Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi
Out of the frying pan into the fire. This aptly describes the current political situation in Iraq which is reeling under sectarian and ethnic conflicts among Sunnis, Shias, Kurds and Arabs. Extremists and fanatics are facing even more powerful extremists and terrorists, like the ISIS and the Sunni extremists confronting Shia armed militias such as Badr brigade, Al Mahdi Army, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous), Mukhtar Army, Abou El Fadl Al Abass Brigade. All these militias are as extremist as ISIS or even worse than them, and they enjoy financial and military support and also manpower, media support and religious cover from Iran.
The coalition comprising the US, Europe and Arab and other countries is currently focusing on one terrorist organization and there is no disagreement on confronting this organization, but at the same time they are ignoring the Iranian militias which are parallel terrorist groups — against the IS which is raising the Sunni banner.
The ultimate victims in such a situation are the ordinary people of Iraq belonging to all sects, ethnic, political and cultural factions.
In a recent interview with the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, David Petraeus, the former commander of US Central Command, said that “the Shia militias are the most dangerous to the unity of Iraq compared to IS”.
In a similar interview with the BBC, the director of the intelligence in Kurdistan expressed his concern about the role of Shia militias backed by Iran and their fighting alongside Iraq armed forces.
He added that the use of these militias by the Iraqi government may result in problems more serious than the threat posed by ISIS and will increase tension between Sunnis and Shias.
What the region needs at this critical situation is an alliance composed of moderate Sunni, Shia and Kurdish to counter extremists and terrorists of all sides who are talking on their behalf and fighting under their banners damaging their unity and destroying their future. The Peninsula
