The Free Iraqi Army (Arabic: الجيش العراقي الحر, Al-Jayš Al-‘Irāqī Al-Ḥurr, FIA) was an Iraqi rebel group formed in the western Sunni-majority provinces of Iraq from Iraqi supporters of the Free Syrian Army rebels fighting in the Syrian Civil War.[3] The group aimed to overthrow the Shia-dominated government of Iraq,[4] believing that they would gain support in this from Syria should the rebels be successful in overthrowing Bashar al-Assad.[5][6] An Iraqi counterterror spokesman denied this, saying that the name is merely being used by al-Qaeda in Iraq to "attract the support of the Iraqi Sunnis by making use of the strife going on in Syria."[7]
| Free Iraqi Army | |
|---|---|
| الجيش العراقي الحر | |
.svg) The 1963-1991 flag of Iraq, used by the FIA. | |
| Dates of operation | 19 July 2012–1 August 2014 |
| Motives | Establishment of a Sunni state in Iraq |
| Active regions | Iraq |
| Size | 2,500+[1] |
| Allies |  Naqshbandi Army[citation needed]
 MCIR[citation needed] Anbar Tribal Councils[citation needed] Free Syrian Army |
| Opponents |  Republic of Iraq
|
| Battles and wars | Iraqi insurgency |
| Website | https://www.facebook.com/freeiraqiarmypage |
Aside from Anbar Province, the FIA reportedly had a presence in Fallujah, along the Syrian border near the town of Al-Qaim, and in Mosul in the north of Iraq. A recruiting commander for the group told a reporter from The Daily Star newspaper in Lebanon that the group was opposed to both Al-Qaeda in Iraq and their opponents in the Sahwa militia. The same commander claimed that the group received financial support from cross-border tribal extensions and Sunni sympathizers in the Persian gulf states of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.[5]
On 4 February 2013, Wathiq al-Batat of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah in Iraq, announced the formation of the Mukhtar Army to fight against al-Qaeda and the Free Iraqi Army.[8] In August 2014, the group became defunct, after a large offensive by ISIL in northern Iraq, with activity on their websites ceasing.
History
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Links to al-Qaeda and the Iraqi Ba'athists
editDespite the group's denial of links to al-Qaeda, the group had been accused of being affiliated with the group.[9] These accusations of links with both al-Qaeda and the Ba'athists led to a Najaf Shiite figure associated with the State of Law Coalition issuing a fatwa against supplying the group with weapons.[10]
See also
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External links
editReferences
edit- ^ "How Syria's civil war is spilling over". Al Jazeera English. Archived from the original on 2015-12-26. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
- ^ "Free Iraqi Army inspired by Syria war | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR". Archived from the original on 2018-10-14. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
- ^ "INSIGHT: Iraq's Tensions Heightened by Syria Conflict". Middle East Voices (VOA). 29 November 2012. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
- ^ "Syrian Soldiers Killed In Iraq: Reports". RTT News. 4 March 2013. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
- ^ a b "Free Iraqi Army inspired by Syria war". The Daily Star (Lebanon). 10 November 2012. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ "Iraqis locked in rival sectarian narratives". BBC News. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ "Al-Qaida making comeback in Iraq, officials say". The Guardian. 9 October 2012. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
- ^ "Briefing: A guide to defusing sectarian tensions in Iraq". IRIN. 13 February 2013. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
- ^ "Syrian War's Spillover Threatens a Fragile Iraq". The New York Times. 26 February 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- ^ عضو في الدفاع النيابية: الجيش العراقي الحر إسم آخر لتنظيم القاعدة (in Arabic). Iraqi Communist Party. 20 December 2012. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
