Militia Leader Accuses Iraqi Army of ‘Betrayal’ Over Fallujah

Complains Army Holding Back, Shifting Focus to Mosul

Iraqi MP Hadi al-Amiri, the leader of the nation’s largest Shi’ite militia, the Badr Brigade, has given a televised speech in which he accused the Iraqi Army of “betrayal” in the ongoing battle for Fallujah, a battle in which his militia and others are heavily involved.

Amiri complained that the military had “an absence of precise planning,” and that the military’s decision to shift large amounts of armored vehicles to the area around Mosul amounted to a betrayal of the current battle, saying he believed the shift was the result of US pressure.

Iraqi Army officials insist the shift of vehicles to Mosul would have no impact on the “ongoing battle of Fallujah,” insisting that the military is still “achieving victories” and believes it will quickly win the battle.

This predicted victory, though hardly a new comment from Iraqi officials, comes in spite of Prime Minister Hayder Abadi announcing that the offensive is on hold, pending some 50,000 civilians leaving the city.

That’s likely to be another sore spot for Amiri, as the Shi’ite militias are facing accusations of kidnapping and torturing what few civilians have managed to escape Fallujah, and several have expressed annoyance at the government stalling the offensive.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.