The Shia crescendo: Shia militias are proliferating in the Middle East

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shiite influence  mapLITTLE more than a decade ago King Abdullah II of Jordan sounded a warning that America’s toppling of Saddam Hussein in Iraq would lead to the emergence of an Iranian-influenced “Shia crescent”—code for Iranian expansion—from Lebanon to Saudi Arabia. His words were dismissed as alarmist. Now, though, that vision might be coming about. As Arab states have broken up, the void has been filled not only by the Sunni jihadists of Islamic State (IS) but also by the makings of a transnational Shia force backed by Iran.

Iran’s allies are propping up Bashar Assad in Syria, halting the advance of IS in Iraq and spreading Iranian influence in Yemen. More important is that once-disparate armed groups are now communicating and fighting side-by-side, giving the impression of a cross-border Shia-flavoured movement.

The most visible signs of emerging Shia power in the Arab world are in Iraq, where an assortment of Shia militias is leading the battle against IS. The main fighting is now taking place in the Sunni heartland in Tikrit, the tribal centre of the former dictator, Saddam Hussein (see map). Hizbullah, the strongest militia in Lebanon and the country’s dominant political force, gained many admirers as the most effective enemy of Israel. But it has moved large numbers of men into neighbouring Syria, to push back Sunnis seeking to topple the regime of Bashar Assad. Some have deployed on the Golan Heights, extending the front against Israel. Hizbullah is also reaching into Iraq, where it has provided explosives experts to help train and advise local Shia militiamen.
In Iraq the fighting is being co-ordinated mainly by Iran, notably by Qassem Suleimani, the chief of Iran’s elite al-Quds branch of the Revolutionary Guard. In Syria Iranians have helped train the paramilitary National Defence Force (NDF), which musters some 100,000 fighters from various sects. They also helped create Shia militias made up of foreign fighters and joint command centres in Iraq and Syria. The links between militias are fluid, with members moving from one to another. The Abo Fadl Al-Abbas militia in Syria, for instance, is headed by Aws al-Khafaji, an Iraqi Shia who crossed into Syria after American troops toppled Saddam.

Many Shia militias claim simply to be defending Shia holy sites. In his office in the Baghdad district of Karrada, Mr Khafaji claims his men in Syria are not fighting for Mr Assad. But the militias’ role goes far beyond the shrines. Hizbullah people make no bones about controlling southern Syria, on the Israeli border. They hint that the land will not be given back to Mr Assad. A Hizbullah commander says that in Syria Hizbullah calls the shots. “Each country is a separate operation, but the goal is one,” says a commander of a militia brigade in Syria. Mr Khafaji hopes eventually for “a Guards of the Shia Revolution, one force across the whole region.”

That may be fanciful. Hizbullah fighters are contemptuous of their Shia comrades elsewhere. “Hizbullah follows the Koran; our men have a role, tactics and a plan,” says the brigade commander. He calls some Iraqi militias “extremists” and criticises their brutality.

Distrust between Shia militias and some of their allies is rife, partly because of sectarian differences. Hizbullah says that, in some cases, Mr Assad’s Sunni pilots have bombed the positions of their Shia allies. Western governments have generally viewed Shia militias as less of a worry than their Sunni counterparts, though they are often as bloody. One reason is that they do not yet target Westerners. Nonetheless, Shia militias are exacerbating violence across the region. Though Iran does also back some non-Shia or mixed groups, including the Iraqi Kurds, Palestine’s Hamas and the NDF, its actions are generally becoming more sectarian.

Iraq's top Shiite religious authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. blasted the remarks made by Iranian Presidential Special Adviser for Religious and Ethnic Minorities’ Affairs Ali Younesi about Iraqi sovereignty
Iraq’s top Shiite religious authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. blasted the remarks made by Iranian Presidential Special Adviser for Religious and Ethnic Minorities’ Affairs Ali Younesi about Iraqi sovereignty

The ubiquity of Iranian proxies across the Middle East places America in an awkward position. In Iraq, its air strikes are supporting the Shia militias fighting in Tikrit. In Yemen, though, America is offering logistical and intelligence support to Saudi-led forces against Shia Houthis.

Iran and its proxies risk spreading themselves too thin. Sunnis outnumber Shias by nine to one. Disgruntlement is rising, and not just among Sunnis. On March 13th Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s leading Shia cleric, warned Iran not to forget that Iraq is an independent state.

