The killing of jihadism expert Hisham al-Hashemi has stirred fears that Iraq is entering a dark and violent phase, as boiling tensions between pro-Iran factions and the government reach new heights.
Al-Hashemi, 47, was gunned down outside his home in east Baghdad late on Monday by masked assailants on motorcycles.
While the perpetrators remain at large, experts have said that al-Hashemi’s death signals a dramatic turn for political violence brewing since mass protests erupted in October last year.
Photo: AFP
“Armed forces of various affiliations have killed protesters, and others willing to publicly criticize the government and armed forces with impunity,” Belkis Wille of Human Rights Watch said.
“However, killing someone of his stature smacks of a country where some groups have become so emboldened by a complete impunity for serious abuses that they can kill anyone they want to without paying a price,” Wille added.
Over the course of years, al-Hashemi had developed a vast network encompassing top decisionmakers, former militants and rival political parties, often mediating among them.
His exceptional access had granted him a level of protection, those close to him said, but the balance started to tip in October.
His support for popular protests against a government seen as too close to Iran infuriated Tehran-backed factions in Iraq’s Hashed al-Shaabi military network.
Al-Hashemi skirted threats to mediate between protesters and senior government officials, even as activists were fatally shot outside their homes and dozens more abducted.
“The parameters changed starting in October. There was a new modus operandi, and a shift in the confrontation with pro-Iran factions,” said Adel Bakawan, an Iraq expert who knew al-Hashemi.
Other experts have said that the real turning point was in January, when a US strike on Baghdad killed Iranian major general Qassem Soleimani and Hashed al-Shaabi deputy head Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
Hardline factions within Hashed al-Shaabi, particularly those close to Iran, such as Kataeb Hezbollah, vowed revenge against both the US and its allies inside Iraq, whatever the cost.
As someone with close ties to foreign governments, al-Hashemi was seen as a potential target, and he left Baghdad for a few days in late January, he told reporters at the time.
Other Iraqi activists said that they had long feared being targeted for speaking out against Iran-backed groups.
“This could have been any one of us. Our friends have already been notified to leave immediately,” said Omar Mohammad, a historian who documented atrocities in Mosul under the Islamic State group.
“If [Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa] Kadhemi will not take a strong step, civil life in Iraq will vanish, but I’m afraid he won’t do it — it’s a suicidal mission,” Mohammad added.
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