Iraqi Shiite Militia Leader Defies ISIS: We Are Prepared to Target the Enemy on Its Own Turf

In a recent address, Qais Al-Khazali, the leader of the Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite militia Asa'ib Ahl Al-Haq (a.k.a. the Khazali Network), said that ISIS was "too small and contemptible to be able to defile the soil of Najaf and Karbala." Al-Khazali declared: "We have lions, heroes... We no longer present our heads for the slaughter. Today, the heroes of the resistance are fully capable and prepared to target the enemy on its own turf." The address was broadcast on the Iraqi Al-'Ahd TV channel and posted on the Internet on June 28, 2014.

Following are excerpts:

Qais Al-Khazali: As you know, my brothers, Baghdad is our capital. So long as the capital city is safe and stable, anything that is lost can be regained. This is well known. The capital city is the most important thing.

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The innocent Sunnis – the Sunni families, the innocent civilians – have nowhere in Iraq to turn to in such an environment. Chaos rages throughout [the Sunni] areas. The only thing left for them to do is to flee to Kurdistan or abroad, but many cannot afford to do so. If this continues, we will be driving innocent and peaceful people, who have nothing to do with all of this, into the bosom of these armed criminal groups.

We must prevent as many of these uninvolved people as possible from becoming a party to this conflict.

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I would like to reassure all the Iraqis, especially those living in Najaf and Karbala, that all that has been said so far is nothing but rumors. None of it has happened. I would like to tell them that all honorable Iraqis are ready to sacrifice their lives to defend all of Iraq, and especially Najaf and Karbala, due to their sanctity.

Rest assured that the members of the Islamic resistance are prepared, including the heroes of Asa'ib [Aal Al-Haq]. We are here and we are ready. We are following the events closely. We are in full readiness, and we have intelligence.

So far, there is no call for concern. I am fully confident of what I say. [ISIS] is too small and contemptible to be able to defile the soil of Najaf and Karbala. They will never succeed in doing so.

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What we have are no longer sheep. We have lions, heroes. We have transformed. We no longer present our heads for the slaughter. Today, the heroes of the resistance are fully capable and prepared to target the enemy on its own turf, and all the more so if the enemy comes here.

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Just like happened in Syria, the first to realize that their enemy is ISIS and not the Iraqi soldiers will be, I am sad to say, the people of Mosul.

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