Special Groups (Iraq)

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Special Groups
LeadersMuqtada al-Sadr

Qais al-Khazali

Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani

Abu Deraa
 †

Dates of operation2007–2011, 2014–present
HeadquartersSadr City, Baghdad
Active regionsBaghdad and southern Iraq
IdeologyShi'a Islamism
Iraqi nationalism
Size7,000+[1] (2011)
Part ofMahdi Army (until 2008)
Iraqi insurgency
AlliesMahdi Army
 Iran (claimed by US)
 Syria
 Hezbollah (claimed by US)
Opponents Coalition (until 2009)
 United States (until 2011)
Iraqi Security Forces (until 2011)
Sunni Insurgents
Free Syrian Army
Battles and warsIraq War, Iraqi Civil War, Iraqi insurgency, Syrian Civil War
Preceded by
Mahdi Army
Succeeded by
Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq
Kata'ib Hezbollah
Promised Day Brigades

Special Groups (SGs) is a designation given by the United States military to the cell-based Shi'a paramilitary organizations operating within Iraq, backed by Iran. According to the United States these groups are funded, trained, and armed by the Iranian Quds Force, part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to the United States Department of Defense, 603 American troops in total were confirmed to have been killed by IRGC-backed Shia militias (Special Groups) during the Iraq War.[2]

According to American General Kevin J. Bergner, the Special Groups receive between 750,000 and 3,000,000 dollars funding per month from the Quds Force.[3] These groups are separate from but allied with the Mahdi Army of Muqtada al-Sadr. The distinction between these groups and the Mahdi Army became more clear when al-Sadr called for a ceasefire at the end of August 2007 following Mahdi Army clashes with Iraqi Security Forces in Karbala but the Special Groups continued fighting. After the Mahdi Army's disbandment in 2008, the Promised Day Brigades emerged as its successor; however, the largest special group to emerge after the Iraq spring fighting of 2008 was Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (also known as the Qazali Network). According to the Guardian newspaper in March 2014, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq was controlled by Iran under Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in 2020.[4] Another large special group is Kata'ib Hezbollah (or Hezbollah Brigades) which started to operate independently from the Mahdi Army and the other Special Groups. Suspected leaders include Qais al-Khazali, , , Azhar al Dulaimi, , Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Abu Deraa.

History[]

Ever since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has sought to back Shia Islamist paramilitary organizations across the Middle East. Many have been very close to the Iranian state, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, like the Movement of Vanguard Missionaries and the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). During the Iran–Iraq War many of these groups fought for Iran, with SCIRI's Badr Brigade being led by Iranian officers. After the US overthrow of Saddam Hussein, these Iranian-led militia men returned to Iraq where they retained their autonomy and Iran continued to support Shia Islamist paramilitaries.

In February 2010, Asaib Ahl al-Haq kidnapped U.S. contractor Issa T. Salomi, a naturalized American from Iraq. They released a video of him where he read their demands, calling for the release of all the group's members, including several of the group's leaders who are currently imprisoned.[citation needed] Iran is supporting three Shiite extremist groups in Iraq that have been attempting to attack American bases, General Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said on July 21, 2010. The Iranians have "gone to a more sophisticated program with a smaller set of extremists" and are now focusing on three groups, which he identified as Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous), and the Promised Day Brigade.[5]

As of 2011, according to American officials, the Promised Day Brigades is the largest, with over 5,000 fighters, and pose the biggest long-term security threat to Iraq. Kata'ib Hezbollah is said to have around 1,000 fighters and is the most exclusively reliant on Iranian support. Asa'ib al-Haq is said to have less than 1,000 fighters as of 2011 and receives a reported 5 million per month in Iranian funding. The Promised Day Brigades is said to receive the least amount of Iranian funding and is the most independent of the three.[1]

Since the beginning of the Iraqi war against ISIS, the Special Groups have joined the Popular Mobilization Forces to fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Leaders[]

