate outside of Baghdad’s control and receive support from Iran. These groups are blamed for liquidations of anti-government activists, and rocket and drone attacks on American interests around the country.

Hours before the PMF parade, multiple explosive-laden drones hit northeast of Erbil, a few kilometres from the site of the under-construction US consulate. No group has immediately grabbed credit.

Link

Iraq

How Iraq's Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi turned into an Iranian foreign policy instrument

2021-06-15

[ARABNEWS] It is seven years since their yellow flag first appeared in the campaign against ISIS, the hard boy group which seized swathes of northern Iraq and eastern Syria in 2014. After ISIS captured large parts of northern Iraq, including djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
, in 2014, the fighters of al-Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Forces, won the admiration of many Iraqis for heeding Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani’s call to arms.

Since then, the umbrella organization of mainly Shiite militias has, however, adopted a more sinister cause. Last month, a convoy of Hashd fighters mounted a show of strength in Baghdad’s Green Zone, the center of Iraq’s political life, and forced the country’s elected leaders to release Qassim Musleh, a Hashd commander close to Iran

Link

Iraq

PM Kadhimi promises to return 30,000 former PMF fighters to service

2021-05-14

Promises are easy. Resurrecting paid positions — especially when the Americans are leaving, taking all their lovely money with them — is hard.

[Rudaw] Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has promised to return former fighters of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or al-Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic) to service even if requires amendments to the entire budget law, state newspaper al-Sabah reported on Wednesday.

Kadhimi met with MPs representing the al-Fatih coalition, led by PMF leader Hadi al-Ameri.

According to al-Sabah, Kadhimi said that when his government prepared the budget law, it included budget allocations for the return of former PMF members whose contracts had been rescinded, but the parliament removed those allocations to reduce expenditure.

The PM directed the "formation of a working team from the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Finance and the [Popular] Mobilization Authority to reach a fair solution that guarantees a speedy return for them," it added.

"If the matter reaches a dead end legally, the budget law will be amended as soon as possible and sent to the parliament for another vote," Kadhimi said, adding that PMF fighters "have done a favor for this country."

The PMF was established in 2014 following a fatwa — of religious call to action — from Iraq’s highest Shiite religious authority, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, to fight the Islamic State

...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS).

Although the PMF has been brought under the umbrella of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and measures have been taken to fully integrate the units into Iraq’s official military apparatus, many continue to act independently, accused of committing human rights
...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty...
violations, along with corruption.

There are no official figures for the number of PMF fighters, but the PMF itself has said it numbers up to 150,000 people.

"The number of actual Hashd fighters is 48,0000, but their leaders receive the salaries of 130,000; a difference of 82,000!" Former MP Faeq al-Sheikh Ali tweeted in May 2020.

Dozens of PMF fighters who had their contracts rescinded organize limited-scale demonstrations from time to another in Baghdad and other provinces. When PMF head Faleh al-Fayyad announced in April that PMF salaries had been raised to 1.4 million dinars each (980$), protests began escalating.

On May 2, dozens of former PMF members demonstrated near the Finance Ministry building in Baghdad, and tried to break into it after clashing with security forces, which prompted the authorities to evacuate and close the building.

The former Iraqi government, headed by Haider al-Abadi, fired many PMF members due to their failure to serve during the battles against ISIS.

In May 2018, Abadi attacked the PMF, saying that there are "corrupt" leaders in it who tamper with the salaries of the PMF members, and do not allow the government to audit the numbers, records, and salaries of fighters and affiliates.

Qassim al-Zubaidi, a former PMF finance official, was assassinated in Baghdad in April 2018. After his death, Abadi revealed that he received a call from Zubaidi days before his liquidation, trying to reveal corruption in distribution of PMF salaries in the committee.

"Do the corrupt imagine that they are intimidating us? ... You will pay the price," Abadi said, promising to bring the corrupt to justice, but that never happened.

Link

Iraq

Iraqi militia threatens escalation of operations to expel US forces

2021-04-03

[Rudaw] The head of a powerful Iranian-backed Iraq militia vowed to continue and increase "resistance operations" with the goal of forcing American troops out of the country. th4 villainous-looking Qais al-Khazali

...... Iranian stooge, Secretary General of Persian proxy militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq, wannabe Nasrallah......
, the secretary-general of Asaib Ahl al-Haq and a subject of United States sanctions, made the comments in a speech on Thursday in Dhi Qar province, southern Iraq, just days ahead of strategic talks between Baghdad and Washington.

Armed factions opposed to US forces in Iraq will continue to "carry guns" in order to "end the US military occupation," said Khazali, according to media affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

"There is no way for American military bases to function in Iraq, not at Ain al-Assad base in Anbar, nor at Harir Base in Erbil, nor anywhere else," Khazali said.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq is part of the PMF, an umbrella network of Shiite militia groups that was formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) under a fatwa (decree) from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. A number of groups within its ranks are close to Iran. They frequently attack US positions throughout Iraq and are accused of committing human rights
One man's rights are another man's existential threat.
violations, including killing activists and protesters.

Khazali said that current operations "will continue and increase in quantity and quality if the United States does not agree to close the bases in western, central and northern Iraq."

"The north of Iraq belongs to Iraq only, not another country, and we will fight and sacrifice for it," he added, referring to the Kurdistan Region.

An annual human rights report released by the US State Department on Tuesday accused the Iraqi government of negligence in protecting its citizens and failing to take serious action against the militias.

The report accused Asaib Ahl al-Haq of illegally seizing state property. "Abu Nawas Theater, one of the oldest theaters in Baghdad, was seized by a pro-Iranian militia, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, in November to support its activities," the report stated.

On April 7, Baghdad and Washington are due to hold a new round of strategic talks that will touch on US force presence in Iraq, which the US says is solely focused on the counter-ISIS mission.

Link

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