Category: Iran

Hizballah Cavalcade: Roundup of Iraqis Killed in Syria, Part 2

Posted on by phillsmyth

NOTE: For prior parts in the Hizballah Cavalcade series you can view an archive of it all here. Click here for part one of ‘Roundup of Iraqis Killed in Syria’.
–
By Phillip Smyth
Roundup of Iraqis Killed in Syria, Part 2
The latest installment of Iraqi Shia killed in Syria demonstrates a more publicly acknowledged level of Iranian involvement. Two bodies of Iraqi Shia fighters killed in Syria were returned to Iraq through the Iran-Iraq border. Family members of one of the dead Iraqis told the Associated Press that he had gone to Iran before heading to Syria.[1]
The make-up of Liwa’a Abu Fadl al-Abbas’s (LAFA) — a Syrian-based Shia militant group—membership was also exposed. Demonstrating a slight departure from earlier martyrdom announcements, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) more broadly acknowledged that their fighters in Syria operate exclusively under LAFA’s moniker. Earlier announcements listed only one of AAH fighters as serving with LAFA.
Three of the Iraqis killed were reportedly not claimed as members by any Iraqi Shia parties (including pro-Iranian Iraq-based groups). This partially fits with LAFA’s narrative that they are staffed by volunteer fighters from throughout the Shia Islamic world. However, with the recent revelations, it becomes clearer that LAFA fighters are most likely vetted and trained by Iran before heading off to fight in Syria.
_
Name: Ala’a Muhsen Shahib al-Tamimi
Affiliated With: Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq/Liwa’a Abu Fadl al-Abbas
Death Announced: May 15, 2013. His death was first announced on Facebook.
Untitled68
Name: Ali Abdul al-Wahid ‘Awlan
Affiliated With: Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq/Liwa’a Abu Fadl al-Abbas
Death Announced: May 15, 2013. His death was first announced on Facebook on May 16, 2013.
Notes: Iran’s Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is pictured on the right and Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Muhammed Sadiq al-Sadr is pictured on the left.
Untitled69
Name:  Muhammed Aboud al-Maliki (A.K.A. Mohammed Aboud)
Affiliated With: Liwa’a Abu Fadl al-Abbas
Death Announced: May 17, 2013. Funeral held on May 17, 2013.
Notes: According to Elaph.com, Muhammed Aboud al-Maliki was a 27 year old Iraqi from Basra. Elaph also said he was not claimed by any Iraqi organization as a member. It was also reported by the Associated Press that Aboud went to Iran before heading to fight in Syria. Maliki’s body and that of fellow fighter Hassan Ali Farhud were also transferred back to Iraq via Iran. Since it was announced he was killed fighting around Damascus’s Zaynab Shrine, it is possible he was fighting as a member of Liwa’a Abu Fadl al-Abbas. One released photo of Muhammed Aboud al-Maliki, which was posted on pro-Lebanese Hizballah and pro-Liwa’a Abu Fadl al Abbas Facebook pages, also claimed he belonged to Liwa’a Abu Fadl al-Abbas.
The released photo may also point to al-Maliki’s training influences. Holding the magazine of the rifle is a common fire-control technique used by Hizballah and is featured in a number of their propaganda videos.
Untitled70
Name:  Hassan Ali Farhud
Affiliated With: Liwa’a Abu Fadl al-Abbas* (?)
Death Announced: May 17, 2013. Funeral held on May 17, 2013.
Notes: According to Al-Sumaria News, Farhud was a 32 year old from Basra, Iraq. His body, along with Muhammed Aboud al-Maliki (see above) were returned to Iraq via Iran. It is unknown whether he engaged in training in Iran or which group he served with. Since it was reported he was killed fighting around the Zaynab Shrine in Damascus, it can be assumed he was part of Liw’a Abu Fadl al-Abbas. At the time this was written, no photos of Farhud were released.

=&0=&

Name:  Diya Mutasher al-Issawi
Affiliated With: Liwa’a Abu Fadl al-Abbas
Death Announced: May 5, 2013. Funeral held on May 6, 2013.
Notes: The Iraq-based Buratha News Agency reported the 30 year old was originally from Iraq’s Basra province. Issawi was not claimed by any Iraqi party as a member. Also, it is unknown whether Issawi was trained in Iran or elsewhere.

