Promised Day Brigade

Promised Day Brigade
Participant in the Iraq War
Flag of the Promised Day Brigade. The text is لبيك يا محمد (Labīk yā Muḥammad), "Here we are, Muhammad!"
Active November 2008 – June 2014
Leaders Muqtada al-Sadr
Headquarters Sadr City, Baghdad
Area of operations Iraq and Syria
Size

15,000 (2008)[1]

5,000 (2011)[2]
Part of Special Groups
Originated as Mahdi Army
Became Peace Companies
Allies

 Syria
 Iran
Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq
Kata'ib Hezbollah

Other Special Groups
Opponents United States-Iraq
MNF–I
Syria Free Syrian Army
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Battles and wars Iraq War
Syrian Civil War
Designated as a terrorist organisation by
 United Arab Emirates[3]

The Promised Day Brigade (abbreviated PDB; Arabic: لواء اليوم الموعود Liwā‘ al-Yūm al-Maw‘ūd), originally called the Muqawimun (Arabic: المقاومون al-Muqāwimūn; "Resisters")[4] was a Shi'a organization and was an insurgent group operating in Iraq during the war. In 2010, it was one of the largest and most powerful of what the US military call "Special Groups" in Iraq.[5] The group was created as successor to Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, which was Iraq's largest Shi'a militia until its disbanding in 2008, he also called on other Special Groups to join the brigade. Sadr had earlier already talked about the creation of a smaller guerrilla unit which would continue the Mahdi Army's armed activities but for the first time gave the organisation a name in November 2008 when he declared the creation of the Promised Day Brigade.[6] Its activities have particularly increased since May 2009.[4] The group's name is in reference to an alternate term for the Islamic Day of Judgment.[7] The group is alleged to receive Iranian support. A crackdown against the group, in the end 2009, led to the arrest of 18 of its members including several commanders.[8] On November 29, 2009, the group's Basra leader was arrested in al-Amarah.[9]

In October 2009, the Promised Day Brigade fought a battle with rival Special Group Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq for influence in Sadr City. The Promised Day Brigade reportedly won the battle and even managed to destroy the house of Abdul Hadi al-Darraji, a senior Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq leader. Since then, the PDB has been the most powerful Special Group in the ex-Mahdi Army stronghold of Sadr City and has increased its activity there.[10]

On July 21, 2010, General Ray Odierno said Iran supports three Shiite groups in Iraq that had attempted to attack US bases:[11] US officials believe that of these three groups, the Promised Day Brigades poses the greatest threat to Iraq's long-term security.[2]

  1. the Promised Day Brigades
  2. Ketaib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades)
  3. Asaib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous)

See also

References

  1. ↑ Daniel Cassman. "Mahdi Army". Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "US officials name 3 Iraqi militias armed by Iran to kill Yanks". Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  3. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20141117230142/http://www.wam.ae/ar/news/emirates-arab-international/1395272465559.html
  4. 1 2 Page 29
  5. ↑ Londoño, Ernesto; DeYoung, Karen (July 18, 2009). "U.S. Commanders Are Concerned About New Iraqi Restrictions on American Troops". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  6. ↑ http://www.zimbio.com/War+in+Iraq/articles/3427/Iraq+Promised+Day+Brigade+reforming+Shiite
  7. ↑ http://hadithaday.org/horrors-of-the-promised-day/horrors-of-the-promised-day/
  8. ↑ http://www.defenddemocracy.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11787517&Itemid=361%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D
  9. ↑ "Suspected armed group leader arrested in Missan". Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Can Iraq's Sadrists prove their nationalist credentials?". openDemocracy. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  11. ↑ https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jCA6iGhsEI3i-z4hAG8Z2Cu4kV3Q
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