IMIS form “The Mujahideen Alliance” to contest next Iraqi elections
December 05 2017 05:06 PM
.Middle East Institute
With the fight against ISIS in Iraq almost over, Iran’s allies within the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (or Iranian militia in Iraq and Syria IMIS) are gearing up for next year’s parliamentary elections, Middle East Institute reported.
In the latest effort, several Iranian-backed groups led by the Badr Organization have formed a new political bloc, tentatively called the "The Mujahideen Alliance." In addition, the new alliance consists of pro-Iranian and anti-American groups Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, Harakat al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Hezbollah, Kata’ib Jund al-Imam, Kata’ib al-Tiar al-Rasali. It will also try to incorporate Sunni tribal groups from western Iraq.
Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq Spokesman Laith al-Adthari said that "there is a mutual understanding between the forces that participated in the defense of the nation" and added they are open "to all blocs and political factions" but that "the initial factions will be those that defended the soil of the homeland." Karim al-Nouri, a commander and spokesman of the Badr Organization, said the details of the new Mujahideen Alliance, made up of eight P.M.F. groups, are currently unclear, but insisted that "there will certainly be no alliance with the State of Law coalition.”
Ahmed al-Asadi, who just resigned as P.M.F. spokesman, will serve as the spokesperson for the new political alliance. Asadi’s Kata'ib Jund al-Imam is part of the coalition.
The Iraqi newspaper, Al-Jarida wrote that the Mujahideen Alliance is an Iranian effort to impose its will on Iraq as the war against ISIS is coming to an end. It added that the Badr Organization, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, and Harakat al-Nujaba "constitute the nucleus of the Mujahideen Alliance.”
Comment: The Iraqi government has announced that it will hold the parliamentary and provincial elections on May 15 next year. The participation of the P.M.F. groups will likely trigger controversy in the elections. While leaders of the P.M.F. groups may resign from their official positions, they will still be indirectly in charge of the military wing of their respective groups.
In a meeting on Wednesday, the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš, and Iraq’s top Shiite authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, agreed that the P.M.F. should not be involved in the elections. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has also recently banned militia leaders from participating in the vote.
The P.M.F. consists of militia forces largely from Shiite but also other Iraqi ethnic and religious groups. While some units within the alliance are Iraqi nationalists and follow Sistani, many prominent units have close ties with the Iranian clerical establishment and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. Despite P.M.F.’s diversity, it is the Iran-backed militia units within the coalition – such as Kata'ib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, the Badr Organization – that wield significant influence over Iraqi security and politics. Many of these groups have also engaged in deadly attacks against American troops in Iraq.
Opposition media reports that there were clashes between Hezbollah and Assad regime forces near al-Harra in the south of the country. Apparently there were disagreements between Hezbollah and regime officers over attack plans on Zamrin and it erupted into clashes that caused deaths on both sides.
A force similar to the Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi has also been established in Syria and it has played a prominent role in the Syrian conflict. But it is up to the Syrian government whether it wants to legalize and recognize it. We cannot impose on them. In Iraq, the popular forces were legalized and appreciated… Bashar al-Assad values these forces and our analysis is that these forces will be legalized in Syria in the future.
December 05 2017 05:06 PM
.Middle East Institute
With the fight against ISIS in Iraq almost over, Iran’s allies within the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (or Iranian militia in Iraq and Syria IMIS) are gearing up for next year’s parliamentary elections, Middle East Institute reported.
In the latest effort, several Iranian-backed groups led by the Badr Organization have formed a new political bloc, tentatively called the "The Mujahideen Alliance." In addition, the new alliance consists of pro-Iranian and anti-American groups Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, Harakat al-Nujaba, Kata’ib Hezbollah, Kata’ib Jund al-Imam, Kata’ib al-Tiar al-Rasali. It will also try to incorporate Sunni tribal groups from western Iraq.
Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq Spokesman Laith al-Adthari said that "there is a mutual understanding between the forces that participated in the defense of the nation" and added they are open "to all blocs and political factions" but that "the initial factions will be those that defended the soil of the homeland." Karim al-Nouri, a commander and spokesman of the Badr Organization, said the details of the new Mujahideen Alliance, made up of eight P.M.F. groups, are currently unclear, but insisted that "there will certainly be no alliance with the State of Law coalition.”
Ahmed al-Asadi, who just resigned as P.M.F. spokesman, will serve as the spokesperson for the new political alliance. Asadi’s Kata'ib Jund al-Imam is part of the coalition.
The Iraqi newspaper, Al-Jarida wrote that the Mujahideen Alliance is an Iranian effort to impose its will on Iraq as the war against ISIS is coming to an end. It added that the Badr Organization, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, and Harakat al-Nujaba "constitute the nucleus of the Mujahideen Alliance.”
Comment: The Iraqi government has announced that it will hold the parliamentary and provincial elections on May 15 next year. The participation of the P.M.F. groups will likely trigger controversy in the elections. While leaders of the P.M.F. groups may resign from their official positions, they will still be indirectly in charge of the military wing of their respective groups.
In a meeting on Wednesday, the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš, and Iraq’s top Shiite authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, agreed that the P.M.F. should not be involved in the elections. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has also recently banned militia leaders from participating in the vote.
The P.M.F. consists of militia forces largely from Shiite but also other Iraqi ethnic and religious groups. While some units within the alliance are Iraqi nationalists and follow Sistani, many prominent units have close ties with the Iranian clerical establishment and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. Despite P.M.F.’s diversity, it is the Iran-backed militia units within the coalition – such as Kata'ib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, the Badr Organization – that wield significant influence over Iraqi security and politics. Many of these groups have also engaged in deadly attacks against American troops in Iraq.
Opposition media reports that there were clashes between Hezbollah and Assad regime forces near al-Harra in the south of the country. Apparently there were disagreements between Hezbollah and regime officers over attack plans on Zamrin and it erupted into clashes that caused deaths on both sides.
A force similar to the Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi has also been established in Syria and it has played a prominent role in the Syrian conflict. But it is up to the Syrian government whether it wants to legalize and recognize it. We cannot impose on them. In Iraq, the popular forces were legalized and appreciated… Bashar al-Assad values these forces and our analysis is that these forces will be legalized in Syria in the future.
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