Untitled71 [1] “Bombings at Sunni mosque and funeral kill 47 in Iraq”, Associated Press, May 17, 2013,  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraqis-in-southern-city-mourn-2-shiite-fighters-killed-in-syria/2013/05/17/a53d1988-bece-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html.

New article from ‘Abd Allah bin Muḥammad: "Is It Better to Take the Fight to the Inside of Iran?"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

وردني سؤال عن جدوى تنفيذ عمليات عسكرية داخل الأراضي الإيرانية وفيما يلي جواب مختصر عن ذلك

نقل المعركة لأرض العدو مطلب مهم في أي حرب حتى تتوازن كفة الرعب ويذوق الذي تذوقه ولكن يختلف تأثير ذلك من بلد لآخر فالدول الغربية تتأثر كثيرا بالعمليات الداخلية اقتصاديا وأمنيا وسياسيا وبكل النواحي وحادثة محاولة تفجيرالطائرة في “ديترويت” في أمريكا خير دليل على ذلك فمع ان العملية لم تنجح إلا انها تسببت في انفاق 40 مليار دولار على تشديد اجراءات السلامة في المطارات !

أما الدول الشرقية فهي غالبا لا تتأثر بالعمليات الداخلية لأن الأنظمة الشمولية والمافيوية كالصين وروسيا لا تقييم وزنا كبيرا للعامل البشري على عكس الدول الغربية التي قد تسقط حكوماتها بسبب التهاون في سلامة مواطنيها ! ولعل حادثة مسرح موسكو وميدان “تيانامن” ففي الأولى فتح الروس الغازات السامة داخل المسرح لانهاء عملية احتجاز الرهائن التي أخذت بعدا اعلاميا عالميا وأعادت تسليط الضوء على الحرب في الشيشان وتداعياتها التي جعلت مجموعة القائد عربي باراييف تقوم بمثل هذه المهمة فقامت القوات الخاصة الروسية بفتح الغاز وتسببت بموت 200 رهينة روسي لتنهي المسألة بدون أن تتأثر بموتهم لطبيعة النظام الذي لا يقيم وزنا لهم أساسا وكذلك الحال في المظاهرات الطلابية في ميدان تيانامن في الصين والتي قام الجيش بادخال الدبابات لسحق جثت الطلبة المعتصمين دون أي رحمة ! فمثل هذه التعديات لا يمكن أن تحدث إلا في مثل هذه الأنظمة الشرقية أما الأهداف الذي تتأثر بضربها كثيرا هذه الأنظمة فهي الأهداف الإقتصادية وخير مثال على ذلك ما حدث في الغزو السوفيتي لأفغانستان فعندما كان يقتل الآلاف من الجنود الروس لم تبدي موسكو تأثرا ولكن عندما طالت الحرب واستنزف الاقتصاد وبدأت المتاعب لم تمضي سنوات إلا وتفكك الإتحاد السوفيتي كسبب غير مباشر للإنفاق على حرب أفغانستان !

وإيران تصنف من القسم الثاني الذي لا يقيم وزنا كبيرا للعنصر البشري بالمقارنة مع الاقتصاد وما حدث في الحرب العراقية الإيرانية في الثمانينات يؤكد ذلك فقد قاد خوميني الحرب باسلوب الأمواج البشرية كي يقتحم التحصينات العراقية فكان الهجوم يبدأ ب 20 ألف مقاتل على شكل سلاسل وأمواج متلاحقة ليربك الجيش العراقي ومع أنه اسلوب بدائي إلا أنه حقق بعض النتائج ويكفي تخيل هذه المعارك لندرك مدى رخص مواطني إيران عند ملاليهم

