Since the US invasion in 2003, Iranian influence has deepened in Iraq through a wide array of Shiite militias Several militia leaders and politicians spent years in exile in Tehran during Saddam Hussein’s reign
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In 2014 as Sunni ISIS captured wide swaths of territory including Mosul, the country’s second largest city, Iraq’s top Shia cleric, issued a a fatwa. Tens of thousands of mostly Shia men responded by joining the militias. More than 60 groups eventually merged as the PMF
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By 2015, the PMF had 60,000 fighters. In Nov 2016, Iraq’s legalized the PMF, a move supported by Shia but opposed by Sunnis The PMF “would constitute something that looks like Iran’s Revolutionary Guard,” Sunnis warned about their loyalty to Iran
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If you remember Muqatada al Sadr and the Mahdi Army, this is what those guys are involved in now
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In mid-2017, Supreme Leader Khamenei told the Iraqi Prime Minister not to weaken or disband the PMF under US pressure So, the Prime Minister made the PMF military units of Iraq
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To be clear, these militias fought against ISIS, yes For Iran
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The goal of the militias is to institute something called 'velayat-e faqih' What does this mean? They want to establish an Islamic Republic in Iraq, ruled by Shia mullahs, as exists in Iran
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Congratulations to the neocons and neolibs who created this mess through their 'principled foreign policy' - Iran is very pleased with your work!
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End of conversation
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This was helped along when GWB imposed a ban on Iraq military that had been Bath party members. Under Saddam all officers (sunnis) had to be Bath party members so the rule effectively handed power to the Shia and forced the sunnis into militias. Stupid.
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