Iraqi Christians take up Arms

The Ministry Peshmerga began supporting the formation of the Christian Ninevah Plain Force after the Bet-Nahrain National Union and Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party announced Jan. 6 that the militia would be aligned with concerned KRG authorities.

Another Christian movement in Iraq called the Babylon Brigades confirmed July 3 that dozens of Christian volunteers were training under the supervision of the Popular Mobilization Units to regain lands in the Ninevah Plains and the city of Mosul from IS control.

Today, the Babylon Brigades is considered one of the Popular Mobilization Units. The brigade includes 500 fighters and represents the military wing of the general Christian movement in Iraq. Rayan al-Kaldani, the Babylon Brigades' secretary-general, said in June, “The main reason for forming our forces is to liberate Mosul. However, we have participated in operations to liberate Tikrit, and in other operations in Beiji in Salahuddin province.”

It is difficult to unite these forces to operate under one banner, independent from the political movements’ exploitation of the Kurdish and Arab groups, especially with IS in the region.

They are paving the way for future internal Christian conflicts by the absence of a unified leadership for these forces, their lack of an agreement over objectives, the nature of the forces and the work that would be needed if they regain the Ninevah Plains from IS control as well as the resulting struggle with other Iraqi interests for influence over the disputed lands.

(Arms image via Shutterstock)