ولذا اعتقد ان دعم الجهاد في سوريا سيكون له بالغ الأثر على إيران أكثر من أي عمليات داخل الأراضي الإيرانية – إلا ان استهدفت هذه العمليات أهداف اقتصادية – لأن سوريا الآن هي مسرح استنزاف اقتصادي مستمر لإيران فهي من تنفق على الحرب وعلى بقاء النظام وإن كانت تغطي ذلك من حليفها المالكي بالعراق إلا أنها خسارة لها في النهاية فهذه المليارات التي تنفقها إيران من خزينة النفط العراقي على الحرب في سوريا وعلى كسب ولاء مصر واغراء الأردن كان من الممكن ان تصب في خزينتها أو أن تقاوم بها العقوبات الاقتصادية المفروضة عليها بدرجة أكبر ! ولذا يمكن ان نقول أن قتالنا ضد إيران في سوريا هو كقتالنا ضد السوفيت في أفغانستان فكما أن الجهاد الأفغاني قد تسبب في تفكك الإتحاد السوفيتي فإن الجهاد الشامي سيؤدي بإذن الله إلى تفكك الهلال الشيعي وانكماشه ومن ثم تفكك إيران نفسها باستقلال البلوش والأحواز والأذريين كما حدث في انهيار المعسكر الشيوعي بعد حرب أفغانستان وتحرر أوربا الشرقية ومن ثم تفكك الإتحاد السوفيتي وانكماشه في روسيا الإتحادية والله أعلم

__________

To inquire about a translation for this article for a fee email: [email protected]

Hizballah Cavalcade: Roundup of Iraqis Killed in Syria, Part 1

Posted on by phillsmyth

NOTE: For prior parts in the Hizballah Cavalcade series you can view an archive of it all here.
—
By Phillip Smyth
Reports of Iraqi Shia involvement in the Syrian Civil War surged from January-May, 2013.[1] In March, the first photos and bios of Iraqi Shia killed during the fighting were released. Many of these announcements, photos of those killed, and other information received much broader coverage after it was spread on forums and Facebook pages. Thus far, the only two Iraqi groups to have announced they have lost members have been Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous) and Kata’ib Hizballah (Hizballah Brigades).
It should be mentioned that Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq has not announced on its official webpage that it has had any “Martyrs” in recent months. Nevertheless, the group has set-up funeral processions for its dead in major Iraqi cities. In sharp contrast to Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq’s lacking web announcements; Kata’ib Hizballah updates its webpage regularly and in a more detailed fashion, regarding the fate of its members who have been killed and their funerals. Both Kata’ib Hizballah and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, like their Lebanese counterpart, Hizballah, do not mention where these fighters were killed. Regardless, on most forums and Facebook pages, those who post comments are generally aware that the two groups are actively involved in fighting in Syria.

Created during the height of Coalition operations during the Iraq War, together, Kata’ib Hizballah and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq have received extensive assistance from Lebanese Hizballah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp.[2] Both Iraqi groups are also major supporters of Iranian Revolutionary Islamist ideology (Wilayat al-Faqih).[3] Thus, it is extremely likely both organizations are acting as proxy forces for Iran. —

Name: Sa’ad Abed al-Qadr Abu Shamia’
Affiliated With: Kata’ib Hizballah
Death Announced: March 17, 2013
UntitledUntitled2
Name: Ahmed Mahdi al-Shuweili (A.K.A. Qassim Abu Mahdi)
Affiliated With: Kata’ib Hizballah
Death Announced: March 15, 2013
Untitled3Untitled4Untitled5Untitled6Untitled7Untitled8
Name: Arfad Muhsein Al-Hamidawi (A.K.A. Abu Karar)
Affiliated With: Kata’ib Hizballah
Death Announced: April 2, 2013
Untitled9Untitled10Untitled11Untitled12Untitled13
Name: Karar Abed al-Amir Fatlawi Abu Assad (A.K.A. Karar Fatlawi and Karar Abed al-Amir Aziz Abu Assad)
Affiliated With: Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and Liwa’a Abu Fadl al-Abbas
Death Announced: Early April, 2013.
Facebook Page: https://ar-ar.facebook.com/pages/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF-%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF-%D8%A3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88-%D8%A3%D8%B3%D8%AF/472898662780073
Note: Karar has one of the best developed narratives of any of the Iraqis killed. His story comes complete with numerous photos, a Facebook page, and supposed videos of him engaged in fighting. It is also important to note that he is the only one to have significant acceptance from supporters that he was a part of both Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and the Syria-based (members mainly come from Iraq and Lebanon) Liwa’a Abu Fadl al-Abbas.
Untitled14 Untitled15Untitled16Untitled17Untitled18Untitled19Untitled20Untitled21Untitled22Untitled23Untitled24



