AP: Hezbollah’s training Shiite militias — inside Iraq
posted at 3:41 pm on July 1, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Any reason to believe this is true, aside from the fact that (a) Hezbollah officials have already been captured inside Iraq, (b) members of the Mahdi Army have admitted to training with Hezbollah, (c) per Petraeus’s testimony before Congress, Iran is trying to build an Iraqi version of Hezbollah, and (d) according to military sources quoted last month in the NYT, Hezbollah’s training Shiite militiamen in Iran? Yeah, actually: The two authors of the AP piece, Hamza Hendawi and Qassim Abdul-Zahra, also wrote the excellent, prescient AP story from March 2007 about rogue groups led by former Sadr aide Qais Khazali splintering off from the Mahdi Army. They were proved right in that case, to the point where Petraeus himself blamed the Khazali network a month later for the murder of five American soldiers during the infamous raid at Karbala.
They know what they’re talking about, in other words, but this is the AP so I can only quote sparingly.
Hezbollah instructors trained Shiite militiamen at remote camps in southern Iraq until three months ago when they slipped across the border to Iran — presumably to continue instruction on Iranian soil, according to two Shiite lawmakers and a top army officer…
The lawmakers belong to al-Sadr’s movement and were involved in the creation of the Mahdi Army in 2003. The military officer’s job gives him access to highly classified intelligence information.
They said Hezbollah began training Shiite militiamen in the second half of 2006 at two camps — Deir and Kutaiban — east of Basra near the Iranian border. They fled across the border in late March or early April this year after U.S.-backed Iraqi forces launched a crackdown against militias in Basra, Iraq’s second-largest city.
In Iran, training resumed in camps once used by Iraqi exiles who fought with Iranian forces during the 1980s war between the two countries, the lawmakers said. Instruction includes explosives, ambushes and use of rockets and mortars.
This would be a fine time to revisit what H.R. McMaster said about how badly one has to kid himself to believe Iran’s not hip-deep in sectarian warfare inside Iraq. The obvious question: What are Sadrist lawmakers doing dropping a dime on Hezbollah? Presumably it’s the JAM that’s the main beneficiary of Iran’s largesse; exposing Hezbollah’s influence inside the country only brings heat on their own guys. I can only guess either that the two sources here are disgruntled for whatever reason, that in fact it’s the Sadrists’ rivals in ISCI (a.k.a. SCIRI) that are really benefiting from Hezbollah’s presence, or the Sadrist leadership isn’t as chummy with Iran as it used to be. Remember, one of the big subplots in trying to manage the Shiite militias is figuring out which self-proclaimed Sadrist fighters actually answer to Sadr versus which ones answer to Iran and merely use the Sadr brand because it commands respect from Shiite nationalists. Sadr himself is sufficiently concerned about it as to have made that announcement recently advising Iraqis not to trust anyone calling himself a Mahdi Army fighter unless he’s part of a special elite unit Sadr’s busy putting together. The sources here may be working to further that end, exposing the “special groups” and how they operate to make it harder for them to operate and create headaches for the Sadrist leadership. If so, it tells you a lot where the militias stand right now vis-a-vis Iraqi public opinion.
Other morsels from the article, since I can’t quote: Hezbollah keeps its footprint inside Iraq light, never numbering more than 10 instructors at a time; Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah spends several hours a day dealing with matters related to Iraq, according to a Lebanese newspaper editor who’s “close” to the group; and it was Hezbollah, supposedly, that planned and supervised the Karbala raid carried out by the Khazali network, which would answer in part the lingering questions of why that operation, more so than any other Shiite militia attack, seemed unusually professional (the attackers spoke English, had American military uniforms, etc.). Oh, and then there’s this: “A senior Mahdi Army commander in Baghdad … said Hezbollah’s operations in Iraq had been supervised by Imad Mughniyeh, a top commander of the guerrilla group killed in a car bomb in Syria last February.” Is that idle boasting aimed at coopting the legacy of a revered Shiite superterrorist like Mughniyeh, or is there truth to it? Note that it wouldn’t be the first time someone claimed to see his fingerprints on the Mahdi Army.
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Shiite.
MB007 on July 1, 2008 at 3:45 PM
Seriously, how do you keep all these groups organized in your mind? Care to share your line up card? It was so much easier when it was just cowboys and Indians. Even though the Indians had all kinds of tribes that really wasn’t too important until the battle was over.
Just A Grunt on July 1, 2008 at 3:52 PM
Meathead!
phile on July 1, 2008 at 3:55 PM
Shockar!!
Ok, not at all. Anyone that would be at all surprised by this is not paying attention. Of course militant muslims are going to be involved in any way they can when there is fighting on “muslim” soil.
The Religion of War’s sole purpose is conflict.
Voidseeker on July 1, 2008 at 3:55 PM
Seriously, Rob Reiner has an islamist doppleganger.
phile on July 1, 2008 at 3:56 PM
Can’t wait to see their flying body awesomeness on Live Leak soon (1:09).
Akzed on July 1, 2008 at 3:57 PM
The fat bastard you have in the picture is a crispy critter, his name was Imad Mughniyah and someone iced him in Damascus in February.
elduende on July 1, 2008 at 3:58 PM
I agree, elduende. The piece of human trash in the picture has been burning in hell since February.
volsense on July 1, 2008 at 4:09 PM
When is the world going to realize and see how much of a threat Iran is…Gee I cannot wait until they get the nukes they are after, that will be great.
