Consequences of the Sadr Paramilitary’s Actions In the Position of Auxiliary Defense Forces

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

PhD student of International Relations, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The formation of auxiliary defense forces in Iraq took the form of a large number of militias affiliated with political parties and movements following the fall of the Baath regime. Because of the Iraqi security forces weakness in the fight against ISIS after 2014, these structures grew in a complex form. Militias affiliated with the Sadr movement have a special place among them in the interim. For reasons such as excessive ethnic-sectarian approaches and participation in political conflicts, these groups have become a threat to citizens' security and a failure of government authority.
As a result, the reasons for Sadr's militia formation, the government's approach to them, and the extent and level of the potential threat posed by these militias to the government and citizens of this country are critical issues that must be investigated.
Based on the above-mentioned issues, the main research question is "What were the reasons for the formation of Sadr's militias?" and the secondary question is “To what extent do the militias threaten the government and citizens?” This article was based on the hypothesis that the threat to security in Iraq was not the cause of the rise of Sadr's militias, but rather served as a legitimizing factor for their presence and served as a cover for securing the political interests of the Sadr movement, while also widely undermining the authority of official government bodies and endangering Iraq's political stability. The "historical trend analysis Method" was employed in this study.

Keywords


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