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Last modified: 2023-11-11 by ian macdonald
Keywords: iraq | popular mobilization force | al-hashd |
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The Mahdi Army, or JAM (Jaysh al-Mahdi) has evolved into the Promised Day Brigades and then into the Peace Companies (Saraya al-Salam), frequently mistakenly still called "Peace Brigades" in United States media. They are an Iraqi armed group linked to Iraq's Shia community. The Peace Brigades were created by the Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June 2003 and disbanded in 2008 only to be revived since 2014 in the much more broad sense of a Popular Mobilization Forces (al-Hashd al-Shaabi). The Peace Companies emerged again in 2014 replacing the Promised Day Brigades into a much more elaborate network of cooperation under the People's Mobilization (Forces).
The People's Mobilization (Forces) (al-Hashd al-Shaabi), also known as the National Mobilization (al-Hashd al-Watani), and as the Popular Mobilization Forces/Units/Committee (PMF/PMU/PMC), is an Iraqi state-sponsored
umbrella organization composed of some 40, mainly Shiite, militias (there also Sunni, Christian, and Yazidi groups). The People's Mobilization was formed for deployment against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
The organization was formed by uniting existing militias under the "People's Mobilization Committee" of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior in June of 2014. Despite being a force outside the Iraqi regular armed services, militants of the Popular Mobilization Forces openly reject the qualification of "militia".
This framework of cooperation is coordinated by the Iraqi State and acts (loosely) as a confederation of forces, of which the three main driving forces are: "The League of the Righteous" (As-saib Ahl al Haq), "Hezbollah Brigades" (Kata'ib Hezbollah) and the
"Promised Day Brigades" which evolved into the "Peace Companies" (Sources: Popular Mobilization Forces (Iraq) and Peace Companies and Special Groups (Iraq), and other lesser groups, such as the Badr Organization and the Battalion of the Sayyid's Martyrs (Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada - KSS) in Iraq.)
Now, back to Mahdi Army: we feature the above image, sent to the list by William Garrison. He mentions the original source to be Getty images. Here are a few more of those pictures (all of them were taken in Baghdad Shiite district of Sadr City, July 21, 2006):
- Image #1 (flag in the middle) and (source)
- Image #2 (flag in the middle) and (source)
- Image #3 (flag in the middle) and (source)
- Image #4 and (source)
- Image #5 and (source).
The flag is a horizontal green flag, with the map of Iraq in the middle in white outline, with fourteen white rays coming out of the center of the Iraq map outwards, with an Iraqi flag in the right corner, and below the Iraq map, two crossed white swords (most likely a type of scimitar) with the black grip.
Esteban Rivera, 27 March 2016
#49a
#49b
Images from Randy Young, 1 April 2016
I attempted to create of the first two Popular Mobilization Forces flags that Esteban listed in his E-mail - the current logo on the white field (#49a) and the previous yellow flag with the red logo (#49b). Unfortunately, I was not able to gif the red flag with the inscription that he also linked in his E-mail. I'll keep trying, though, and hopefully be able to come up with a reasonable facsimile in the future. Please let me know if there are any changes or corrections that need to be made to the attached graphics.
Randy Young, 1 April 2016
images located by William Garrison, 10 December 2020, 26 October
2023
A yellow "Popular Mobilization Force" (PMF) flag, sourced from
https://www.wfdd.org/story/shiite-militias-move-sunni-city-what-happens-next.
Caption: c. April 2, 2015:
Iraqi (Shiite-Muslim) militia forces
(a.k.a.: "Popular Mobilization Forces": PMF) carrying yellow militia flag
celebrate after retaking the rebel city of (Sunni-Muslim) Tikrit, Iraq.
Haydar Hadi / Andalou Agency/Getty Images
William Garrison, 10 December
2020
A yellow "Popular Mobilization Force" (PMF) flag, sourced from
https://www.wfdd.org/story/shiite-militias-move-sunni-city-what-happens-next.
Although it is listed as a "Popular Mobilization Force" flag, no specific
militia name is posted for it.
New identified name: "Soldiers of Imam Ali
Battalions" ["Jund al-Imam Ali Kataib"]. Not to be confused with a similar
sounding militia: "Kataib Imam Ali"; the only way how to tell them apart is by
looking at their different logos/shields. Depending on the translation, the
Arabic words for battalion and brigade are sometimes interchanged.
