The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On January 13, 2021, Abu 'Ali Al-'Askari, the military commander of the Iran-backed Shi'ite militia Hizbullah Brigades (KH), shared a post on his Telegram channel [1] announcing that "the advisors of the Islamic resistance" are ready to offer counsel and training to what he called "the liberation movements" within the United States, and that special locations will be secured for that purpose. His statement comes after protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol last week, and indicates that the Iran-backed militias in Iraq are seeking to take advantage of recent domestic events in the U.S. to promote their agenda and encourage civil unrest.
Al-'Askari wrote: "In the name of [Allah] Almighty, the security advisors of the Islamic resistance stand ready to offer counsel and direct and indirect training to liberation movements within the Non-United States of America, with special locations being secured for that purpose." The post ended with the English words: "N-USA The End."
The KH commander is known for issuing repeated threats against U.S. interests in Iraq, including the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.[2] He was also reportedly involved in the smuggling of weapons and rockets from Iraq into Syria.[3]
Recently, several Telegram channels affiliated with Iran-backed Shi'ite militias in Iraq have gloated over the recent violence in the U.S. Capitol and expressed hopes that more violence will ensue, plunging the country into chaos and pitting communities on each side of the political spectrum against each other. They implied that the events were divine punishment for the U.S. administration's involvement in the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani.[4]
[1] Telegram, January 13, 2021.
[2] See MEMRI JTTM reports Hizbullah Brigades Spokesman: Continue To Train Your Weapons On American Interests In The Country; The Ceasefire Will Be Cancelled If Members Of The Resistance Or The PMU Are Harmed, October 13, 2020; Report In Iraq: Iraqi Interior Ministry Warns Companies Working With Americans They May Be Targets Of Attacks, September 8, 2020; Commander Of Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Vows To Fight U.S., Israel, Saudi Arabia On All Fronts, August 27, 2020; Iraqi Shi'ite Militias: The American Embassy In Baghdad Is A Big Target; If Sanctions Are Imposed On Iraq We Will Stop The Flow Of Oil From The Gulf, January 7, 2020.
