Leader of Hezbollah in Iraq Threatens More Sectarian Violence
The leader of Hezbollah in Iraq, Wathiq al-Battat, continues to amp up talk of Shiites exacting revenge against al-Qaeda and Baathists.
Wathiq al-Battat, the turbaned controversial figure who has been wanted by the judiciary for five months, admitted in a TV appearance on July 11 to carrying out killings and bombings in Baghdad, through a militia called the Mukhtar Army. Iraqi forces then decided to arrest the program’s staff who had conducted the interview, without arresting Battat himself.
This perplexing picture has sparked confusion in Iraq. Battat, who introduced himself to the media as secretary-general of Hezbollah in Iraq, announced in February the formation of a militia designed to kill al-Qaeda members and Baathists, in retaliation for the bombings against Iraq’s Shiite cities.
This announcement served to engender panic among citizens, particularly since it indicated that the 2006–2008 civil war scenario could be reproduced. Yet, it mostly represented a serious and blatant defiance of Iraqi authorities, judiciary and laws. This has required the issuance of an arrest warrant against Battat, which has yet to be implemented.
The fact that Iraqi security services have failed to find a person whose appearance and place of residence are known, who was approached by the media for dialogues and interviews and who made internal contacts in Iraq raises many questions.
