Attacks on US troops in the Middle East have reached a level not seen since the October 7 massacre by Hamas and the ensuing war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement.
Since mid-October, American soldiers and those of the anti-jihadist coalition have suffered 165 drone strikes and rocket attacks against their positions in Iraq and Syria. But until now they had not reported any human losses.
The latest attack, Sunday January 28, during which three American soldiers were killed and around forty others injured on a logistics base – “Tower 22” – located in Jordan on the border with Syria, is a rotating.
Unheard of since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, estimates David Rigoulet-Roze, associate researcher at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (Iris) and specialist in the Middle East, for whom "a red line has been potentially crossed". Proof of this is that US President Joe Biden promised to respond, saying on the very evening of the attack that he was going to “hold all those responsible to account, when and how we want.”
Iran has denied any involvement in the deadly raid, which has not been claimed. However, according to Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokesperson who spoke the next day, it bears "the imprint of Kataëb Hezbollah [Hezbollah Brigades]", whose modus operandi it presents.
An accusation shared by the White House which believes that the nebula of groups "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" is at the origin of the attack. This grouping "includes" the Hezbollah Brigades, noted Wednesday the spokesperson for the National Security Council, John Kirby, during a press conference, specifying that the deadly attack "certainly bore the mark" of this armed group pro-Iran.
On the orders of the Iranian Supreme Leader
The Hezbollah Brigades – not to be confused with Lebanese Hezbollah – are one of the Iraqi militias “most linked to Iran”, explains David Rigoulet-Roze. "They follow the principle of 'velayat-e faqih', which means that they recognize the Iranian Supreme Leader as their supreme referent."
The former leader of the Hezbollah Brigades, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, was killed in 2020 in an American strike in Baghdad alongside the powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, for whom he was the Iraqi right-hand man.
In Karbala, during a funeral ceremony on December 29, 2020, a member of Hachd al-Chaabi holds the portrait of commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis killed in an American strike. © AFP, Mohammed Sawaf
Classified as a “terrorist” group by Washington and targeted by sanctions, the Hezbollah Brigades have been targeted in recent weeks by American strikes in Iraq, as has Al-Noujaba, another fiercely anti-American militia.
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Most of the attacks targeting Americans in recent months have been claimed by the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq", of which the Hezbollah Brigades and Al-Noujaba are part. This nebula of fighters from pro-Iran armed groups says they act in support of the Palestinians. But above all, she is calling for the departure of some 2,500 American soldiers still deployed in Iraq as part of the coalition fighting against the Islamic State group. A claim heard, since in view of the explosive context, the Iraqi government has launched negotiations with Washington for a withdrawal timetable.
Formerly alongside Washington in the anti-jihadist coalition
Among the groups of the "Islamic Resistance in Iraq", the Hezbollah Brigades are undoubtedly the most influential. They are also affiliated with the Hachd al-Chaabi group, made up of former pro-Iran Iraqi paramilitaries, and within which the Brigades "have a preponderant role", explains David Rigoulet-Roze. The current leader of the Hezbollah Brigades, Abu Fadak al-Muhammadawi, is also the chief of staff of the Hashd.
Hashd al-Shaabi was launched in June 2014 to support Iraqi forces against the Islamic State (IS) group. Together, alongside the anti-jihadist coalition led by Washington, they contributed to the defeat inflicted on ISIS in 2017 by Iraq.
“There was an objective alliance between the coalition, therefore the Americans, and the Hachd militias against Daesh [the Islamic State group]. The two fought in the same camp, some on the ground, others rather in the air. But after 2017, these groups found their Iranian DNA, therefore anti-American,” explains David Rigoulet-Roze.
Today the Hachd includes dozens of groups and more than 160,000 members, according to estimates consulted by AFP. The American think tank The Washington Institute estimates that its membership amounts to 230,000 members. But neither the authorities nor the organization communicate on the number of its staff.
Concerning the Hezbollah Brigades
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the exact number of militiamen remains unknown. According to David Rigoulet-Roze, the figures vary between 3,000 and 30,000, because some of the militiamen are mobilized occasionally.
“The government executive has no control over these groups”
Faced with the increase in attacks against American troops in recent weeks, the Iraqi government feels caught in the crossfire. He was brought to power by a coalition of pro-Iran Shiite parties and a parliamentary majority including the Hachd, which has had deputies since 2018.
Theoretically, the Hashd and its components, including the Hezbollah Brigades, are part of the country's regular forces, under a law passed in 2016. "But it is largely a question of form. Because in reality, the "The government executive has no control over these groups. They benefit from a large margin of autonomy. Which also poses problems for the executive of Mohamed Chia al-Soudani," explains David Rigoulet-Roze.
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After the threats of the American president, who promised "consequential" retaliations, and indicated that he held Iran "responsible" for having provided the weapons necessary for the strike which killed the American soldiers, the Hezbollah Brigades affirmed, on January 30, “suspend” their military operations against American troops.
“We announce the suspension of our military and security operations against the occupying forces, in order to spare the Iraqi government any embarrassment,” the group announced in a statement signed by Secretary General Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, mentioning the Iraqi power for form. Because behind the scenes, Iran undoubtedly intervened to calm things down, understanding that there was now a risk of uncontrolled escalation with the Americans.
With AFP
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