Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq
Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH; Arabic: عصائب أهل الحق Aṣaʾib ʾAhl al-Haqq, "League of the Righteous"), also known as the Khazali Network (Arabic: شبكة الخزعلي), is a radical Iraqi Shi'a political party and paramilitary organization active in the Iraqi insurgency and Syrian Civil War. During the Iraq War it was known as Iraq's largest "Special Group" (the American term for Iranian-backed Shia paramilitaries in Iraq), and it is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in the 41st, 42nd, and 43rd Brigades, cooperating with the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIS.
Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq عصائب أهل الحق | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Qais al-Khazali |
| Founded | July 2006 |
| Ideology | Shia Jihadism Wilayat al Faqih Khomeinism Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr thought Anti-Zionism Anti-Americanism Pan-Islamism Anti-West Anti-LGBT Kazem al-Haeri thought |
| Political position | Right-wing to Far-right |
| Religion | Shia Islam |
| National affiliation | Fatah Alliance Al-Sadiqoun Bloc |
| International affiliation | Axis of Resistance |
| Colours | White, Green |
| Seats in the Council of Representatives: | 17 / 329
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| Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) | |
|---|---|
| Leaders | Qais al-Khazali Akram al-Kaabi (2007–2010) |
| Spokesman | Naeem al-Aboudi Jawad al-Talabawi (military) |
| Dates of operation | July 2006 – present |
| Split from | Sadrist Movement (Mahdi Army) |
| Allegiance | Iraq (2006–present) |
| Group(s) | See section |
| Headquarters | Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq |
| Active regions | Mainly Baghdad and Southern Iraq; also active in Iraq's Central regions and Syria |
| Size | 10,000 |
| Part of | Special Groups Popular Mobilization Forces Islamic Resistance in Iraq |
| Allies | State allies
Non-state allies
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| Opponents | State opponents
Non-state opponents
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| Battles and wars | Iraq War
Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)
Syrian Civil War
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| Designated as a terrorist group by | United States United Arab Emirates |
| Website | http://ahlualhaq.com |
AAH is funded, trained, equipped and guided by IRGC's Quds Force and Hezbollah. Members of AAH, as part of PMF, receive Iraqi government salaries after the PMF units were officially integrated into Iraqi security forces in 2018.
AAH has claimed responsibility for over 6,000 attacks on U.S.-led Coalition forces between 2006 and 2011 seeking to drive U.S. forces out of Iraq. The militia's main tactic was to plant IEDs along the roads used by U.S. forces. These lethal roadside bombs killed and wounded hundreds of Coalition troops. Other tactics include sniper attacks, kidnappings, rocket and RPG attacks. Since 2011, AAH has assassinated Iraqi political opponents, killed civilian protesters, and continued attacks on U.S. diplomatic and military presence. In 2017, AAH created a party with the same name.
On 3 January 2020, the U.S. Department of State announced its intent to designate AAH a terrorist organization along with two of its leaders, Qais al-Khazali and his brother Laith al-Khazali, who were designated Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT).