Special Groups (Iraq)

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Special Groups
Participant in Iraq War
Active 2007–present
Leaders

Muqtada al-Sadr
Qais al-Khazali (POW)
Akram al Kabi
Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani
Ahmad Sajad al-Gharawi
Abu Deraa
Arkan Hasnawi †

Haydar al-Majidi
Headquarters Sadr City, Baghdad
Area of
operations		 Baghdad and southern Iraq
Strength 7,000+[1]
Part of Mahdi Army (until 2008)
Iraqi Insurgency
Originated as Mahdi Army
Became Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq
Kata'ib Hezbollah
Promised Day Brigades
Allies Mahdi Army
 Iran
 Syria
 North Korea
Opponents  United States and Coalition
Iraq Iraqi Security Forces
Sunni Insurgents
Syria Free Syrian Army
Battles/wars Iraq war, Civil War in Iraq, Iraqi Insurgency, Syrian Civil War
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Special Groups (SGs) is a designation given by the US military to the cell-based Shi'a insurgent groups operating within Iraq, backed by Iran. These groups are allegedly funded, trained, and armed by the Iranian Quds Force. 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.[2] These groups are separate from although possibly connected with the Jaish al Mahdi or Mahdi Army, of Muqtada al-Sadr. A distinction between these groups and the Mahdi Army has been maintained more clearly since al-Sadr called for a ceasefire at the end of August 2007 following Mahdi Army clashes with Iraqi Security Forces in Karbala, Iraq but the Special Groups continued fighting. After the disbanding of the Mahdi Army in 2008 its successor was announced as a group called the Brigade of Promised Day; however the largest special group which emerged after the Iraq spring fighting of 2008 was a group called the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq or Qazali Network. 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, Laith al-Khazali, Ali al-Lami, Azhar al Dulaimi, Akram al-Kabi, Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Abu Deraa.

In February 2010, the League of the Righteous kidnapped US military contractor Issa T. Salomi, a US citizen of Iraqi origin. 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.[3] Iran is supporting three Shiite extremist groups in Iraq that have been attempting to attack US bases, General Ray Odierno, the top US 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 Ketaib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous), and the Promise Day Brigade. [4]

Among the Special Groups the Promised Day Brigades is said to be the largest with over 5,000 fighters, they are also believed to pose the biggest long-term security threat to Iraq, by US officials. 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 every 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]

Leaders

Name Group Rank Status
Muqtada al-SadrPromised Day BrigadeSpiritual LeaderIn Iran,[5] since 2006. Returned to Iraq in January 2011.[6]
Qais al-KhazaliAsa'ib Ahl al-HaqLeaderCaptured on March 20, 2007 in Basra,[7] released on January 5, 2010[8]
Laith al-KhazaliAsa'ib Ahl al-HaqDeputy LeaderCaptured on March 20, 2007 in Basra,[7] released June 9, 2009[9]
Akram al-KabiAsa'ib Ahl al-HaqActing leaderAt large
Abu Mustafa al-SheibaniSheibani NetworkLeaderIn Tehran, Iran, since 2008,[10] returned to Iraq in September 2010.[11]
Abu Mahdi al-MuhandisKata'ib Hezbollah
Quds Force		Top Advisor to Kata'ib Hezbollah
and Iran's Quds Force		At large
Azhar al DulaimiAsa'ib Ahl al-HaqKarbala Raid mastermindKilled May 18, 2007 by US Forces in Baghdad
Ali Musa DaqduqAsa'ib Ahl al-Haq
Hezbollah		Top advisor to Qais al-Khazali
Head of Hezbollah operations in Iraq		Captured on March 20, 2007 in Basra,[7] handed over to Iraqi authorities on December 15, 2011[12]
Abu Yaser al-SheibaniSheibani NetworkDeputy LeaderCaptured on April 20, 2007[7]
Ali Faisal al-LamiAsa'ib Ahl al-Haq
(INC)		Senior Commander
Political leader		Captured on August 28, 2008,[13] released in August 2009[14]
Tahseen al Freiji[15]Promised Day BrigadeSocial Political Leader At Large
Akran HasnawiHasnawi NetworkLeaderKilled on May 3, 2008 in Sadr City[15]
Mahdi Khaddam Alawi al-Zirjawi[15]Promised Day BrigadeSG Sadr City Commander At Large
Baqir al-Sa'idi[15]Promised Day BrigadeTrainingIn Iran, possibly returned to Sadr City[16]
Jawad Kazim al TulaybaniPromised Day BrigadeRocket Specialist[15]At Large
Haydar Mehdi Khadum al-FawadiOwn Group[17]LeaderAt Large[18]
Sheikh Abd al-Hadi al-DarrajiAsa'ib Ahl al-Haq
(Sadr Movement)		Financer[15]
Political/Religious leader		Arrested January 10, 2007,[19] released 26 June 2009[20]
Abu DeraaOwn Group
AAH since 2010		Leader
High-level commander		Fled to Iran in late 2008. Returned to Iraq in on 20 August 2010.[21]
Ahmad Abu Sajad al-GharawiOwn Group in MaysanLeaderAt Large[22]
Mohamed al-ZameliunknownLocal commander (Wasit)Detained on 23 January 2009[23]
Muhammad al-TabatabaiAsa'ib Ahl al-HaqClericAt large[24]

