Amnesty International: Weapons from 16 Countries in the Hands of Mainly Shia Militias in Iraq

Amnesty International states that mainly Shia militias in Iraq, which support the government and have previously faced accusations of 'committing war crimes,' are utilizing weapons from 16 countries around the world, from the United States to Iran. Patrick Wilcken, a researcher on arms control at Amnesty International, says, 'Suppliers of arms, including the United States, European countries, Russia, and Iran, must be alert and confront the reality that weapons sent to Iraq risk falling into the hands of militias with a history of human rights violations.' The formation of Iraq's 'Popular Mobilization' (Hashd al-Shaabi) from predominantly Shia militias dates back two years to the peak of the advances made by the group known as the Islamic State. While these militias are engaged in resisting and fighting against ISIS, they have also been accused multiple times of actions that constitute 'war crimes.' This includes last fall when Amnesty International stated that they had carried out extrajudicial executions and tortured individuals suspected of collaborating with ISIS during the Mosul operations and the battle against Islamic State militants. Amnesty International has also accused the extremist Sunni group 'Islamic State' of 'widespread crimes' and reported that weapons from at least 25 countries ultimately ended up in the group's arsenals. At another time, it was said that ISIS had engaged in 'systematic and unprecedented ethnic cleansing' of people in Iraq. This non-governmental organization, in a report published on January 6, states that Shia militias are using tanks, automatic weapons, and sniper rifles, among other arms. These weapons have reached predominantly Shia militias either from Iraqi government organizations or with their permission. However, this is not the whole story, as members of the 'Popular Mobilization' have also purchased arms online from the free market. Iran, which is specifically mentioned in the Amnesty International report alongside other countries as needing to be 'alert,' is considered one of the main supporters of predominantly Shia militias. Tehran also supports the central government of Iraq and has sent weapons and ammunition to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Mr. Wilcken states, 'Instead of openly praising the militias and glorifying them as those fighting to eliminate ISIS, Iraqi officials must stop turning a blind eye to their targeted violence that empowers strong divisions.' The London-based human rights organization has also urged countries that sell weapons to the Iraqi government to monitor their use and prevent their transfer to militia groups with a history of human rights violations.