Nujaba and AAH Argue Over Whether Asaib Is Still a Resistance Player
by
Hamdi Malik
Jul 1, 2024
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Asaib Ahl al-Haq cannot seem to decide whether it has detached from anti-U.S. militancy or not, causing other militias to tie themselves in rhetorical knots over the group's public credentials.
The Iraqi militias Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba (HaN) and Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) have once again been involved in a public argument over their roles in Iran's so-called "axis of resistance." The row was sparked by HaN spokesman Hussein al-Mousawi during a recent interview on al-Rabiaa TV, when he declared that AAH does not attack coalition forces or Israeli targets. He stated that the “field” (meaning kinetic attacks) is exclusive to HaN and two other militias, Kataib Hezbollah (KH) and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada (KSS). He added that “other brothers” participate in the field too, but when asked specifically whether AAH has such a role, he replied “no” (Figure 1).
The day before these remarks, AAH leader Qais al-Khazali threatened to launch attacks against U.S. interests in Iraq and beyond if Israel moves to full-scale war against Hezbollah: “If the United States of America continues to support this usurping entity [Israel], in the event it expands its operations and attacks beloved Lebanon and attacks the victorious Hezbollah...it will have made all its interests in the region and especially in Iraq targets” (Figure 2).
Khazali was seemingly trying to boost his group's muqawama (resistance) credentials, as AAH is increasingly earning a bad reputation in those circles. Some have accused it of being in the muqawama only for money and power, noting its unwillingness to fight the enemy.
Mousawi’s remarks a day later made Khazali’s threats look absurd, causing outrage among AAH's ranks and spurring Mousawi to publicly retract his comments via another statement: “After our interview yesterday on al-Rabiaa TV, there was talk of reproach from some dear brothers in the muqawama factions and their dear followers for not mentioning the names of these factions correctly...My failure to mention the brothers in [AAH] clearly was because these brothers in the past were working in the field but did not want [this information] to be revealed, but now that they have attended the muqawama coordination meetings, the obstacle to not mentioning their names has been removed” (Figure 3). Mousawi was apparently referring to a June 19 meeting of the Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee (al-Haya al-Tansiqiya lil-Muqawama al-Iraqiya, or Tansiqiya for short).
These remarks did not seem to calm AAH down, however. Sanad al-Hamdani, a high-ranking AAH member who manages the group's al-Ahd TV outlet, posted Mousawi's words on his Twitter/X account and noted, “An excuse worse than the act itself. We do not care about what you say or write” (Figure 4). His reaction was likely spurred by a sense that the damage had been already done. Additionally, Mousawi’s clarification portrayed AAH as being shy about its kinetic operations while groups such as HaN boast about them.
This is not the first time AAH has been implicitly scolded by a major muqawama militia for not talking part in attacks. Last November, KH leader Ahmad Mohsen Faraj al-Hamidawi (aka Abu Hussein) issued a statement naming Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, HaN, KSS, and KH as the groups that carried out attacks under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI). The fact that AAH was publicly left off the list prompted the group's security chief, Jawad al-Talibawi, to criticize Abu Hussein’s statement: “We hope that such statements from our brothers in jihad will not be repeated." The threat has clearly failed to deter HaN from leaving out AAH, however.
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