Ashab al-Kahf and Iraqi Basij (Iraq) (original) (raw)

Fromhttps://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/profile-iraqi-basij

"Ashab al-Kahf" ["AK"](white-field flag w/black lettering) and "Iraqi Basij" (black-field flag with white lettering) flags raised together near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, July 14, 2023. AK's parent militia is: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/node/16716. The Al-Tabea al-Shabiya fil Iraq (or Popular Mobilization in Iraq), also known as the: Iraqi Basij. "Basij" is a Persian word that means "mobilization"; it is also the overarching name of Iran's numerous paramilitary forces, which are closely associated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. AK apparently established the Iraqi Basij to serve a role similar to that of the https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/node/16641 (KH) vigilante grouphttps://www.washingtoninstitute.org/node/16671, which was created to pressure political rivals but backfired when it staged armed displays in Baghdad that resembled Islamic State parades in Mosul. The Iraqi Basij receives support from Iranian entities, and Iranian phone numbers are provided in its Telegram messages regarding free transportation to attend Muharram mourning ceremonies in Karbala, Iraq. AK also has some friendly ties to KH'shttps://www.washingtoninstitute.org/node/17048 parliamentary bloc. On July 14, 2023, the Iraqi Basij thanked Hoquq head Saud al-Saedi for his support. The group also thanked Hassan Salim, a parliamentarian from the Shia-Muslimhttps://www.washingtoninstitute.org/node/16715 movement's al-Sadiqoun political-coalition bloc.