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On October 30, 2024, on his Telegram channel, Iran-backed Iraqi Hizbullah Brigades militia spokesman Abu Ali Al-Askari posted an official statement in which he related to several issues on the public agenda within and beyond Iraq. Among other things, Al-Askari claimed that there is no difference between the two candidates for president of the U.S., and even mocked Trump, describing him as someone who exposed the true evil face of America. He also threatened to attack countries in the region if they “reactivate ISIS and its ilk” in Iraq.
Al-Askari began by congratulating the new Hizbullah leadership, headed by Na’im Qassem, and stressed “the steadfast commitment” of his organization to assist the “brothers” in Lebanon and in Palestine.[1] Similar sentiments were expressed by other Iran-backed Iraqi militias, Yemen's Ansar Allah movement (the Houthis), and Palestinian groups, following the appointment of Qassem as Hizbullah secretary-general.[2]
Referring to the upcoming American presidential election, Al-Askari wrote that as far as his organization is concerned, it makes no difference whether Trump or Harris heads “the American government of evil.” He suggested that Harris and the Democratic Party may be worse than Trump and his party, because “We have had successful experiences with him [i.e. Trump] and have already beaten him in several struggles. He has no staying power, he cannot bear material [i.e. economic] attrition, and he has saved us considerable time and effort by revealing the true face of the evil America and exposing its vulnerabilities, on live broadcasts.”
In a different context, Al-Askari called “to expose with evidence various movements, political parties, and civil society organizations that have ties to the Zionist entity and to the U.S., and to do so by means of special programs in the media, so that the government [of Iraq] and the people can make decisions about them.”
He further stated that the members of the resistance, the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) and the Iraqi Armed Forces can defend their country against “ISIS and its ilk from among the servants of the Zionists.” At the same time, he warned the regimes that support the latter “not to consider reactivating them, for then we will not suffice with fighting them in Iraq, but we will strike in the heart of the capital cities of the countries that support them. They must understand this fully.”
It is notable that Al-Askari has recently voiced similar threats, declaring that his organization would wage an “energy war” and attack Israel and American interests in Iraq and in the region if Israel were to attack Iraq or violate its airspace to attack targets in Iran.[3]
[1] Telegram, October 30, 2024.
[2] See MEMRI JTTM Report: Following Election Of New Hizbullah Secretary General, Iran-Backed Militias, Yemen's Houthis, Palestinian Groups, Express Support For Naim Qassem, Praise 'Swift' Process In Critical Times As Proof Of Hizbullah's 'Solid' Foundation, Ability To Recover, October 29, 2024.
[3] See MEMRI JTTM Report: Iraqi Hizbullah Brigades Threatens To Hit Israel, American Bases And Interests, If Israel Violates Its Airspace To Strike Iran, Threatens Energy War, October 11, 2024.
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