Iranian Influence in Iraqi Shi'a Groups.

摘要

The removal of Saddam Hussein in 2003 enabled Iraqi Shi'a groups, once banned from political participation, to once again have a voice. Iran also has taken advantage of the post-Saddam political climate by attempting to influence religiously similar groups within Iraq, namely the Shi'a community. Constituting approximately 60 percent of the Iraqi population, the Iraqi Shi'a community has enormous voting power during democratic elections that could sway Iraq into Iranian hands. U.S. officials are apprehensive of the relationship between Iran and Iraqi Shi'a militant groups, believing that this relationship could lead Iraq down a path towards a puppet state, subservient to Iranian regional ambitions. To understand the threat posed by Iran in the Middle East region, U.S. officials must first identify and understand the current level of influence Iran has on Iraq. This thesis aims to analyze the scope of Iranian influence inside of Iraq by examining four dominant Shi'a militant groups: (1) the Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) militia, (2) Keta'ib Hezbollah (KH), (3) Asa'ib Al-Haq (AAH), and (4) the Promised Day Brigade (PDB). By doing so, this analysis will provide the evidence needed to answer the following question: What is the level of Iranian support given to the various Shi'a militant groups in Iraq.