Source:
https://oefoif.forumotion.net/t6606p30-popular-defense-brigade-and-league-of-the-righteous-flags
William Garrison, 26 October 2023
image from William Garrison, 22 August 2019
Shia/Shiite militia Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), misc.
source:
https://jihadintel.meforum.org/identifiers/21/flags
William Garrison, 22 August 2019
The first flag (white, green map with a red ribbon below) is from Asa'ib Ahl
al-Haq (Asa'ib Ahlulhaq عصائب الحق), "League of People of Righteousness" also
known as the Khazali Network and previously known as Ahl al-Kahf. This is an
Iranian proxy militia originated in 2004 as a split from Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi
Army. The group leader is Qais al-Khazali.
The other flag is from the
military wing of the Badr Organization.
Jaume Olle, 31 August 2019
Those flags are of The League of the Righteous
and Badr Organization.
Esteban Rivera, 31
August 2019
image from William Garrison, 9 November 2019
Flag, Iraq, Shiite/Shia Muslim militia, c. 2016
"Soldiers of the Hashd
Al Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Units) wave the victory sign onboard a pickup
truck, on their way to Tal Afar [Iraq] airport on November 20, 2016. (AFP
Photo)"
Popular Mobilization Forces (Iraq) With regard to the official
native name, the Arabic word الشعبي (al-shaabi) translates as “people's” or
“popular”, as referred to the people; the Arabic word الحشد (al-hashd)
translates as “mobilization”, as in the group of people mobilized or the process
of mobilization.
Source:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/iraq-s-ascendant-shia-militias-take-the-fight-to-tal-afar/story-c2KDBmb5TUR8HESSNdgD0N.html
William Garrison, 9 November 2019
From left to
right:
1. The League of the Righteous
2. Harakat al-Nujaba
3. Hezbollah Brigades (variant)
4. Mehdi Army / Peace Companies
Esteban Rivera, 31 October 2023
image located by William Garrison, 26 March 2020
Source:
http://oefoif.forumotion.net/t6606p30-popular-defense-brigade-and-league-of-the-righteous-flags
Citation: Al-Ashtar Brigade (the bottom yellow line reads: Saraya al-Ashtar
), a Shia-Muslim unit opposed to the Sunni-Muslim government of Bahrain, c. Jan.
2016.
William Garrison, 26 March 2020
image from William Garrison, 20 August 2019
Flag, Iraq, al-Hashd al-Shaabi outside city of Albu Ajil, east of Tikrit/Takrit,
Iraq.
A Shia-Muslim, Popular Mobilization Force (PMF), c. August 2019
source:
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1541696
William Garrison, 20 August 2019
image from William Garrison, 5 January 2020
Two side-by-side versions of the Iraq-based "Hashd al-Shaabi" flag: the
regular white one, and a red one -- which most likely symbolizes the blood shed
by martyred soldiers of this Shiite-Muslim "Popular Mobilization Force" (PMF);
c. Jan. 2020. It may be a sub-unit of "Hashd al-Shaabi".
Source:
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/pictures-thousands-march-baghdad-mourn-soleimani-200104094026338.html
William Garrison, 5 January 2020
.gif)
images located by Bill Garrison, 18 October 2020
The overall coalition of various private-militias operating in Iraq is
referred to as the "Popular Mobilization Force (PMF)" or "Hashd al-Shaabi". This
coalition includes the "Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asa%27ib_Ahl_al-Haq, "League of the
Righteous", a Shiite-Muslim private-militia unit. The "source" notes that this
flag was carried by the "Popular Mobilization Forces" (Hashd al-Shaabi) during a
funeral for members of the Shiite-Muslim group "Asa'ib Ahl al-Haqq" in 2019. ["Haq"
is sometimes spelled or transliterated as "Haqq".] The logo of al-Shaabi has
been incorporated into the bottom black stripe of the Iraqi national flag. The
slogan on the white stripe reads "Allah Akbar" or "God is Great".
Bill
Garrison, 18 October 2020
This flag may well be a makeshift variant flag of the Popular Mobilization
Forces including one of its many factions, in this case As-saib Ahl al Haq's
logo in the bottom black stripe, an adaptation really, but it is not an official
flag for either one.
Esteban Rivera, 18 October 2020
image located by William Garrison, 31 March 2023
Flag reads "Al-Sabr Brigade" and "The Patient Ones" (a slogan that refers to
a sentence (ayat) in the Muslim's holy book, Quran 2:153); c. 2015. The design
of the country shown is that of Iraq. "Sabr" in Arabic spans the concepts of:
patient, endurance, persistence. The rifle-world logo mimics that of Hezbollah,
thereby indicating some affiliation with that Shia-Muslim organization. There is
a flag-pole sleeve on the right (hoist). This is a Shia-Muslim militia (PMF:
Popular Mobilization Forces) in Iraq.
William Garrison, 31 March 2023
image from William Garrison, 18 November 2019
Caption: " A flag of the ideological affairs arm of the popular mobilization
forces [PMF] as seen in the town of Bartella, Ninewa province. Iraq - July
2019."
