In early January 2016 the Islamic State carried out a double
bombing in Diyala’s Muqtadiya that left over a hundred casualties. The attack
targeted the Hashd, and in retaliation they went after the city’s Sunnis
burning and destroying buildings and killing civilians. The Iraqi government initially
did nothing, and then blamed gangs, while the Hashd said it was all the work of
insurgents. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both talked with
residents that confirmed that it was Shiite armed groups that were responsible
for the sectarian violence.
The Islamic State provoked the descent into chaos in
Muqtadiya. On January
11, the group set off two bombs at a café in the Asri neighborhood that left
46 dead and 55 wounded. Afterward elements of the Hashd carried out revenge
attacks in 9 neighborhoods, plus the town of Qubba. They drove cars around with
loudspeakers telling Sunnis to leave, while they destroyed buildings. Both
Amnesty and Human Rights Watch talked with locals who said that armed men came
to their houses and took away their relatives who later turned up dead or shot
them in front of their residences. Amnesty reported that many of these acts
took place in sight of the security forces that did nothing. The Hashd also killed
two reporters from Sharqiya TV that had just left Muqtadiya at a checkpoint
according to the station. In total, 8 houses, 12 mosques, 36 shops, and 43
people were killed in the days following the bombings. Human Rights Watch
was told that members of Badr and Asaib Ahl Al-Haq were responsible. This was
just the type of violence that the Islamic State was hoping to provoke. It has
played upon the sectarian divisions within the country, and is still hoping to
incite them.
While the revenge attacks were going on the Iraqi press and
most politicians said nothing, and afterward tried to blame other elements
besides the Hashd. A review of nearly twenty Iraqi newspapers showed only two
stories on the events in Muqtadiya the day it happened. Afterward, an array of
different parties were said to be behind the violence. The head of the city
council said it was unknown gunmen, Hadi Ameri the head of Badr who controls
Diyala claimed
it was Baathists, and some Hashd blamed the Islamic State. Prime Minister
Haidar Abadi eventually went to Muqtadiya and promised that the perpetrators
would be arrested, and blamed gangs. The police eventually arrested seven
people, but none of them were from the Hashd. The authorities were obviously
following the lead of the politicians who were trying to downplay the events.
The lack of coverage and the dodging of guilt revealed a lot
about the situation in Diyala, and Iraq in general. The province is under the
military and political control of Hadi Ameri. He is a powerful figure as his
Badr is part of the State of Law list, he is one of the major commanders in the
war against the Islamic State, and is close to Iran. His position was why the
security forces did nothing while the Hashd were attacking Sunnis, and why
there was almost a total press blackout on the situation while it was
happening. This is the predicament facing Iraq. It needs the Hashd to fight the
Islamic State, but the major elements are trying to carve out their own
position in the country to the detriment of the state and Premier Abadi. This
problem is not going to go away any time soon.
SOURCES
Alsumaria, “Abadi issued strict instructions to arrest the
aggressors on mosques,” 1/14/16
- “Popular crowd: Events in Muqdadiyah caused by
international community to destabilize the situation and nothing sectarian,”
1/14/16
Amnesty International, “Iraq: Militia war crimes in
Muqdadiya highlight authorities’ persistent failures to hold them to account,”
2/5/16
Human Rights Watch, “Iraq Possible War Crimes by Shia
Militia,” 1/31/16
Iraq News Network, “Parliamentary security: the formation of
a fact-finding committee to cause Diyala,” 1/14/16
National Iraqi News Network, “IEDs Injures Five Civilians In
East Of Baquba,” 1/13/16
New Sabah, “Salim al-Jabouri: State is endangered and
everyone is working for the stability of the province,” 1/13/16
Rasheed, Ahmed and Hameed, Saif, “Sunni MPs boycott Iraq
parliament and govt in protest at violence,” Reuters, 1/19/16
Sattar, Sardar, “Iraqi Sunnis Plea UN to Stop Shi’ite
Militia “Atrocities,”” Bas News, 1/14/16
Sotaliraq, “Amiri: targeting Sunnis is a crime and we will stand
against igniting sedition,” 1/16/16
- “Armed groups tell people of Muqdadiyah to choose between
leaving and death,” 1/13/16
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