\n<\/p>\n
A senior commander from Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed faction, was killed and his aide seriously wounded on Thursday when an explosive device detonated in their vehicle.<\/p>\n
Iraq finds itself at a new crossroads. Will it rein in Iranian-backed militias or let them continue to hollow out the country? It is one of many crossroads in history for Iraq<\/a>, a divided country.<\/p>\n This is perhaps natural for a place sometimes known as the Land of the Two Rivers because of the Tigris and Euphrates. The heartland of ancient Mesopotamia, the land of Ur<\/a>, from whence Abraham came. As such, it is a place that has often left leaders with tough choices.<\/p>\n The issue confronting the new Prime Minister, Ali al Zaidi, is how to control armed groups in the country. This refers to many armed militias, most backed by Iran.<\/p>\n On May 27, one of the militia leaders gave a statement. \u201cThe Secretary-General of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq movement, Qais al-Khazali, stated on Wednesday that resistance is no longer limited to military action alone, but extends to building a strong state capable of making its sovereign decisions,\u201d Iraq\u2019sShafaq News<\/em> noted.<\/p>\n \u201cAl-Khazali said in his Eid al-Adha prayer sermon in Baghdad that the military action of the resistance was a top priority when the Iraqi state was threatened. He explained that the correct idea of resistance is embodied in building a strong state that has its own decision, sovereignty, and institutions, stressing that \u2018any resistance that does not have an integrated building project will turn into a burden on society over time.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n