Sectarian cleansing in Iraq, Syria

While the international community is worried about the growing power of Daesh, Iranian-backed militias in Iraq are using the fight against terrorism as a pretext to drive thousands of Iraq’s Sunnis from their homes. Hadi Al-Amiri — pro-Iranian leader who heads the most powerful Shitte proxy militia of Iran — has reportedly asked Sunnis to leave Fallujah. All of this is taking place under the nose of the American forces.
Just a few days into the Iraqi military operation to roll back Daesh out of Fallujah, more than 50,000 residents are trapped between Daesh on the one hand and Shiite militias on the other hand. Needless to say, the Sunni majority of Fallujah trust neither the ruthless Shiite militias nor Daesh.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi announced that his forces backed by American airstrikes have launched an offensive on Sunday. In an attempt to dislodge Daesh from Fallujah, Al-Abadi seems to be responsive to the demands of the Iranian-backed militias who care about nothing but driving the Sunnis out of their homes. This should remind us of the similar ethnic cleansing that is taking place in Syria. In both the cases, the Sunnis are targeted and the international community is complicit with this grand strategy being implemented by Iran.
Obviously, many in the Iraqi government feel that there is a score to be settled with the Sunnis of Fallujah. Located some 40 miles west of Baghdad, the Sunnis gave the Iraqi Army a bloody nose. In fact, the Iraq Army suffered in the last decade and so from the anti-government sentiments that are ubiquitous in Fallujah. When the American forces stormed Baghdad in April of 2003, the citizens of Fallujah supported the Sunni insurgency against American forces and the Iraq Army.
During the so-called Arab Spring, Fallujah again became the center of an anti-government protest movement. People of Fallujah rose up against the sectarian policies followed by former Iraq Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki who was widely seen as nothing but a protégé of Iran. At the heart of the Sunnis’ resentment is the perception that they are being systematically marginalized.
Obviously, Sunni population in Fallujah finds it hard to fit in Daesh rule. And this should not be taken lightly. However, they fear abuse at the hands of the forces of Popular Mobilization and Shiite militias. The assurances of the Iraqi military officials that Shiite militias will not be allowed to enter Fallujah are not enough to placate the people, as they know who calls the shot.
Sadly, the American administration knows very well that the Iraqi Army and all militias are not efficient in the battlefield and still it has not yet imposed the rules of the game. The American forces played a double game. The Obama administration’s obsession with Daesh has provided Iran with a golden opportunity to refashion Iraq to guarantee its dependence on Tehran.
Key to fighting terrorism is to deal with conditions that lead to extremism. Unfortunately, what Iran-backed forces are doing under the nose of the American forces will only deteriorate the socioeconomic and political conditions of Sunnis and will force them to embrace extremism.