General Military Council for Iraqi Revolutionaries
The General Military Council for Iraqi Revolutionaries (Arabic: المجلس العسكري العام لثوار العراق al-Majlis al-‘Askari al-‘Āmm li-Thuwwār al-‘Irāq) abbreviated as GMCIR or MCIR, is a Ba'athist militant group active in Iraq headed by Saddam Hussein-era military and political leaders. It has been described by Al Jazeera as "one of the main groups" in the Iraqi insurgency.
| General Military Council for Iraqi Revolutionaries | |
|---|---|
| المجلس العسكري العام لثوار العراق | |
Official logo (top) and flag (bottom) of General Military Council for Iraqi Revolutionaries | |
| Dates of operation | 15 January 2014 – 2 December 2014 |
| Active regions | Iraq |
| Ideology | Iraqi nationalism Ba'athism Arab socialism |
| Size | 75,000 |
| Allies | SCJL Anbar Tribal Councils |
| Opponents | Republic of Iraq
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant |
| Battles and wars | 2014 Iraq conflict
|
The Council began its insurgency against the Iraqi government in January 2014 as a unifying command for the former Sunni Arab Spring protesters that Nouri al-Maliki's government had cracked down upon since 2012. The figures associated with the MCIR have stated that it has a central command and "the footprints of a professional army", that it follows the Geneva Convention protocol rules, as well as claiming to be non-sectarian and seeking a "democratic solution" to the Iraqi crisis. The MCIR has announced its opposition to Iranian influence in Iraq and the role the IRGC have played with Iraqi security forces.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace characterized the MCIR as an Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region front group.
By the end of 2014 the group was eclipsed by ISIL and had become defunct.