Source:
https://enablingpeace.org/checking-iranian-power-in-iraq/
William Garrison,
18 November 2019
image located by William Garrison, 27 March 2020
Source:
http://oefoif.forumotion.net/t6606p30-popular-defense-brigade-and-league-of-the-righteous-flags
Citation: Map of Iraq, Imam Ali Battalion ("Ali" in Arabic appears below the
AK-47 gun); c. Jan. 2016.
William Garrison, 27 March 2020
image
located by William Garrison, 11 November 2020
image located by William Garrison, 25 March 2020
Source:
http://oefoif.forumotion.net/t6606p30-popular-defense-brigade-and-league-of-the-righteous-flags
Caption: Imam Mohammed Al-Jawad Brigade, The First Brigade; c. Jan. 2016.
The two-prong sword indicates that this is a Shia-Muslim unit.
William Garrison, 25 March 2020
image
located by William Garrison, 20 June 2021
Source:
https://jihadintel.meforum.org/identifier/621/martyr-sadr-forces-formations-liwa-suqur-karbala
Caption: "Liwa Suqur Karbala" (Karbala Falcons Brigade), part of Shia-Muslim
Martyr Sadr Forces {PMF: Popular Mobilization Forces militia}; c. May 2021.
Martyr Sadr Forces Formations: Liwa Suqur Karbala
"Karbala Falcons
Brigade"- one of the Martyr Sadr Forces Formations: headed by Ali al-Fatla
William Garrison, 20 June 2021
image located by William Garrison, 25 March 2020
Source:
http://oefoif.forumotion.net/t6606p30-popular-defense-brigade-and-league-of-the-righteous-flags
Caption: Iraq, Anger Brigade (PMF: Popular Mobilization Force) flag, c. Jan.
2016
William Garrison, 25 March 2020
image located by William Garrison, 26 October 2023
The correct name is "Kataib al-Ghadab" or "Ghadab Bde" as noted in black
Arabic on the top line of the shield (and again just below the AK-47 rifle). On
the white stripe is the slogan: "Allah Akbar" or "Allah is the greatest"; c.
2015. There is a flag-pole sleeve at the right (hoist).
William Garrison,
26 October 2023
image from Jaume Ollé, 2 August 2019
The flag of Liwa (Battalion) Ali al-Akbar. It was established in 2014 and it is within the Popular Mobilization Forces the 11th Brigade. It is named after Ali al-Akbar, the son of Al-Husayn ibn Ali, the third Shia Imam, and Umm Layla, sometimes fully spelled as Ali al-Akbar ibn Al-Husayn. The Popular Mobilization Forces is an umbrella organization that comprises some 60-70 armed units/factions, of which Liwa Ali al-Akbar is one of them. (source #1, source #2 and source #3)
The flag has a horizontal green background, featuring the logo in the middle, as already depicted (image and source)
For the umbrella organization labeled as Popular Mobilization Forces, we include further information on the following entry: "UFE13-49. "Hezbollah, Iraq-Lenanon, ISIS Flag?" pending reorganization and update on the respective Iraq section.
For additional information on the Popular Mobilization Forces please go to al-Hashed (official website).
Esteban Rivera, 31 August 2019
image
located by William Garrison, 10 June 2022
Source:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/weeks-after-recapturing-mosul-iraq-retakes-tal-afar-centre-citadel-from-islamic-state/story-Srk0ZkxZA0Vi8YosbuwwJI.html
A variety of the "Liwa (battalion) Ali al-Akbar" flag. Here, this
"Popular Mobilization Force" (PMF) unit's logo appears in the bottom black
stripe of the national Iraq flag in Tal Afar, Iraq; c. August 2017. Thaier Al-Sudani
(REUTERS)
William Garrison, 10 June 2022
image located by William Garrison, 26 March 2020
Source:
http://oefoif.forumotion.net/t6606p30-popular-defense-brigade-and-league-of-the-righteous-flags
Caption: "Najafi" brigade; bottom line reads "al-Najafi" in Arabic, Iraq, c.
Jan. 2016; the two-prong sword indicates that this is a Shia-Muslim unit.
William Garrison, 26 March 2020
image located by William Garrison, 26 March 2020
source:
http://oefoif.forumotion.net/t6606p30-popular-defense-brigade-and-league-of-the-righteous-flags
Citation: "Praise" brigade, Iraq, c. an. 2016, the map of Iraq and the
two-prong sword indicates that this is a Shia-Muslim unit.
William Garrison, 26 March 2020
images
(obverse and reverse)
located by William Garrison, 5 January 2021
caption: "Saraya al-Jihad" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_language:
سرايا الجهاد, "Jihad Companies") or as the "Popular Mobilization Forces' 17th
Brigade", is an Iraqi Shia-Muslim group and the armed wing of the "Jihad and
Development Movement" operating in Iraq and Syria [c. 2019], under the command
of the "Popular Mobilization Forces" (PMF). While the "Iraqi flag triangle" and
the "rifle" designs appear to be the same images but just reversed, one notes
that the slogans have been switched, so that on both sides all slogans read
properly in Arabic (front right-to-left). Hence, on both sides the "Allah Akbar"
reads correctly in the "Iraqi flag triangle", as does the group's name below the
rifle: "Saraya al-Jihad".
William Garrison, 5 January 2021
image located by William Garrison, 26 March 2020
Source:
http://oefoif.forumotion.net/t6606p30-popular-defense-brigade-and-league-of-the-righteous-flags
Citation: Soldiers of Imam Brigade, Iraq, c. Jan. 2016.
William Garrison, 26 March 2020
image located by William Garrison, 21 December 2021
source:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/iraqi-shia-paramilitary-chief-seeks-to-put-troops-under-national-army/story-8UcnIyDy7y1DqkuKVEv7fO.html
The commander of Iraq's biggest Shia Muslim paramilitary group told its
fighters on Thursday to take their orders from the national military and cut
their ties with the group's political wing.
As this green-field Shi'ite-Muslim
flag contains the generic Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) logo near the bottom
of the flag, it may be an unidentified PMF sub-unit, as seen on the outskirts of
Tal Afa, Iraq; c. early Dec 2021.
William Garrison, 21 December 2021
image located by William Garrison, 1 November 2022
From
https://tcf.org, a green-field flag with the image of a black tank (and to
its left the generic Hezbollah logo) and red-Arabic slogans that read (from top
to bottom) "Battalion, Tanks, Mobilization, Popular" or in a little better
idiomatic English: "Popular Mobilization Tanks Battalion".
William
Garrison, 1 November 2022
Another
picture from
https://warontherocks.com
shows the same flag.
I'm a bit confused since the picture mentioned
by Bill shows a tank which features both an Iraqi flag insignia on ton of
the turret, accompanied by the same symbol (a diamond-shaped arm with an
AK-47) of
the Pasdaran). It could perhaps be either a Pasdaran related Unit or the
Hezbollah Brigades (Iraq).
Esteban Rivera,
2 November 2022
According to Wikipedia: "Kata'ib Hezbollah [ 'Battalions of the Party of
God'] —or the Hezbollah Battalions—is a radical Iraqi Shiite paramilitary group
which is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces [PMF] backed by Iran."
The Wikipedia article clearly states that the Hezbollah Battalions/Brigades is
an Iraqi militia which "is part of the PMF" of Iraq (not of Iran where the
Pasdaran hang out). {Regarding their possible different philosophies, how
incestuous these militias are I am not too sure, despite their differences I'm
sure that they share a "group hug" whenever they do get together.}
William Garrison,
3 November 2022
image located by William Garrison, 25 March 2020
Source:
http://oefoif.forumotion.net/t6606p30-popular-defense-brigade-and-league-of-the-righteous-flags
Caption: Iraq (Syria), Zainab's Protector Brigade, c. Jan 2016
William Garrison, 25 March 2020
image located by William Garrison, 25 March 2020
Source:
http://oefoif.forumotion.net/t6606p30-popular-defense-brigade-and-league-of-the-righteous-flags
Citation: "League of the Righteous" flag, Iraq, c. Jan. 2016 [the two-prong
Zulifqur sword indicates that this is a Shia-Muslim unit]
William Garrison, 25 March 2020
images located by William Garrison, 27 March 2020
Source:
http://oefoif.forumotion.net/t6606p30-popular-defense-brigade-and-league-of-the-righteous-flags
Key (8 flags in 2 jpg attachments):
1 - Conquering Lion of God
2 - Awaited Mehdi
3 - Islamic Merit Party
4 - Badr Organization
5 - Imam Ali Brigade
6 - Peace Brigades
7 - Popular Crowds (Mobilization)
8 - League of People's Righteous
William Garrison, 27 March 2020
image from William Garrison, 2 December 2019
Flag (green), Iraq, unknown PMU (Popular Mobilization Unit).
Source:
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/07/iraq-pmu-iraq-us-saudi.html
Caption: Popular Mobilization Units gather around the Tal Afar airport as
they and Iraqi forces backed by local militia, Aug. 27, 2017
Read more:
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/07/iraq-pmu-iraq-us-saudi.html#ixzz66vefyouu
William Garrison, 2 December 2019
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