From Syria to Iraq, from Iraq to Syria. Liwa al-Assad Allah Ghaleb

One of the last pro-regime militias of Iraqi origin who has appeared in Syria is Liwa al-Assad Allah Ghaleb (LAAG)^¹. LAAG was officially born in December 2013 when its leader, Abu Fatima al-Mussawi, makes the announcement in a video filmed at Damascus International Airport. Abu Fatima al-Mussawi served in Liwa Abu Fadl al-Abbas (LAFA), the oldest and probably the largest Iraqi Shiite militia that fought alongside the Syrian regime, since the second half of 2012, and which was then gradually fueled by pro-Iranian Iraqi militias as Asaib Ahl al-Haqq or Kata'ib Hezbollah. Came back in Iraq, where he gained a moral and financial support, Abu Fatima al-Mussawi began recruiting to form his own militia.

Qassim al-Tai'i is the spiritual leader of LAAG but also of the Iraqi branch of LAFA recently established in January 2014. He is a Shiite cleric in Najaf which is one of the founders of the Sadrist movement. He has participated in several failed uprising against Saddam Hussein and was imprisoned by the Iraqi regime. He also has ties with Iran which he adopted the concept of f velayat-e faqih (rule by the jurisprudent)^². Prey to the hostility of Moqtada al-Sadr, he returns to the front of the stage with the war in Syria, militanting early to encourage voluntary departures of Shiites in Damascus. Thus he sponsors the formation of LAFA. He also traveled several times to Syria to meet the leaders of this militia. He opens an office the December 23, 2012 in al-Sayyida Zaynab neighborhood, south of Damascus, where is the famous Shiite shrine whose defense is a pretext for sending Iraqi Shiite militiamen. This office is headed by Ibrahim Dawa. Dawa, the secretary of al-Ta'i, is the link between the religious leaders and fighters. It was he who distributes financial assistance to the families of killed fighters. Al-Tai'i used his influence to Shiite Iraqis from pro-Iranian militias take control of LAFA, which initially was a spontaneous creation in Syria, not necessarily organized from outside. Foreign involvement has also created internal armed clashes inside LAFA in summer 2013. Creating an Iraqi branch of LAFA in January is the last phase of the process^³.

Qassim al-Tai'i, far left, with turban.

Aqil al-Mussawi, better known in Syria under the « nom de guerre » of Abu Fatima al-Mussawi, is the founder and chief of LAAG. He is an Iraqi activist who was present in Syria since the beginning of LAFA. After the death of Ahmad Kabara, Abu Fatima tries to create his own militia in Syria by separating from LAFA but fails. He then returned to Iraq. This is where he gets logistical and financial support to al-Tai'i, allowing him to return to Syria and to announce the formation of LAAG December 7, 2013. He becomes fast as prominent as others Iraqi's militias chieftains.

Abou Fatima al-Mussawi (screenshot).

Ma'amouri-Qassim is the right arm of Mussawi. He appears in many photos and insurgents accuse him of committing massacres in the southern districts of Damascus and in Jobar, east of the capital. He can also be seen on a photo observing the field in binocular next to a DShK 12.7 mm machine gun. Muhammad Ali Mohyeddine (aka Dhu al-Faqar), another leader LAAG, is a Syrian Shiite village Nubbol in the province of Aleppo. He was killed May 11, 2014 during the fighting in Mleha in eastern Ghouta. Formed by the Republican Guard of the Syrian regime, he fought around Damascus, in western and eastern Ghouta. On the pictures of the group, he is often seen with his cousin, Makaren. Hassan Mohyeddine is a Shi'a cleric from the village of Nubbol, who officers Syrian Shiite militia volunteers who come from two Shiite villages near Aleppo, Nubbol and al-Zahra'a, besieged by insurgents^⁴. LAAG has expanded its recruitment effect with Shiite and Druze Syrians, some of which, for these, come from the town of Jaramana, near Mleha^⁵.

Qassim a-Maamouri, le bras droit d'Abou Fatima.

Dhul al-Faqar.

The emblem chosen by LAAG is very interesting^⁶. Instantly we can see recognizable affiliation with LAFA, noting the presence in the background of the golden dome of Zaynab. The two swords on both sides are probably Zulfiqar, the sword of Ali, with two points. The central figure is probably Abbas ibn Ali, the companion of Husayn in Karbala, a central battle for Shiite memory, which gives its name to LAFA. In addition to the group name on the banner at the bottom, of course we recognize the Syrian flag. One can note the similarity with the recent emblem of the Iraqi branch of LAFA. A video dated from May 1, 2014 and probably filmed in Mleha, shows a patch on the back of a militiaman, which is that of the Syrian regime, evidence of close links between the Iraqi volunteers to it. Fighters from LAAG also feature in several videos a shoulder patch, different from the symbol of the group, which allows easy identification.

LAAG's emblem.

Emblem of the Iraqi branch of LAFA.

A militiaman of LAAG with Syrian coat of arms in the back.

We can see on this LAAG's fighter the shoulder patch, different from the emblem.

Fighters of LAAG who listen tactical advises from their leader before entering in Mleha. Note the shoulder patch on the soldiers at far left and far right.

