January 2016
Iran is now facing complete isolation
following the reactions and solidarity seen from Arab and regional countries on
the attack staged against the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and
Mashhad. Iran attempted to use Quds Force-associated Shiite militias in Iraq to
place pressure on the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and
force Baghdad to support Tehran.
In this regard with anti-Saudi demonstrations
launched in Iraq by Shiite militias and Quds Force elements, Shiite militia
commanders were assuring the Iranian embassy in Baghdad of their readiness to
show any adequate reaction to the execution of the controversial Shiekh Nimr
al-Nimr, in order to destroy the recently opened Saudi Embassy in Baghdad. With
diplomatic relations improving between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, it is the policy
of Iran to lead these efforts into a failure and force the Saudi Embassy in
Baghdad to close down. The al-Abadi government, who has recently launched a
relationship with Riyadh, gave a positive vote to a recent Cairo summit
statement and the statement of Islamic countries foreign ministers condemning
Iran’s measures against Saudi Arabia. As a result, al-Abadi poured cold water
on Iran’s policies. On the other hand Shiite militia groups linked to the Quds Force
in Iraq are now set aside by Iraqi armed forces in their clashes against ISIS,
and they are completely eliminated due to their sectarian nature and social
killings.
All these elements have forced the mullahs’
regime and Quds Force to sit down and think. Their new efforts are summarized
in forming a new force of Shiite militias to render changes in the status quo
aimed at advancing its own political objective in Iraq. To this end, they have
formed a new unit dubbed the “Nimr al-Nimr Brigade”.
On December 5th Iraqi Shiite militias
launched an attack completely coordinated with the Iranian regime’s embassy in
Baghdad against the newly opened Saudi Embassy in Baghdad. Following the
political consequences, the formation of a new Shiite militia a group by the
name of the “Nimr al-Nimr Brigade” was placed on the agenda for the Quds Force
and Iraqi Shiite militia commanders.
The decision to form the al-Nimr brigade was
reached in a session where Danaie-Far, Iran’s ambassador in Baghdad, commanders
of various Quds Force-associated Shiite militia groups including Akram
al-Ka’bi, Qeis al-Khazali, Ali al-Yaseri (commander of the Saraya Khorasani).
In this session Danaie-Far said the al-Nimr Brigade must act in the interests
of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Shiite militias across the Arab region. A
decision was made in this session to have a number of Quds Force-associated
militias from Lebanon and other Arab countries in the region recruited into
this new unit.
In December the Iranian regime’s embassy in
Baghdad sent al-Nojba militia leader Akram al-Ka’bi and Asaeb al-Haq leader
Qeis al-Khaz’ali to Tehran to meet with Quds Force commanders and negotiate
over details and the forces assigned to form the al-Nimr Brigade.
Al-Khaz’ali and al-Ka’ib returned to Iraq after
meeting with Quds Force commanders in Tehran and began the necessary
preparations to recruit Shiite militias for the al-Nimr Brigade.
Following the initial preparations, the Iranian
regime’s embassy in Baghdad arranged the necessary coordination for al-Khaz’ali
to meet with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nassrollah. As a result, al-Khaz’ali
travelled to Lebanon in late January to meet with Nasrollah where the Hezbollah
leader pledged to provide a percentage of the al-Nimr Brigade units.
In mid-December Shiite militias associated to the
Quds Force in Iraq formed a joint headquarters for the necessary coordination
to form the al-Nimr Brigade in order to make decisions on the ranks and file
system, and how to recruit new members for this group. The headquarters base
for these militias was located in Baghdad’s Basmaye district.
Most of the al-Nimr Brigade members are troops of
the Popular Mobilization Forces. These units are amongst the troops who fled
the battlefronts and returned to their homes after operations around the city
of Baiji, north of Baghdad. A high-ranking al-Nimr Brigade commander is an
individual by the name of “Zir Ali” and the ranks and files of this new force
is on the verge of completion. The commander of this group is an individual by
the name of Haj Abu Shima al-Shemeri who is temporarily placed in charge of
this unit. He is very close to Abu Mahdi Muhandis, deputy commander of all
Popular Mobilization Forces units, and their base is located in Baghdad’s
Rasheed district.
The main mission the al-Nimr Brigade has been
appointed to is murdering, various crimes and assassinating political and
government figures specified by the Quds Force and Shiite militias’ joint
operations command. These subjects are identified as operations targets.
The conclusion is the Iranian regime has not only
learned no lesson from the attack staged on Saudi interests in Iran, in fact by
forming the al-Nimr Brigade they are seeking to further meddle in Arabic
countries, especially Saudi Arabia. The nuclear deal and billions of dollars
being unfrozen have all encouraged Iran’s meddling ambitions.
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