Thread by @JackPosobiec

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

One of Iraq’s most powerful armed groups, the Badr Organization, was formed in 1982 by Iraqi exiles to fight Hussein with the support of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)

In turn, Tehran has benefited from its longstanding political, military and financial investments in Iraq

Shiite militias have now been institutionalized within Iraq’s armed forces and their leaders have also waded deeper into politics

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

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

If you remember Muqatada al Sadr and the Mahdi Army, this is what those guys are involved in now

Since 2014, the Shia PMF have set up offices and bases in Sunni areas

@HRW and @Amnesty have documented serious human rights violations by the militias against Sunni civilians

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

To be clear, these militias fought against ISIS, yes

For Iran

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

Congratulations to the neocons and neolibs who created this mess through their 'principled foreign policy' - Iran is very pleased with your work!