Iran-backed Shi’ite Groups Seek Institutionalized Role in Post-IS Iraq

Shi’ite paramilitary groups aligned with Iran are attempting to retain their power by integrating into the Iraq’s political system.

What was initially thought of as a temporary set up to resist IS expansion in Iraq, is now positioning itself to become a permanent institution in the Iraqi system of government.

Leaders of the so-called PMF are now pushing the central government in Baghdad to recognize them as a part of the state’s defense system and provide its fighters with salaries and pensions.

.....groups such as Badr Organization, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, and Kata’ib Hezbollah are among the political wings that have gained permission to participate in the elections.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said it was time for the Iranian-backed militias and their Iranian advisers to “go home.”

Iraq is 2/3 shiite. Some of Shia Islam’s holiest sites are in Southern Iraq. Many in Southern Iraq religiously and culturally identify with Iran. There was a reason Saddam brutally suppressed the Shia in Iraq.

The US invasion broke open those flood-gates. Bush made US policy and soldiers hostage to Iran’s whims.

The majority of Shiite in Iraq are Arab, not Persian like Iran. They share a branch of Islam but are in other ways culturally distinct.

What is common between Iran and Iraq are the Shiite fundamentalists, in Iraq in the form of militias and merely in the religious sense as well.

But is hard to tell, other than Shiite militias (mostly all of the fundamentalist variety) how much of the non-militia Shiite Iraqis are fundamentalist or not. Iraqis of evrery stripe, Sunni, Shiite or other have generally been more secular minded than the Iranian Shiite fundamentalists. The other thing that seems evident is the Shiite politicians seem to be either fundamentalist in the majority, or a majority kowtow to the fundamentalists in their ranks (maybe they fear the militias).

The Shiite historical memory in Iraq has one other piece they never forget. At one time, after most all of Persia and most of Mesopotamia was of the Shiite sect, the Wahabi Sunni invaded from Arabia (1802-1805) and nearly took the Shiite holy city of Karbala - about 100 miles southwest of Baghdad. It was one of the bloodiest conflicts between the Shiite and the Sunni and one the Shiite, Arab or Persian, do not forget. It is part of what still cements the sectarian enmity between the sects.

That is all true, but from the Wahabi Sunni view it was Ottoman control in Mesopotamia they were attacking, and not as a sectarian attack against the Shiites there. Don’t ever expect Persian or Arab Shiite fundamentalists to view it that way. And don’t ever expect the Wahabi Sunni of Arabia to admit it was not an attack on Shiites in particular.

Their blood feuds continue today in proxy wars across the Middle East.

Voice of America is a US government propaganda service that was created during the Cold War to propagandize foreign countries. Outrageously, Congress and Obama overturned a long standing law that prohibited the government from directing propaganda at a domestic audience. Now we have direct government propaganda polluting the media.

Conservatives need to demand the law against domestic government propaganda be reinstated.

VOA is government funded, but has no government direction.

If you cannot specify what government direction you claim, perhaps you could aim your comments towards the news story posted.

It’s a little tired to be claiming big brother, dark forces, boogeymen, etc. are behind every published article and government action.

Thanks great article.

And still, as it said:

“Yet many of Iraq’s Persian-influenced citizens are neither loyal to nor fond of the government in Tehran. Many Shiites fought on Iraq’s side in the war against Iran. And most Iraqis who sought shelter in Iran during Hussein’s rule experienced hardship and bigotry.”

I think any Iraqi government that however it can encourages more secular themes in what the government does, and discourages extreme fundamentalism, may hit a common appreciation among both average Shiite and average Sunni and that may hold a majority of Shiite Iraqis OUT of the hold of the uber fundamentalist mullahs of Tehran.

The VOA is a government propaganda agency. That’s an objective fact and not up for debate. Everyone acknowledges that.

You admit that VOA is government funded but somehow claim it is independent. That’s logically absurd.

BTW, not addressing this guy, but Freepers in general...

The VOA pushes the same editorial line as Soros’ Open Societies organization. VOA has a liberal globalist editorial line that promotes gay rights and refugees and gives hostile coverage of European nationalists who want to stop the immigration invasion of their countires.

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