A Syrian rebel shows the shoulder patch taken from a body of a militiaman of LAAG, in Mleha.

Two fighters of LAAG with each carries a flag of the group on the back.

Since its beginning, LAAG was first engaged in the district of Daraya, south of Damascus, then in the rest of the Ghouta. The militia also fought along the Damascus-Deraa highway and in the al-Qadam area which is close. Currently, the brigade participated in the attempt of the regime to regain Mleha in eastern Ghouta. It received her training from Syrian Republican Guard in the camp near Qatana, and also in those of the 4th Armored Division, in the al-Mazzeh mountain, not far from the presidential palace in Damascus. The training was provided by Iranian Pasdaran advisors. It is difficult to assess the number of LAAG but they should not be significant. We know it has suffered fairly heavy losses in its first commitments before accumulating some expérience^⁷. The fighting in Mleha are also particularly hard (the battle lasted several months), as many videos and photos of insurgents show LAAG militiamen killed, which we can recognize with their patchs on sleeves. It can be estimated, based on videos of the group, there are several dozen men at least, maybe a hundred, but probably not much more. LAAG is certainly not the most extensive foreign pro-regime militia, especially since it is still recent.

A map from a pro-regime blog about the battle in Mleha (June 9, 2014).

The videos^⁸ posted by LAAG confirm fairly well the representations of other older Iraqi Shiite militias involved in Syria, alongside regime, since the second half of 2012^⁹. We can distinguish several recurring themes. The first is the justification for the intervention of Iraqi Shiites in Syria, including the defense of Zaynab shrine in southern Damascus. The first video posted by the group on January 16, 2014, shows the golden dome of Zaynab, illuminated, on a rainy night. Another video, which is a montage of several sequences, is including the famous scene shows where a combatttant of LAFA mounted on the dome of Zaynab, which figures itself on the emblems of this militia. Finally, a recent online video, dated from May 23, 2014, is filming Shiite pilgrims coming to the shrine of Zaynab, symbolizing a sort of "mission accomplished" for LAAG and justifying the sacrifices.

The Sayyida Zaynab holy shrine, the first video posted by LAAG.

A pick-up used by LAAG's fighters.

The second dominant theme is that of the military activity of the militia, in broad meaning. The second video, still on line January 16, shows the militia leader addressing his men. The third, also posted on January 16, is the first to show the group in operation. The faces are blurred (which strangely is not always the case, it is usually key members clearly or who wish to remain discreet for security reasons), and Iraqi militiamen defending positions in a building in an urban context, including fireholes places in the middle of stacks of sandbags to windows or other openings in the building. The following videos show militia patrols ; one in particular, film leaders heading back toward what appears to be the headquarters of the group. LAAG leaders are often present in the videos, and highlighted : the founder, Abu Fatima, but also his right arm Qassim and Muhammad Ali Mohyeddine. The first videos showing fights or crossfires, like other Iraqi militias, insist on certain weapons : PK machine guns have been used from buildings and barricades on the ground, sniper rifles (SVD Dragunov), RPG-7 rocket launchers.. Snipers, here armed with Dragunov, are particularly popular, as in others Iraqi pro-regime militias. A video a bit longer, posted on February 25, shows the group patrol and fight night. Wounded militiamen are treated in a hospital from the regime. LAAG do not forget to celebrate its "martyrs" in the Shiite tradition. A video posted on April 8 mentions several militiamen killed in combat. Another video posted the same day shows the militia operate in urban terrain, and then pose with their flag in front of a ZSU 23/4 Shilka which leads itself a column of armored vehicles, which shows the close links to between Iraqi militiamen and the forces of the Syrian regime. Although militiamen fight sometimes with the support of armored vehicles of the Syrian regime, LAAG also have their own pick-ups. On May 6, the first video shows the use from LAAG, on the front Mleha, of Volcano rockets provided by the Syrian regime. This is the first time that the Iranian rockets Falaj, shaped in Syria, which served to chemical attack of August 21, 2013, are assigned to a foreign pro-regime militia. A video posted on May 8 shows longer the fire of Volcano rockets^¹⁰.

A LAAG's fighter with A RPG-7 in Mleha.

A PK machine gun used by a LAAG militiaman.

Fighters of LAAG in front of their flag, in front of a ZSU 23/4 Shilka from the Syrian regime forces.

The Shilka is leading a column of armored vehicles.

Below, 5 screenshots of LAAG's fighters with SVD Dragunov.

Poster who shows "martyrs" of LAAG in Syria.

A truck with a two-Volcano rockets launcher used by LAAG in Mleha.

Fire of a Volcano Rocket by LAAG, Mleha.

Like other Iraqi militias, LAAG insists, finally, in its videos, on the bodies of fallen enemies, which are a last theme in itself. Several sequences linger on carcasses of Syrian insurgents who where killed during its operations, sometimes literally bathing in their blood. In one of them, you can even see some militiamen put the foot on their victims, in the classic approach of "trophy hunting" as we have already seen for other Iraqi militias^¹¹. One of the sequences, particularly hard, also shows the interrogation of a man (an insurgent ?) captured, thrown to the ground and threatened with a knife by an Iraqi militiaman.