Iran-Backed Militias Risk Dragging Iraq Deeper Into Regional Conflicts
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www.thearabweekly.com UK £2 Issue 162, Year 4 June 24, 2018 EU €2.50 Egypt’s al-Hezb Impact of US al-Comedy sanctions on spreads laughter Iran’s economy Page 22 Page 18 Iran-backed militias risk dragging Iraq deeper into regional conflicts ► The dual role that the Hezbollah Brigades plays in Syria is likely to undermine Iraqi and international efforts against ISIS. Mamoon Alabbasi has long been involved in the Syr- ian civil war, supporting the Assad regime in military operations that London were not directed against ISIS. It uses the term “sister groups” to re- raq’s Iran-backed Hezbollah fer to all rebels opposed to the As- Brigades militia has vowed sad regime. “a direct conflict” with Israel Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al- I and the United States after an Abadi prohibited militiamen from unclaimed air strike killed 22 of its taking part in the Syrian civil war fighters in Syria, a development but the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, that is likely to escalate regional whose top diplomat, Ibrahim al- tensions. Jaafari, often takes pro-Tehran “This crime and this blood will stances, insisted that Hezbollah open a direct conflict with that en- Brigades was in the border area as tity (Israel). We will not accept US part of anti-ISIS efforts. presence and will not allow Iraq Iraqi Vice-President Nuri al-Ma- to become American,” Hezbollah liki, another pro-Iran politician, Brigades spokesman Jaafar al-Hus- said the militia was on the Iraqi seini told Iran’s al-Alam satellite side of the border, contrary to what television. had been reported. “The strike tar- The US-led coalition against the geted the martyred mujahideen Islamic State (ISIS) denied carrying while they were on Iraqi territo- out air strikes in the Syrian town of ries, not Syrian territories,” Maliki al-Harra near the Iraqi border. An said during a funeral for the slain unidentified US official speaking militiamen. to Agence France-Presse, howev- Iraq has genuine concerns about er, implicated Israel. Israeli Prime attempts by ISIS to infiltrate its bor- Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had ders and has carried out air strikes vowed to take action against “mili- against jihadist targets across the tary presence by Iran and its prox- Syrian border. ies in Syria.” The dual role that the Hezbollah The Hezbollah Brigades, which Brigades plays in Syria, however, is listed as a terrorist group by is likely to undermine Iraqi and in- the United States, is part of Iraq’s ternational efforts against ISIS. Popular Mobilisation Forces. It has Many Sunni Syrians view the New spiral. Members of Iraq’s Hezbollah Brigades militia carry flags in front of portraits of fellow claimed it is on the Syrian border Hezbollah Brigades as a sectar- members who were killed in air raids 4 days earlier, on June 21. (AFP) to fight ISIS. ian militia group implicated in war “Our presence in the border be- crimes and, along with other Ira- tween Iraq and Syria, in particular, nian proxies, among the primary harm Iraq’s efforts to improve ties and has struck an alliance with with Iraqi police in Baghdad, re- is to chase and terminate ISIS rem- reasons for their suffering. with its neighbours. influential Shia cleric Muqtada al- kindling fears that Iraq’s militias nants in order to secure the Iraqi The militia’s presence in Syria is So far, Abadi has maintained a Sadr, whose bloc won a plurality of could behave as if they were above border. This has upset America likely to increase possibilities of it precarious balancing act to pre- seats. the law despite government at- and its illegitimate Zionist entity, being a target — whether intention- serve good international and re- Aside from the diplomatic front, tempts to rein them in. as well as their agents in the re- al or accidental — of US or Israeli air gional relations. That may be in the consequences of strengthen- gion because they are keen on pre- strikes, dragging Iraq further into jeopardy if Iraq’s next government ing the hands of militia leaders are Mamoon Alabbasi is Deputy serving ISIS and its sister groups,” its neighbour’s conflict. gives a prominent role to militia likely to have a destabilising effect, Managing Editor and Online Hezbollah Brigades said in a state- The militia has released inflam- leader Hadi al-Amiri, whose bloc nationally. Editor of The Arab Weekly. ment. matory statements against Saudi won the second-most parliamen- Two days after the air strike in The Shia militia group, however, Arabia and Turkey, which could tary seats in national elections Syria, Hezbollah Brigades clashed P2 Britain’s Coventry opens its doors to Iraqi refugees Arab teams after the World Cup Nazli Tarzi rebuild