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The Fighters of Iraq Who Answer to Iran
(Reuters) Babak Dehghanpisheh - Qais al-Khazali is the head of a militia in Iraq called Asaib Ahl al-Haq. Together with the Badr Brigades and Kataib Hezbollah, these three small Iraqi Shi'ite armies, all backed by Iran, have become the most powerful military force in Iraq since the collapse of the national army in June. The militias are key to Iran's power and influence inside neighboring Iraq. Iran's population is overwhelmingly Shi'ite, as are the majority of Iraqis. Tehran has built up its influence in the past decade by giving political backing to the Iraqi government, and weapons and advisers to the militias and the remnants of the Iraqi military. The main body funding, arming, and training the Shi'ite militias is Iran's Quds Force, commanded by Qassem Soleimani.