The fall of the Assad regime in Syria along with the incoming Trump administration is leading the Iraqi political class and Iran to question the future of the Hashd al-Shaabi.
At the start of January Iran’s Quds Force commander General Esmail Qaani made a secret visit to Baghdad where he discussed the Hashd. He suggested that the forces be integrated into the Iraqi army. This was in response to fears that the new Trump administration will target pro-Iran groups and will demand that they be disbanded. Iran wants the ruling Shiite parties in Baghdad to come up with a unified position on the Hashd so that they can keep their weapons but under a new guise. This will assure Tehran’s allies will maintain their positions within Iraq.
The ruling Coordination Framework made its own suggestion that members of the Iraqi Resistance who attacked U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria along with Israel be integrated into the Hashd. The Framework claims this will bring these troublesome groups under government control. The fact is the Resistance is already part of the Hashd and the pro-Iran groups do not listen to Baghdad but its own leaders and Iran.
The Resistance factions blamed for attacking Israel for instance were Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataib Hezbollah and Sayid al-Shuhada. They are all part of the Hashd and Kataib Hezbollah even has representatives in parliament. Being on the public payroll and participating in the government did not stop them from carrying out their assaults.
The Hashd were originally formed after the fall of Mosul when Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for the men of Iraq to join the security forces to protect the country from the Islamic State. This was supposed to support the police and army but they were disgraced and militias took advantage of the situation to get men to join their ranks. The Hashd were broken up into three main groups. The first were followers of existing Shiite leaders and parties such as Moqtada al-Sadr and the Iraqi Supreme Council. The second was groups loyal to the Shiite clerics in Najaf and Karabla. The third were the pro-Iran militias such as Asaib Ahl Al-Haq and Kataib Hezbollah who came to dominate the Hashd and the Hashd Commission. Factions within that last group make up the Iraqi Resistance.
It's hard to believe that anything substantial will be done anytime soon. Iraq is set for parliamentary elections this year and the exact stance of the Trump administration towards the Hashd is still unknown. When Washington states its policy will likely spur Iraq and Iran to respond not beforehand.
SOURCES
Al Aalem, “The factions and Sudani … Who determines whose fate?” 1/8/25
Bas News, “Iran Proposes Hashd al-Shaabi Integration Plan Amid Pressure,” 1/7/25
Al Mada, “After the Iranian Leader’s Speech … The Framework Conisders Merging Militias with the Popular Mobilization Forces," 1/12/25
Al-Sudani’s efforts to calm things down failed?” 10/7/24
No comments:
Post a Comment