Name: Ahmed Farhud Hashim al-Zerjawi (A.K.A. Ahmed Farhud Hashim)
Affiliated With: Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq
Death Announced: May 2, 2013 (for funeral held in Najaf, Iraq)
Note: Iran’s Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is pictured on the left and Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Muhammed Sadiq al-Sadr is pictured on the right.
Untitled25
 Name: Yahiya Sarmad Muhammed al-Fayli (A.K.A. Yahiya al-Fayli and Asu)
Affiliated With: Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq
Death Announced: Early May, 2013 (most forums list between May, 5-May,7)
Note: Iran’s Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is pictured on the right and Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Muhammed Sadiq al-Sadr is pictured on the left.
Untitled26

[1] One example: Mariam Karouny, “Shi’ite fighters rally to defend Damascus shrine”, Reuters, March 3, 2013, https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/03/us-syria-crisis-shiites-idUSBRE92202X20130303. [2] Elizabeth O’Bagy and Stephen Wicken , “Fact Sheet: Ali Musa Daqduq”, Institute For the Study of War, May 14, 2012, https://www.understandingwar.org/reference/fact-sheet-ali-mussa-daqduq. See also: Thomas Strouse, “Kata’ib Hezbollah and the Intricate Web of Iranian Military Involvement in Iraq”, Jamestown Foundation, Terrorism Monitor Volume: 8 Issue: 9, March 4, 2010, https://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=36109. [3] [Absolute] Wilayat al-Faqih (also known by in Persian as “Velayat-e-Faqih) is an ideological concept first drawn up by Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini posited that only learned clerics could rule over society and make political decisions. This was an extremely radical departure from the more traditional schools of Shi’ism. As a result, those currently following this ideology are religiously bound to follow the rulings of the Wali al-Faqih, who is currently Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. See also: Sam Wyer, The Resurgence of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, Institute for the Study of War, Middle East Security Report 7,December, 2012, https://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/ResurgenceofAAH.pdf.

al-Rāyyah Foundation for Media presents a new video message from Jaysh al-Ummah: "To the People of al-Aḥwāzī: Verily, With Hardship Comes Ease"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

ahwazb


__________

To inquire about a translation for this video message for a fee email: [email protected]

New statement from Ḥāmid Bin 'Abdullah al 'Alī: "On the Aḥwāzī Issue on the Occasion of a Conference in Support for the Occupied Spaces Held in Cairo on January 10, 2013"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin


Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Ḥāmid Bin ‘Abdullah al ‘Alī — “On the Aḥwāzī Issue on the Occasion of a Conference in Support for the Occupied Spaces Held in Cairo on January 10, 2013”
___________

To inquire about a translation for this statement for a fee email: [email protected]

New statement from Ḥarakat Anṣār Iran: "Message to the Rawāfiḍ Government of Iran Regarding the Threats and Recent Abduction of Our Innocent People"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin


In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
Yet again, the Rawafid regime and their intelligence services have committed another crime against Ahlus Sunnah in Iran. On Tuesday morning, the 24th of October 2012, the intelligence services of Iran marched into Meskutan Village (located in Nikshar City) with 12 vehicles and caused havoc and dismay. After kicking in doors and raiding houses, they abducted 4 innocent villagers; Kalandar Amiri, Muhammad Amine Amiri, Khair Muhammad Narui, and Amine Narui. Their current whereabouts remain unknown. Shortly after, a short and threating message was sent to the Mujahideen of Al-Ansar Iran, “If you don’t stop the operations against this regime, we will execute all the hostages.”
To all those involved in this abominable crime against the innocents, the Mujahideen of Al-Ansar Iran are sending you a stern warning. You all should know that capturing the innocent, putting difficulty on the innocent, and torturing the innocent, will not halt the operations of the Mujahideen. No, you have only given us more determination to fight you criminals, and we send you the glad tidings of a black eid, bi’ithnillah.
To Ahlus Sunnah of Iran and the innocent, we ask you not to involve yourselves in the affairs of the rawafid government and their military forces and not to reside in areas where the revolution guards, mersad, and other government officials gather. Our battle is only with the Rawafid government and their military forces, not with the civilians and innocent. Our goal is only to restore the honor of Ahllus Sunnah in Iran.
__________

