Diverse Shiite Militias Highlight Iraq Division

Diverse Shiite Militias Highlight Iraq Division
Iraqi Shiite fighters with the "Peace Brigades" patrol during a sand storm in Samarra, Iraq, July 12, 2014 (AP Photo/File).

Since the Sunni militant group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) took control of Mosul last month, Iraq has also seen an increase in clashes between Shiite militias and Iraqi security forces. In an email interview, Phillip Smyth, a researcher at the University of Maryland, discussed the growing threat of Shiite militias in Iraq.

WPR: What are the major Shiite militias in Iraq today, and what differentiates them from one another?

Phillip Smyth: Major Shiite militias in Iraq can be split into a number of different categories and groups. First among them are the Iranian proxy organizations: Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, The Badr Organization, Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba, Kata'ib Hizballah and Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada. There are smaller and newer organizations being created, but they do not have the same presence as these other five groups, which have combat experience in Syria and are reportedly engaged on most of the fronts in Iraq where there has been heavy fighting.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review