The Economist

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25 responses to “The Shia crescendo: Shia militias are proliferating in the Middle East”

  1. wargame1 Avatar

    Shia crescent will be shoved up in the butt of the Majoos

    1. Anti ISIS Avatar
      Anti ISIS

      I sense a bit of jealously wargame, Can’t handle your brothers getting their asses kicked. Come on, give us another hadith or a prophecy. I feel like a laugh.

      1. wargame1 Avatar

        Abdullah ibn Hawalah said: The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “Matters will run their course until you become three armies: an army in AshSham (Syria), an army in ‘Iraq, and an army in theYemen.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, which one I should join ? ” He said: “You should go to AshSham, for it is the best of Allah’s lands, and the best of His servants will be drawn to there. If you do not (go to AshSham), go to the Yemen and drink from its wells. For Allah has guaranteed me that He will look after AshSham and its people.” (Abu Dawud)

        ——————————————————–
        The Army of Yemen is about to happen as we had the FSA and the Iraqi Sunni rebel and now Yemeni force are getting ready. Once this happen you will find all the sit strategy start backfiring.
        p.s. Iraqi Daesh Dogs represent the Banul Abbas and the Khawarij. There is a real sunni army who are at the moment quiet just as the FSA was quiet for a while when the Daesh dogs came in to Syria.

        1. scary prophecy

          1. Anti ISIS Avatar
            Anti ISIS

            Not as scary as your mama.

        2. Reasonableman Avatar
          Reasonableman

          ALLAHU AKBAR things ate escalating very quickly!

          The americans lead the shia in so now there will finally be the face off. Sunni vs shia

        3. Anti ISIS Avatar
          Anti ISIS

          There you go, thankyou. I love the part when you say this guy said that this guy said that this guy said that the Prophet said.
          What I love even more is you believe this BULLSHIT.
          Whats even more funny is you have 3 likes. Which tells me you are not alone in this delusion.

          1. 5thDrawer Avatar
            5thDrawer

            Too many simply dream a life away …

      2. Your jealous coz your wife hasn’t had time to pay you attention coz she’s busy performing jihad nikka with every hezbo. I heard even all the masses of dead hezbos still get some fondling by her

        1. Anti ISIS Avatar
          Anti ISIS

          I get it, you miss my testicles. Open wide O, just like your mummy dear opens.

          1. Hind Abyad Avatar
            Hind Abyad

            How many times must we read this …”cause” yali banana sounds more like Saturday night live

            “Your jealous coz your wife hasn’t had time to pay you attention coz she’s busy performing jihad nikka with every hezbo. I heard even all the masses of dead hezbos still get some fondling by her”
            Reply-Share ›

          2. 5thDrawer Avatar
            5thDrawer

            (wow … did I miss one? )

          3. Don’t worry commandant, shitblower will give you its one sided report

  2. “Sunni jihadists of Islamic State (IS) but also by the makings of a transnational Shia force”

    So Sunnis are “jihadists” but shites are “transnational Shia force”

    I love reading such fair and honest reporting.
    Like I said earlier, yalibnan is sounding more and more like presstv.

  3. How could I possibly miss something that is non existent? Similar to your non existent education.
    Practicing taqqiya again!

    1. Rudy1947 Avatar

      Talking to ghosts again?

      1. Giving me attention again?
        Thank you, you make me feel so special.

        1. Rudy1947 Avatar

          Sure , I’m just trying to help.

          1. Are you a ghost?

          2. Rudy1947 Avatar

            Boo!

          3. Oooo
            You scared me.
            Anyways you are boring me now. Time to put away your toys.

  4. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Wait a minute ….
    “Shia crescendo; Shia crescent; Shia militias; Shia force; Shia-flavoured; Shia power; Shia Revolution; Shia comrades; Shia Houthis; Shia cleric..” …. Was this a bloody advertisement??

    1. “Bloody” being the key word.

  5. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Let’s just make sure there’s a battle group at Gibraltar, and two in the Indian Ocean …. and ‘Let ’em Go to it’.

  6. wargame1 Avatar

    Eastern Fitnah (tribulation) coming from Iran Iraq (East)
    Narrated from Ka’b bin Alqama : “There will be, after the Fitna (trouble) in AshSham (Syria), an eastern one (Fitna) which will be the devastation of the kings and the humiliation of the Arabs, until the people of the Maghrib come out.” (Nuaim bin Hammad, Kitab al-Fitan, No. 53)
    People of Magreb = People of the West. Now it may refer to the people of Morocco Tunisia Algeria which is usually in one word as Magreb.

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