Two new statements and a video from Ḥarakat Anṣār Iran

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

Video: Ḥamzah the Martyr

Statement 2: Operation Ra’ad 1!
We, the Mujahideen of Harakat Ansar Iran, proudly bring you the news of our first successful operation  from our new series of operations code named Ra’ad (operation storm). In this operation approximately 20 officers of the Iranian revolutionary guards (Pasadaran) were killed by an explosive-rigged van in the city of Chabhar, Iran while one brother Mujahid, Hamza Saravani, was martyred. The details of the operation are as follows:
The mujahideen came across a secret meeting of high ranking Iranian Revolutionary guard officers in the base of the Basij (civilian police) of Chabhar. These Revolutionary guard officers, who were previously conducting military drills, were from the Quds Karman and Sepah Salman Zahedan-21 brigades of the Iranian Revolutionary guards.
After considerable planning and preparation and by the grace of Allah, the Mujahideen planted an explosive rigged van outside the base of the Basij where the meeting was being held. They detonated the explosives once the meeting ended and the officers of the Revolutionary guards started to come out of the building. This explosion killed at least 20 enemy soldiers and officers.
After the success of this explosion the Mujahideen started to withdraw to their own base but encountered troops of the Iranian regime on their way back. A brave Mujahid amongst them, called Hamza Saravani went forth with a pre-planned fidaee (martyrdom) operation. In this operation he went towards a large mass of the regimes troops carrying weapons and an explosive vest and engaged them in a fire-fight before detonating his vest killing an unknown number of the regimes soldiers while distracting their attention from his brother Mujahideen who made their way back safely to our base.
This operation of Harakat Ansar Iran is in answer for the widespread killings of the children, scholars and other civilians of the Ahlus Sunnah of Iran. It is also to send out a message to the Iranian regime to stop killing our people, the Ahlus Sunnah of Iran, otherwise we will continue targeting the Revolutionary guards and will kill them wherever we find them and ‘Help is from Allah and victory is near’.
Statement 1: Speech By the Amīr Abū Yāsir Muskūtānī On the Eve of the First Successful Operation
In the name of the Lord of the Mujahideen.
All praises are due to Allah (3zza wajal), who through his mercy and through the sacrifice of a hero from the land of Baluchistan, who sacrificed for the sake of Allah and this Ummah, and through the hand of the Ahlus Sunnah and the Baloch people, showed the enemies of the Ahlus Sunnah of Iran that the students of our emir Abdul Malik Baloch are still alive. They showed them that, till now, the people of Baluchistan heed to the call for Jihad which Emir Abdul Malik Baloch helped to revive, and that they have not forgotten it, and that this principle, this Aqeedah of our religion is still alive.
My message to the Baluch people and the Ahlus Sunnah is that: Oh brothers, wake up from your sleep and neglect and join the caravan of the Muwahhideen and Mujahideen and defend your dignity and your religion. And I advise you, my brothers, not to be tricked by this regime and their deception. This regime is not our and your friend, in fact this regime is your biggest enemy who only seeks to destroy and corrupt your offspring. Oh people I swear to you by Allah, wake up from this negligence and sleep and defend your beliefs, principles and dignity.
Brothers, do not be fooled by the deception of the propaganda of the Rawafid regime, which has always made to you, empty and lying claims. After the operations of the Mujahideen, they collect some kids and women, to make the people believe that the brothers are attacking innocent civilians. But you have to know that, and be sure that, we are only defending the innocent people and our dignity. And that, only for this purpose, have we stood up and followed this path and that our war is against the regime and their agents alone.
And the last of my speech is (addressed) to the regime, (we tell them) that the soul of Jihad and the fight in Baluchistan have only surged and that in this path Mujahideen of Harakat Ansar Iran have firm determination. With their iron intention to destroy the regime to get the rights of Ahlus Sunnah and the people of Baluchistan and all the oppressed people of Iran, they promise that the regime will never feel comfort or security until this is achieved.
_________