Unpublished work by slain Iraqi activist al-Hashemi shows PMU’s corruption in Nineveh
Unpublished work by assassinated Iraqi researcher Hisham al-Hashemi proved the level of corruption by the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Unit (PMU) militias in Nineveh after they recaptured the city from ISIS, according to Al Hadath reporter Roula al-Khateeb who obtained the documents.
Al Hadath’s al-Khateeb, who received several documents from an unnamed source, has been reporting on how the documents and research papers she received pertaining to the PMU militias’ activities in Iraq may have been behind the late al-Hashemi’s assassination.
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Mourners attend a symbolic funeral for slain Iraqi extremism expert Hisham al-Hashemi. (AFP)
Al-Hashemi, who publicly supported the popular protests that broke out in Baghdad in October, was assassinated on July 6 when three gunmen fired dozens of bullets at him outside his home in east Baghdad.
The latest research papers PMU’s corruption in Nineveh, the second in a three-part series on the wider unpublished works of al-Hashemi, showed the number of militias stationed in Nineveh and concluded that the city was controlled by Faleh al-Fayyad, Hadi al-Amri, and Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes before his death.
“Al-Hashemi’s research found that thousands of PMU militants stationed in and controlling Nineveh today are not the sons and from the city itself. Many of these militant factions entered Nineveh under the pretext of fighting ISIS but they did not leave once the terrorist ISIS group was defeated,” al-Khateeb said during an appearance on Al Hadath channel regarding her reporting on the papers.
A Nineveh Plain Protection Units, or NPU, fighter inspects the interior of a church damaged by Islamic State fighters during their occupation of Qaraqosh, east of Mosul. (File photo: AP)
“These PMU militias then took advantage of the oil in Nineveh and smuggled it to Iran with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard being the primary benefactor of the PMU’s hold of Nineveh, using it as a significant part of its financing,” al-Khateeb said in a summary of al-Hashemi’s findings.
Read more:
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Al-Hashemi’s unpublished research also revealed that the PMU militia factions have been taking royalties from the residents of Nineveh, blackmailing them, and preventing them from returning to their own lands that were taken by ISIS.
Nineveh is the second-largest Iraqi province in the country after Baghdad in terms of population and economic growth. Its capital city is Mosul and the province as a whole is considered the most conservative and multi-sectarian province in the country as well.
The Sunnis make up the majority sect of the province and al-Hashemi’s research found that the Iran-backed PMU militias are controlling the province and attempting to change the demographics and makeup of the city by preventing Nineveh’s Sunnis son from returning to their own lands from abroad,” al-Khateeb reported.
Image shows a list of PMU factions in Nineveh as part of unpublished paper by slain Iraqi activist al-Hashemi on the group's corrupt activities in the province. (Al Hadath)
Al-Hashemi’s research into the PMU factions was detailed in his unpublished papers regarding Nineveh, finding the following militias and detailing their activities in the province:
The Shabak regiment: From the Shabak component, the Shiites are considered one of the most powerful factions of the PMU militias in Nineveh, headed by Waad al-Qaddo, a brother of Hanin al- Qaddo, the deputy of the Shabak faction in the Iraqi parliament for the province of Nineveh and who was nominated and elected under the al-Fateh alliance headed by Hadi al-Amiri.
Babylonian brigades: The Christian component regiment is considered one of the most important factions of the PMUs in the province of Nineveh, headed by Ryan Chaldani, who is directly supported by the Secretary-General of the Dawa Party, Nouri al-Maliki.
Imam Ali brigades: A regiment headed by Shibl al-Zaidi and the second deputy named Abu Azrael. This faction is known for opening the lands wide to Iranian militias after liberating them from the terrorist ISIS group.
Abbas regiment: This faction is made up of mostly Shia Turkmen fighters headed by Abu Zainab al-Ta’i. It belongs directly to the Badr Organization, which is headed by Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the al-Fateh Alliance.
Azidkhan regiment: A regiment made up of Yazidis, headed by Qasim Shushu – who had a direct contact with Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes – who militarily controls Mount Sinjar.
Lalesh regiment: A regiment for the Yezidis, considered to be one of the most ferocious crowds practicing violations against Muslims and Christians in the Sinjar and Kairouan region, creating many problems and seizing of the agricultural lands of other factions.
Sayed al-Shuhada brigades: A Shiite faction headed by Abu Alaa Al-Wala'I – a PMU deputy who succeeded Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes – who has a close relationship with the most prominent leaders of Nineveh operations. He is considered the most powerful person in coordinating the movements of the PMU in the districts and areas of the Nineveh governorate.
Al-Asaib regiment: A Shia faction headed by Abu Baqir al-Jubouri, the director of the al-Asaib Office led by Qais al-Khazali, accused of taking royalties from factory owners and workshops.
Saraya al-Khorasani: A Shia faction headed by Khusayr Aliwi al-Sabbar and who has direct ties to the PMU’s security intelligence
Al-Fateh faction: A Shia faction headed by Nayef al-Shammari, a deputy in the Iraqi parliament for the province of Nineveh and linked to Hadi al-Amiri.
Nineveh Lions regiment: A Sunni faction led by Ahmad Malool al-Jarba, an Iraqi Member of Parliament who has a direct relationship with Hadi al-Amiri and contributes to the distribution of agricultural lands to the PMU.
Al Tanaya 1: A Sunni faction led by Faisal and Taban al-Jarba, both of whom had direct relationships with Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes and own wheat and barley farms in Rabiah on the Iraq-Syria border.
Al-Luwaizi: A Sunni faction led by Munif al-Ali al-Luwaizi who is associated with the Parliamentary Representative for the Nineveh province, Abdulrahman al-Luwaizi. He deals with the PMU in a direct manner, especially with the Shabak brigade.
Karrar regiment: A Shia faction led by Mohammed al-Wakaa. They are primarily located in the Tal Afar and al-Ayadiyah districts, which include Turkmen fighters. Al-Wakaa has a close relationship with the Al-Fateh bloc led by Hadi al-Amiri.
Al-Khudhur regiment: A Sunni faction led by Hawas al-Ahmadi and who has a close relationship with the PMU militias through the former governor, Nawfal al-Akoub.
The Nimrod regiment: A Sunni faction led by Ahmed al-Jawary, who has a close relationship with Sheikh Khalid al-Sabah al-Jubouri who formed the regiment in the Nimrod region. They have a close relationship with Ryan Chaldani, the leader of the Babylonian Christian brigades.
Al-Akoub regiment: A Sunni faction led by Muzahim Ghazi, a relative of the former governor of Nineveh Nawfal al-Akoub. The faction is accused of blackmailing families and residents in order to force them to vote for Nawfal al-Akoub and to overlook investment deals related to the monuments in the urban area.
Al-Safouk regiment: A Sunni faction led by Fener Ahmad al-Safouk. They are primarily located in the Ayyadiya area of Tal Afar and are known for their close ties to Hadi al-Amiri.