Name Group Rank Status
Muqtada al-Sadr Promised Day Brigade Spiritual Leader In Iran,[6] since 2006. Returned to Iraq in January 2011.[7]
Qais al-Khazali Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Leader Captured on March 20, 2007 in Basra,[8] released on January 5, 2010[9]
Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Deputy Leader Captured on March 20, 2007 in Basra,[8] released June 9, 2009[10]
Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Acting leader At large
Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani Sheibani Network Leader In Tehran, Iran, since 2008.[11] Returned to Iraq in September 2010.[12]
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis Kata'ib Hezbollah
Quds Force		 Top Advisor to Kata'ib Hezbollah
and Iran's Quds Force		 Killed in a U.S. drone strike on January 3, 2020
Azhar al Dulaimi Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Karbala Raid mastermind Killed May 18, 2007 by U.S. forces in Baghdad
Ali Musa Daqduq Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq
Hezbollah		 Top advisor to Qais al-Khazali
Head of Hezbollah operations in Iraq		 Captured on March 20, 2007 in Basra,[8] handed over to Iraqi authorities on December 15, 2011[13] Released November 2012.[14]
Sheibani Network Deputy Leader Captured on April 20, 2007[8]
Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq
(INC)		 Senior Commander
Political leader		 Captured on August 28, 2008,[15] released in August 2009[16]
[17] Promised Day Brigade Social Political Leader[18] At Large
Leader Killed on May 3, 2008 in Sadr City[17]
[17] Promised Day Brigade SG Sadr City Commander[19] At Large
[17] Promised Day Brigade Training In Iran, possibly returned to Sadr City[20]
Promised Day Brigade Rocket Specialist[17] At Large
Own Group[21] Leader At Large[22]
Sheikh Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq
(Sadr Movement)		 Financer[17]
Political/Religious leader		 Arrested January 10, 2007,[23] released 26 June 2009[24]
Abu Deraa Own Group
AAH since 2010		 Leader
High-level commander		 Fled to Iran in late 2008. Returned to Iraq in on 20 August 2010.[25]
Own Group in Maysan Leader At Large[26]
unknown Local commander (Wasit) Detained on 23 January 2009[27]
Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Cleric At large[28]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "US officials name 3 Iraqi militias armed by Iran to kill yanks". Iran Times. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  2. ^ https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2019/04/04/iran-killed-more-us-troops-in-iraq-than-previously-known-pentagon-says/
  3. ^ "The Official Website - United States Forces – Iraq". Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  4. ^ Controlled by Iran, the deadly militia recruiting Iraq's men to die in Syria, The Guardian, 12 March 2014
  5. ^ [1] Archived July 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Armed Iraqis Wary of Security Plan". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  7. ^ "Al-Sadr back in Iraq stronghold". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Press Briefing, July 2". Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  9. ^ "Iraq frees militant linked to British hostages". U-T San Diego. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  10. ^ Martin Chulov (9 June 2009). "US frees Shia militant linked to British hostages in Iraq". the Guardian. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  11. ^ United States Department of the Treasury Treasury Designates Individuals, Entity Fueling Iraqi Insurgency Archived 2010-05-28 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Iraq: Return of Sheibani's killer squads". UPI. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  13. ^ Lake, Eli (17 December 2011). "U.S. Turns Over Terrorism Suspect Ali Musa Daqduq to Iraq". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  14. ^ Gordon, Michael (16 November 2012). "Against U.S. Wishes, Iraq Releases Man Accused of Killing American Soldiers". NY Times. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  15. ^ "Iraq official: U.S. forces arrest Ali al-Lami". Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  16. ^ "U.S. general: 2 Iraqi election chiefs linked to Iran". The Washington Times. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "US military killed Mahdi Army commander Arkan Hasnawi in May 3 strike". 21 May 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  18. ^ Bolton, Kent (2008-05-21). "Hydrablog: U.S. Deploys a Purpose-Driven Distinction". Hydrablog.csusm.edu. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
  19. ^ "Foundation for Defense of Democracies". Defenddemocracy.org. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
  20. ^ "Kuwait Times - Leading English Daily in Kuwait". Kuwait Times. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  21. ^ "US: Shiite 'Special Group' Responsible For Deadly Baghdad Car Bomb". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  22. ^ "Rogue Iraq militia 'ordered bomb'". Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  23. ^ "U.S., Iraqi forces arrest top aide to al-Sadr". NBC News. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  24. ^ "Sadrists Deny Negotiating with US". Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
  25. ^ Al, Asharq (2015-02-25). "ASHARQ AL-AWSAT". Aawsat.com. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
  26. ^ John J. Lumpkin. "Ahmad Abu Sajad al-Gharawi Iraqi insurgency Cell Leader". Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  27. ^ "Special Groups leader detained in Wassit : Aswat Al Iraq". Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  28. ^ "Religious Allegiances among Pro-Iranian Special Groups in Iraq - Combating Terrorism Center at West Point". Retrieved 7 November 2014.

External links[]

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