The Hashd are a composition of sectarian militias openly loyal to Iran. These include the Badr Brigade led by Hadi al-Amiri and whose deputy Mohammad Ghabban is currently the interior minister; Hizbollah; Kataa’ib Imam Ali; Assa’ib Ahl-al-Haqq amongst others. The Hashd have driven back ISIS forces in Tikrit, and have increasingly been called upon to compensate for the ill-equipped and demoralised Iraqi army which suffered under Maliki’s ten-year rule as he sought to prevent any possibility of a coup. However the group remains autonomous with attempts to bring them into the government fold in the form of a National Guard vehemently opposed by Iran.
No comments:
Post a Comment