1. The death of Sayyed Mohammad Saeed al-Hakim has evoked animosity between the followers of Muqtada al-Sadr and the muqawama. Hakim is on record describing Muqtada al-Sadr “an unruly, lowborn child”. After Hakim passed some Sadr followers celebrated which angered the muqawama.
2. Ahmad al-Thawwaq, an influential muqawama social media character who is increasingly getting closer to Kataib Hezbollah tweeted: “two [characters/movements] are not going to be able to change two [people]....
3. ...the Sadrist movement after yesterday's posts on the marja [Hakim] will no longer be able to persuade any Shia to elect the Sadrist bloc”.
4. Tamar Ali (aka Ibn al-Skeit), an influential KH social media figure, was much harsher. He said in a Facebook post: “Day after day, it becomes clear to us that there is an entity in the body of the southern people [the Shia] that needs to be eradicated...
5. ...To treat [this cancer] falls on all of us, whether through media activities, elections or [our] political stance because the presence of this intruder is harmful to the nation”. Some muqawama people commented on his post by asking for a new 'sawla' [onslaught].
6. This is a reference to Nouri al-Maliki's military campaign in 2008 called 'amaliyat sawlat al-forsan (the operation the Khight's onslaught) which targeted the Sadrist Jaysh al-Mahdi in Basra.
7. Interestingly Sayyed Mohammad Saeed al-Hakim was famously advocating an non-political Shia Islam. It is true that the muqawama largely avoid offending the main Najaf marjas but they also find in this an opportunity to attack their Sadrists rivals, a month before the elections.
8. Thawwaq’s tweet is a clear attempt to steer Shia votes from the Sadrists. But the Sadrists are running one of the best election campaigns in Iraq, so he might be disappointed. END.
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1. The Sadrists are stepping up their election campaign. A few days ago they launched their mobile app, al-Tayar on both android and IOS. The app provides a few services for supporters of the Sadrist movement. It gives them details of their constituency.
2. A GPS service to find the correct polling stations, name of the Sadrist candidate in their constituency, instructions on needed documents and how to vote, etc.
3. This is very important, as according to the new Iraqi election law, each governorate has been divided into a few electoral districts, meaning that voters must find the right polling station within their area or they’re not allowed to vote.
1. In one of his muharram speeches, Hamid al-Yaseri, the leader of Sistani-affiliated Hashd brigade, Ansar al-Marjaiya delivered a stinging rebuke to Iran-backed militias (muqawama) in Iraq. He starts his speech by saying that “Imam Hussein is pure white truth, devoid of…
2. ... falsity, deception, fraud and betrayal”. Yaseri is setting the scene for his attack on the muqawama. He goes on to emphasize on loyalty to one's homeland: Imam Hussien “taught us how to belong to [our] homelands, taught us the concept of love for your country…
3. ... taught us how to be loyal to your country, taught us that whoever breathes the air of his country, and benefits from his country’s bounties, their eye, heart and breath will never yearn for whatever is beyond the borders of this homeland”.
1. The election war between Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq is full on! Today Jawad al-Talibawi, the military spokesman for AAH attacked the KH commander and Hashd’s chief of staff, Abu Fadak al-Muhammadawi for appointing the son of Iraq’s defence minister…
2. ...Juma Inad as the commander of a regiment in Sunni Hashd. Talibawi said in a message: “tbeing the Hashd’s chief of staff and a successor for the martyr leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis bear you a bigger responsibility to take the right decisions and avoid…
3. ... appeasing [others] when it’s at the cost of the blood of the martyrs, or even worse to the benefit of enemies of Hashd. Let me be frank with you! Your decision to appoint son of someone who accused the holy Hashd of having a secondary role in liberating Iraq from ISIS…
1. Kataib Hezbollah’s senior leader, Hossein Mowanes has established his own party (Harakat Hoquq-the rights movement) and intends to run for elections. This is big news, as it’s the first time a KH leader runs for elections. This could potentially disperse votes of the muqawama.
2. The muqawama vote could be divided among Fath (Badr, AAH, Jund al-Imam, etc.), Maliki’s state of law and Mowanese’s the Rights Movement. Mowanes gave his first long TV interview a few days ago in which he made some interesting points.
3. He says: “there is a big political vacuum and disappointment towards our people… I… established this movement to address part of this frustration…”. Here Mowanes is questioning Fath’s performance and offering himself as an alternative.
1. The inclusion of Q al-Araji, Iraqi National Security Adviser & prominent Badr leader in the Iraq-U.S. strategic dialogue has revealed some v interesting dynamics within the muqawama. Known muqawama leaders attack PM Kadhimi and FM Hussein for not pushing for a U.S. withdrawal.
2. But muqawama figures who assume no official roles are less subtle and include Araji in their criticism in one way or another. Tamar Ali aka Ibn al-Skeit, an influential KH media figure, posted an image of a dialogue meeting with Araji sitting in a prominent place and said...
3. ...“All those present as Iraq’s representatives… are more enthusiastic about U.S. presence than the Americans themselves". This indirect attack on Araji is nothing compared to a direct onslaught Ibn al-Skeit launched against Hadi al-Ameri, head of Badr, just a few days ago.
1. Does the Quds Force retain command & control over Iraqi Shia militias? This has turned to the million dollar question. We hear contradicting stories. Reuters quotes three militia sources and two Iraqi security sources saying that…reuters.com/world/middle-e…
2 ...Hossein Taeb, the IRGC intelligence chief met with Iraqi militia leaders and urged them "to step up attacks on U.S. targets”. Amwaj reports about the same meeting but quotes its own sources saying that the Shia“ factions do not "obey" Iran! amwaj.media/article/exclus…
3. A few days ago the AP quoted militia and political leaders saying militias tend to disobey Qaani. Then, @nafisehkBBC quoted an Iraqi official saying: Qaani “orders and says the last word… and doesn’t let them argue much”! bit.ly/2UGnsIC