The Antagonist Pro-Iranian Militias In The al-Hashd al-Shaabi As Sources Of Terror And Instability In Iraq

Abstract

The precarious political and security situation in Iraq in the post-2003 era led to unprecedented instability and a power vacuum in the country, which turned into an arena of regional competition between the USA and Iran. While the former had a widescale military presence, the latter exerted influence through support to certain Shiite political factions and militias. Following the U.S. military withdrawal in 2011, the deterioration of the security situation manifested itself more visibly when Daesh gained ground and captured Mosul, the second-biggest city in the country. With the crippled security sector unable to fight Daesh, the militias in the country were brought together under the umbrella of the “al-Hashd al-Shaabi”, which was funded and supported by the government. Proving instrumental in defeating Daesh, the al-Hashd al-Shaabi organization also involved pro-Iranian militias with anti-West agendas that had mainly been formed in the early times of the post-2003 era and later within the anti-Daesh movement. These pro-Iranian militias under the al-Hashd al-Shaabi have been posing threats within separate contexts to the U.S., Türkiye and the international organizations led by NATO operating in the security realm in the country. Shedding light on the evolution and dynamics of the al-Hashd al-Shaabi first, this study examines the antagonist pro-Iranian militias as sources of terrorism and instability and puts forward implications through an analytical approach.