their lives,” Coventry Bish- said. Europe and more than 500, UNHCR op Christopher Cocksworth said in While the Atallah children more figures indicate, died crossing dur- March as he and community lead- easily adapt to drastic changes, ad- ing the last four months, a slight in- London ers celebrated the opening of the justment has been more difficult crease over a similar period in 2017. centre, which helps refugees who for the parents. Both take English Coventry’s vibrant civic society oventry, the city that gave fled war rebuild their lives. language courses, which they hope has been key to the social integra- the undraped Lady Godiva Welcoming “is in our very bones,” will boost their chances of employ- tion of both families and mindful its name and legacy, is a far Coventry Councillor Linda Bigham ment. Lara Atallah arrived in the of their religious backgrounds. Care C cry from the pockmarked said. United Kingdom with limited Eng- and empathy have gone a long way, skylines from which the city’s new- The Atallah family, Iraqi Chris- lish language skills; her husband is in the case of these families, who, est inhabitants escaped. In cooper- tians from Qaraqosh, was the first learning from scratch. as Barnett explained, will “be part ation with Westminster, local faith Iraqi family to be resettled under Abu Salim is a father of three of the new Coventry mosaic.” groups and the British Home Office, the government’s Vulnerable Chil- whose Muslim family was violently Iraqis, no different from the Syr- the West Midland city has reset- dren’s resettlement scheme, bring- expelled from Dhi Qar by sectarian ian, Somali, Afghan, Kurdish and tled the largest number of refugees ing an end to years of uncertainty forces. While optimistic for the fu- Iranian refugees Coventry hosts, crossing to Europe by sea. and bureaucratic limbo. ture his family can cultivate in Cov- add new layers of culture to a city The accommodation and hospi- Inside their modest home, Khalil entry, his delight was masked by a that was bombed during the blitz of tality the refugees have been shown and Lara Atallah spoke about their shadow of fear. They fled Dhi Qar the second world war. Their pres- is only a rerun of Coventry’s history, journey’s twists and turns. to Tikrit but were again back under ence was both visible and audible where my family and I settled, es- “We never imagined to leave threat from paramilitary groups. walking around the city, where very caping sanctioned-hit Iraq. Iraq,” said Lara Atallah, a mother of “Eventually we fled to Sulayman- few refugee families lived during Decades later, Iraqi victims of four, “but we defied the odds even iyah [in the Kurdish region of Iraq], the years I lived there. war, sectarian demolition and when humanitarian professionals then to Jordan and to Coventry,” he cleansing are flocking to the city. doubted our resettlement chances.” said. Nazli Tarzi is an independent History, it seems, has come full cir- Their village of al-Qosh, home to Despite having arrived a little journalist, whose writings and cle. 500 people, was destroyed by the over two months ago, Abu Salim films focus on Iraq’s ancient “Just like Coventry rebuilt itself Islamic State. used the words “honeymoon” to history and contemporary political after the second world war, Cov- “They left nothing. The fires con- describe his stay. scene. entry Refugee and Migrant Centre sumed our homes, agricultural land Since January 2012, 5,500 Syrians continues to help those fleeing war and rearing farms,” Khalil Atallah and 2,800 Iraqis have crossed into P17 Page 21 2 June 24, 2018 News & Analysis Syria Air strike on Iraqi border signals growing risks of Syrian conflict Simon Speakman Cordall condition of anonymity, one US of- ficial told Agence France-Presse: “We have reasons to believe it was Tunis an Israeli strike.” In keeping with its standing poli- n unclaimed air strike on a cies, Israel neither confirmed nor Syrian town near the Iraqi denied that it undertook the action. border opened a new chap- If correct, however, an Israeli A ter in the country’s intrac- strike so far from its border would table civil war. send a clear message to Beirut, Da- Syrian state news on June 18 cited mascus and Tehran that wherever a military source as saying that coa- pro-regime forces of Iran and its lition aircraft had attacked one of its auxiliaries operate in Syria, they positions in al-Harra, a settlement could be attacked. 3km from Abu Kamal and close to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin the Iraqi border. Netanyahu indicated as much 24 The UK-based Syrian Observatory hours before the strike, telling a Increasingly confident. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu speaks during a presentation in of Human Rights said the attack cabinet meeting: “Iran needs to Jerusalem, on June 14.