The report claimed that these pro-Iranian militias that became an official state-backed paramilitary force in 2018 now need some 3.56 trillion Iraqi dinars ($2.7b).
The Hashd or PMU was raised in 2014 after the Fatwa by Ayatollah Ali Sistani, which encouraged young men to defend Baghdad from the ISIS offensive that year. Eventually, huge numbers of men flocked to the banners of various units. There were dozens of Hashd brigades, most affiliated with various existing militias. Groups like Badr date back to the 1980s. Some of the groups like Kataib Hezbollah are closely linked to Iran’s IRGC. Some of these groups have threatened Israel over the years, such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq’s Qais Khazali and the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba group. READ MORE