SoCalInfidel on July 1, 2008 at 4:16 PM
I think if you track all the dead Hesbollah
terrorist Jihadys bodies,it’ll lead all the
way back to Syria and Iran!
Hey Team H/A, its our 4th July today,Canada Day
July,1!
Off to party and fireworks with the family!
Btw,we really look forward to July 4th,your
Independence Day,across the St.Marys river,
because your fireworks display has always
been awesome,twice as big,twice as long!
Have a great day my American friends!!!
canopfor on July 1, 2008 at 4:27 PM
Francis Coppola is a terrorist?????
Blake on July 1, 2008 at 4:33 PM
dead ringer for Rob Meathead Reiner
james23 on July 1, 2008 at 4:37 PM
No Archie, Allah told me it was MY chair. In a dream.
Wind Rider on July 1, 2008 at 4:46 PM
Let me throw this out lighter fluid out there.. Imad was also the Iranian connection for Al Qaeda, he was the go between for Iran, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda & smaller Palestinian groups like Hamas and there is no doubt in my mind he was extremely active in Iraq.
I recall the post you put up a while back about the link between Sunni & Shia terrorism running contrary to the typical rivalry of the groups traditionally.. This is something we have known for a long time but America is only starting to come to grips with because it runs contrary to your govt bureaucrats long established cubicle thinking.
Via Hezbollah the traditional non state terrorist actors incl. al qaeda receive all the benefits, funding, logistics, training & weaponry of a full state terror supported actor. The loss of Imad was a blow no doubt, but I would venture so far as to say that rival Sunni & Shiite groups slaughtering each other in Iraq until last year were BOTH receiving Iranian assistance at the same time, and Imad was the key - involved at both ends of the string. He was respected, in contact and a leading figure for both sects. Clearly more so to the Shiites, but he had his hand in with the sunnis too. We will find out that this reach extends even to Afghanistan.
We need to stop thinking old school, Syria & Iran are the key players & they have a defense pact & are intertwined. One is mostly sunni, the other mostly shia.. Hezbollah is the ball joint. The US needs to understand that Jihad against America, death to the Zionists etc trumps all - Even the traditional bad feelings between the Persians & the Arabs.
If you think I am crazy lol.. Perhaps, but it is only because you have never met a REAL crazy - the Jihadists!
saus on July 1, 2008 at 5:00 PM
I thought the U.S. military was supposed to be going after Sunni terrorists…not Saudi Arabia’s enemies.
It’s amazing what a little oil can buy these days…
alphie on July 1, 2008 at 5:32 PM
Parasitic liberals should wear the uniform of their country to see how their betters serve with pride.
elduende on July 1, 2008 at 5:48 PM
All this analysis (which is great and informative… thanks Allah), and all I can say is: DUHHHHHH!!!!
AlexB on July 1, 2008 at 5:58 PM
I thought the US military supposed to be going after
Sunni terrorists…not Saudi Arabia’s enemies.
Its amazing what a little oil can buy these days…
alphie on July 1,2008 at 5:32PM.
alphie: Don’t you have a protest to go to,say in support
of the terrorists who want to kill you!
Aren’t you behind schedule for harrassing a
Military recruitment centre,or harrassing a
fallen soldiers at their funerals!
Here’s another brilliant idea,shouldn’t you
and your peace nik ilk be heading over to Iran
as Human Shields,ya know give peace a chance
crap!
And,don’t forget,with Hope and Change,nothing
but empty suit promises,yes we can,and your
candidate Obama is Mother of all Flip/Flops!
And also,your party,will play the race card
this entire election,wait till Denver when
Unity hits the fan and your Democratic party
turns into 1968,and your party desinigrates!!
Chow alphie,have a great day! :)
canopfor on July 1, 2008 at 6:07 PM
I don’t think the Shiites want to kill me canopfor…they just want our troops outta their country.
You have to admit it was a neat trick…dispatching most of America’s armed forces to find Osama bin Laden…and they end up doing Saudi Arabia’s bidding.
Hope the sheiks are at least giving a discount on all the oil the U.S. military is burning up over there…
alphie on July 1, 2008 at 6:16 PM
Canopfor, one of Michelle’s major pet peeves is referring to our Independence Day as simply the 4th of July… And Happy Canada Day to all our northern allies.
Zorro on July 1, 2008 at 7:25 PM
Frankly, it’s FABULOUS to hear Hezbollah is training terrorists in Iraq, especialy in remote areas. The worst thing about this is figuring out who to hand these targets to: SEALs, Delta operators, Rangers, USAF fighters with smart bombs, CIA paramilitary operators, etc. They will all want a piece of that action.
Tantor on July 1, 2008 at 9:00 PM
Michelle’s pet peeves….
Zorro on July 1,2008 at 7:25PM.
Zorro: Almost time to leave for for fireworks,I’ve always
thought of July 4th as America’s Independence Day,
in the same way as Christmas on Dec.25th!
And thank-you for your kind words,re: to all our
northern allies!
I live to be politicaly incorrect!—-:) :) :).
canopfor on July 1, 2008 at 9:40 PM