Pro-Government Militias
Liwa al-Imam al-Husayn (The Brigade of Imam Hasan) (Syria)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 546 |
| Country: | Syria |
| Date formed: | June 30, 2013 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | day |
| Details of Formation: | The group publicly announced its creation on 30 June 2013 via Facebook. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | unclear |
| Created by the Government?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | unclear |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | no |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | unclear |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | Foreign government; foreign support |
| State Sponsor(s): | Iran |
| Other Connection(s): | Iraqi militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr, Iraqi military |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; religious; ex soldiers; foreign nationals |
| Primary Membership: | noncivilian |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Sayyida Zaynab neighborhood, East Ghouta, Damascus |
| Force Strength: | [16, unknown] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | Shi'a Arabs (Iraq) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | Important: The sources do not explicitly mention a direct link to the Syrian regime. Nevertheless, the group was included due to the similarities with other Iranian-backed Iraqi militias operating in Syria, which are reportedly pro-Assad. This approach makes the coding decision independent of potentially random word choice and allows the user to decide whether to include these groups for their analysis. The sources report about several disputes with Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq even though both groups seem to share personnel. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The main purpose of the group is to support the Syrian government in the Syrian civil war. Alongside other Iraqi Shia militias in Syria, its contribution has been considered ineffectual. Still, it was lauded for its participation in the pro-government victory in al-Mleha. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | During the Ramadan 2013, the group held nightly iftar meals for the residents of the Sayyida Zaynab neighborhood. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | The largest number of PGM members photographed at once has been 16 members, as of 2013. It is considered likely that the group has more fighters. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group’s leader is Majid Abu Dhiba, who portrays himself as close to the Iraqi military. Liwa al-Imam al-Husayn officially promotes its affiliation with Sadrist militias and its loyalty to Moqtada al-Sadr. It is questionable whether they really support Sadr or whether this is an Iranian-backed attempt to make Shia followers of Sadr join the war in Syria. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.