
Reports & AnalyticsWashingtonbreakingISISShiite factionsMustafa Al-Kazemi 2021-07-31 14:38A-AA+
Shafaq News/ The American “Brookings Institution” called for starting to deal with Shiite militias in Iraq in a similar way to the way ISIS was treated, and to develop policies accordingly to make its “fighting” sustainable and verifiable.
The American report, translated by Shafak News Agency, indicated; Washington’s counter-terrorism strategy in Iraq focuses on seeking to permanently defeat ISIS, adding that the United States, like Iraq, is also mired in a war with militias allied with Iran, as its bases in Iraq were attacked seven times during the month of July alone.
The report pointed out that Washington tried to find ways to confront the Shiite militias and their branches, but it indicated that the integration of these forces into the Iraqi political system and society did not facilitate dealing with them using tools such as those used to confront ISIS.
After stressing the importance of defeating ISIS, the report pointed out that the organization’s ability to survive was linked to “the continued dominance of Shiite militias linked to Iran, which directly undermine the government by attacking its security forces,” adding that the forces acting as a proxy for Iran are responsible for the killing. More than 600 Iraqis, thousands of protesters wounded, activists murdered or kidnapped, and Iraq “turned into a republic of fear.”
Therefore, the American Institute report called for “formally treating the Shiite militias linked to Iran as equal to ISIS and developing policies accordingly, so that the United States and its allies can begin the process of developing standards to combat these groups in a sustainable and viable manner.”
The report pointed out that senior Iraqi officials began classifying the attacks launched by these militias as “terrorism”, while the Biden administration struck the militias at least twice. The report described this change in the Iraqi tone, and the proportionate US strikes, as “welcome”, but added that formally dealing with the militias allied to Iran as “equivalent to ISIS, it will create a sense of the direction and purpose of future US military responses to militia attacks, in addition to To the broader issue of how Washington deals with Iranian proxies, which is a signal of non-existent intentions, and could enhance American deterrence.
The report considered that the attacks of Iran’s proxies should not be treated as “anomalous cases or as indications of the collapse of the regime in Iraq, because this reduces the inevitability of containing these groups,” calling for dealing with “Iran’s proxy groups as the same problem and they are directly responsible.” about terrorism and turmoil in the country.
The report suggested reaching a grand bargain between the internal allies of the United States in order to “support their attempts to keep US forces in Iraq and conclude a buffer zone against the influence of Iran and its proxies.”
The report called on the United States to make it a priority to direct the Iraqi political parties allied with it, towards concluding this big deal that seems unlikely to be verified by them alone, explaining that Washington has helped the Kurdistan Regional Government and Baghdad to improve relations between them since Al-Kazemi and the Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani. his position.
He pointed out that making a broader effort depends on the values and goals that bind the actors allied with the United States and the establishment of sustainable mechanisms for settling disputes between them.
The American Institute concluded by saying that treating Iran’s proxies as equivalent to ISIS, along with the presence of a broad front allied with the United States in Iraq, would “enhance the credibility of the Biden administration and its negotiating hand with Iran, in nuclear negotiations and regional de-escalation efforts.”
While the report also called for expanded sanctions against individuals and forces allied to Iran to undermine its attempts to cross-party alliances, it was created to say that the United States may not be able to eliminate these groups and their infrastructure, but it can focus on individuals, rather than organizations, by stopping Funding and support for Iraqi institutions controlled or controlled by those individuals or groups linked to Iran.
He concluded by saying that Al-Kazemi, who he described as the prime minister of the “compromise” government, does not have a political base, and that the United States should help him secure an additional term, which is an opportunity that Washington and its allies must seize.