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1
  2. ↑ http://www.usf-iraq.com/?option=com_content&task=view&id=12653&Itemid=128
  3. ↑ http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=118051&sectionid=351020201
  4. ↑ http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jCA6iGhsEI3i-z4hAG8Z2Cu4kV3Q
  5. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/14/AR2007021400450.html?nav=hcmodule
  6. ↑ http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/2011151418794320.html
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Press Briefing, July 2
  8. ↑ Iraq frees militant linked to British hostages
  9. ↑ US frees Shia militant linked to British hostages in Iraq
  10. ↑ United States Department of the Treasury Treasury Designates Individuals, Entity Fueling Iraqi Insurgency
  11. ↑ http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2010/09/30/Iraq-Return-of-Sheibanis-killer-squads/UPI-36301285859253/
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ Iraq official: U.S. forces arrest Ali al-Lami
  14. ↑ U.S. general: 2 Iraqi election chiefs linked to Iran
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 US military killed Mahdi Army commander Arkan Hasnawi in May 3 strike
  16. ↑
  17. ↑ US: Shiite 'Special Group' Responsible For Deadly Baghdad Car Bomb
  18. ↑ Rogue Iraq militia 'ordered bomb'
  19. ↑ U.S., Iraqi forces arrest top aide to al-Sadr
  20. ↑ Sadrists Deny Negotiating with US
  21. ↑ http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=22008
  22. ↑ Ahmad Abu Sajad al-Gharawi Iraqi insurgency Cell Leader
  23. ↑ http://en.aswataliraq.info/Default1.aspx?page=article_page&id=106850&l=1
  24. ↑ http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/religious-allegiances-among-pro-iranian-special-groups-in-iraq
Armed groups in the Iraq War
Insurgents Now-defunct Ba'athist rebels and insurgents Iraqi Armed Forces and Police Militias and others

Nationalist Salafies

  • Jaish al-Mujahideen
  • Mujahideen Battalions of the Salafi Group of Iraq
  • Islamic Salafist Boy Scout Battalions (Kataab Ashbal Al Islam Al Salafi)
  • Mohammad's Army (aka Jeish Muhammad)
    A guerrilla group opposed to the coalition forces, composed primarily of Sunnis believed to have Ba'athist ties.

Pan-Arab Nationalists

Salafist jihadism

Ba'athists
  • Iraqi Army
    The Iraqi Army, a component of the Iraqi Security Forces tasked with responsibility for all Iraqi land-based military operations following the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
  • Iraqi Air Force
  • Iraqi Police
    The Iraqi Police are the organic civil police force of the Republic of Iraq. The police have three main branches.
    1. Iraqi Police Service (IPS): Responsible for the day to day patrolling of cities around most crimes.
    2. National Police (NP): Paramilitary force for counterinsurgency, public-disorder and counter-terrorist tasks.
    3. Supporting Forces: Remaining police organizations, primarily the Department of Border Enforcement (DBE).
  • Facilities Protection Service
    A paramilitary force responsible for protecting government buildings and facilities.

Shia militias

  • Mahdi Army (Jaish-i-Mahdi) (جيش المهدي)
    The Mahdi Army is a militia force created by the Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June of 2003, disbanded in 2008.
  • Abu Deraa's Mahdi Army faction
    In the fall of 2006, Abu Deraa and his supporters formed their own militia.
  • Badr Organization (originally Badr Brigade/Bader Corps) (منظمة بدر)
    The armed wing of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (SCIRI).
  • Sheibani Network
    Smuggling network and Insurgent group, which both supplies other insurgents and attacks coalition and Iraqi forces.
  • Soldiers of Heaven
    an armed Iraqi Shi'a sect.
  • Special Groups (Iraq) Iranian-backed factions of the Mahdi Army which went on to become separate organisations which continued fighting after the Mahdi Army's disbanding.
    • Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous)
      The largest Special Group, led by Qais Khazali and later Akram al-Kabi.
    • Promised Day Brigades
      The Special Group which was created as successor of the Mahdi Army and continued activities against US and coalition forces
    • Kata'ib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades)
      The most notorious Special Group, it became completely independent from the Mahdi Army and other Special Groups.

Sunni militias


Kurdish militias

  • Peshmerga
    - term used by Kurds to refer to armed Kurdish fighters. The term is now officially used for the security forces of Iraqi Kurdistan.
  • Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK. A militant separatist organization which aims to set up an independent Kurdish state in Turkey. As of 2013 has bases in Iraqi Kurdistan's Qandil mountains.
  • Kurdistan Freedom Falcons or TAK. Radical splinter group from the PKK, currently residing in the Qandil mountains.
  • Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan or PJAK. A militant organization aiming to overthrow the Islamic government of Iran. As of 2013 taking refuge in the Qandil mountains.

Minority militias

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