US-based think tank publishes slain Iraqi expert Hisham al-Hashemi’s final research

Slain Iraqi researcher Hisham al-Hashemi wrote a final piece before his death, warning about the dangers of an ISIS resurrection in Iraq.

Al-Hashemi wrote a policy paper in which he warned that the security challenge of ISIS in Iraq required “urgent support” of all countries and non-governmental entities that are concerned about Iraq and the “broader reach” of ISIS.

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The Iraqi expert looked at two arguments for the connection between terrorist activities and the return of ISIS families to their hometowns.

One argument, al-Hashemi wrote for the US-based think tank Center for Global Policy, was that ISIS militants’ displaced families were returning to their hometowns.

The second argument is that there may be a connection between terrorist activities to families with members who had fought for ISIS.

He said the latter argument was dangerous and “could implicate and alienate a sizable portion of the Iraqi population.”

Al-Hashemi warned that both scenarios present security challenges that Iraq could not face on its own.

Al-Hashemi was an authoritative voice on Sunni extremist factions, including ISIS terror group. He was also frequently consulted by media and foreign governments on domestic Iraqi politics and Shia armed groups.

He also came out strongly in favor of the nationwide protests in Baghdad last year, which criticized the Iraqi government for being corrupt and beholden to Iran.

On Tuesday, Iraqi protesters mourned al-Hashemi and slammed Iran’s supreme leader, calling him a “murderer” and accused an Iran-backed militia of killing al-Hashemi.

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