THE SHIITE JIHAD IN SYRIA AND ITS REGIONAL EFFECTS

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54 n THE SHIITE JIHAD IN SYRIA tions of the city. 295 And in late August 2014, during the battle of Amerli, Shiite forces, aided by U.S. airpower and Kurdish Peshmerga, played a significant role when they pushed through an ISIS-imposed siege. 296
7 Policy Recommendations AS THE UNITED STATES continues its campaign against ISIS forces in Syria while simultaneously opposing Bashar al-Assad and his supporters, the presence of Iran-backed Shiite militias, along with the influence of their Iranian handlers, will keep growing. Since the conflict in Iraq and Syria has expanded into a full-scale regional war, many Shiite militias are quickly adopting a role as the Iraqi rump state’s main fighting force against ISIS and other Sunni elements. The rise to interior minister of the Badr Organization’s Mohammed al- Ghabban shows just how doggedly Iran is working, through both armed and democratic methods, to thwart U.S. efforts within Iraq. 297 Through the use of Iran’s Iraqi Shiite proxy militias such as the Badr Organization, U.S. efforts to push Baghdad to be more inclusive to Sunnis have been significantly crippled. 298 More specifically, Ghabban’s appointment will likely further harm efforts to cultivate a National Guard type of anti-ISIS fighting group among Iraqi Sunnis. 299 These militias’ continued development and deployment, particularly in Iraq and Syria, threaten the United States in another way. Their unchecked proliferation is viewed by Washington’s Sunni Arab regional allies as de facto acceptance of Iran’s own sectarian regional goals. 300 One of these goals has been the virtual Hezbollahzation of militias now taking up many combat roles against ISIS. By late 2014, around fifty Shiite militias had been announced, either emerging as popular committees or as more dedicated organizations. Many of these groups have been crafted as Iraq-based near duplicates of Hezbollah. 301 Of further concern is how the activities and growth of numerous Shiite militias assist in the hypersectarianization and radicalization of regional conflicts. A number of these organizations were actively engaged in a campaign of sectarian attacks and ethnic cleansings 55
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THE SHIITE JIHAD IN SYRIA AND ITS R
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POLICY FOCUS 138 THE SHIITE JIHAD I
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C ONTENTS Acronyms | iv 1 Introduct
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1 Introduction THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR
Page 9 and 10: 2 The Narrative of Jihad SINCE THE
Page 11 and 12: THE NARRATIVE OF JIHAD n 5 a useful
Page 13 and 14: THE NARRATIVE OF JIHAD n 7 An Open
Page 15 and 16: THE NARRATIVE OF JIHAD n 9 al-Amin,
Page 17 and 18: THE NARRATIVE OF JIHAD n 11 In a Fe
Page 19 and 20: 3 Call to Jihad: Clerical Views of
Page 21 and 22: CALL TO JIHAD n 15 During his publi
Page 23 and 24: CALL TO JIHAD n 17 direct Iranian m
Page 25 and 26: CALL TO JIHAD n 19 al-Sadr contradi
Page 27 and 28: 4 Building an Army for Zainab REPRE
Page 29 and 30: BUILDING AN ARMY FOR ZAINAB n 23 mi
Page 31 and 32: BUILDING AN ARMY FOR ZAINAB n 25 re
Page 33 and 34: BUILDING AN ARMY FOR ZAINAB n 27 Re
Page 35 and 36: BUILDING AN ARMY FOR ZAINAB n 29 me
Page 37 and 38: BUILDING AN ARMY FOR ZAINAB n 31 tr
Page 39 and 40: BUILDING AN ARMY FOR ZAINAB n 33 PH
Page 41 and 42: BUILDING AN ARMY FOR ZAINAB n 35 Th
Page 43 and 44: 5 The Web of Multiplying Shiite Isl
Page 45 and 46: MULTIPLYING SHIITE ISLAMIST MILITIA
Page 55 and 56: JOINING OF FRONTS n 49 In Iraq, att
Page 57 and 58: JOINING OF FRONTS n 51 members. 262
Page 59: JOINING OF FRONTS n 53 Darraji’s
Page 63 and 64: POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS n 57 such na
Page 65 and 66: NOTES AND SOURCES n 59 Revolutionar
Page 67 and 68: NOTES AND SOURCES n 61 33. Hassan H
Page 69 and 70: NOTES AND SOURCES n 63 June 15, 200
Page 71 and 72: NOTES AND SOURCES n 65 79. Ibid. 80
Page 73 and 74: NOTES AND SOURCES n 67 110. “Sama
Page 75 and 76: NOTES AND SOURCES n 69 137. Mamuri
Page 77 and 78: NOTES AND SOURCES n 71 172. May 16,
Page 79 and 80: NOTES AND SOURCES n 73 205. Michael
Page 81 and 82: NOTES AND SOURCES n 75 233. Jacob Z
Page 83 and 84: NOTES AND SOURCES n 77 com/63568782
Page 85 and 86: NOTES AND SOURCES n 79 294. “Al-M
Page 87 and 88: BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Richar
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THE SHIITE JIHAD IN SYRIA AND ITS REGIONAL EFFECTS

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