Transcripts For KQED Frontline 20170322 : comparemela.com

Iraq uncovered. Frontlinis made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. And by the corporation for public broadcasting. Major support for frontliis provided by the john d. And catherine t. Macarthur foundation. Committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. More information is available at macfound. Org. Additional support is provided by the park foundation. Dedicated to heightening Public Awareness of critical issues. The john and Helen Glessner family trust. Supporting trustworthy journalism that informs and inspires. And by the frontline journalism fund. With major support from jon and jo ann hagler. chatter on radio ramita navai im traveling through northern iraq, heading to the district of al fathah. Until recently, this was isisheld territory. Weve been driving for a few miles north of the country and every now and again we come across a scene like this. This is the town of beji. I should say it was the town of beji, just look at it. Im on my way to meet a militia fighting against isis. With the worlds attention focused on the battle in mosul, this is one of the wars hidden fronts. Few journalists come here. You can see how close we are to isis now. On both sides of the road you can see black smoke billowing out, and thats from oil wells that isis have set on fire. This unit has advanced deep into isis territory. Alongside the iraqi army, militias like this have played a Critical Role in driving back isis across iraq. I want to find out how they operate. How far are they . Navai theyre pointing over there and theyre saying, thats the black flag of isis. And there it is. These militiamen are shia muslims, like 60 of iraqis. There are over 40 Shia Militia Groups in iraq with about a hundred thousand fighters. Most of them joined in 2014 in response to the rise of isis. How many men have you lost here . Navai these men are in the Badr Organization, the biggest militia in iraq. Last year, along with other militias, they were granted official recognition by the Iraqi Government. They are supposed to answer directly to the Prime Minister, but in practice they have their own allegiances and chains of command. The posts senior officer, who goes by abu sajjad, says isis attacked a few days earlier. Navai the bodies of isis fighters lie between the lines. shouting suddenly, the militiamen spot some civilians fleeing isis territory. We head into nomans land to meet them. The road is pockmarked with craters from ieds that isis fighters plant every night. The familys right ahead of us, a few dozen people. Theyve been walking all night to get here. Salam alaikum. The refugees are sunni muslims, from the isisheld town of hawija. How are you feeling, how was your journey . baby crying navai the guys here say we may be monitored by isis right now, fighters often shoot across, so were leaving. Navai the militiamen bring the refugees to their base for screening. How did you escape . Navai today theyve escaped isis but now they face a new ordeal. The militia separate the men from their families. Isis follow their own violent version of sunni islam, so the shia militia often see sunni refugees as isis suspects. And in this part of iraq most people are sunnis. Navai what are the chances youve got some isis fighters in that room . Navai but its such a hard process to really tell if somebody is an ordinary guy or if hes an isis fighter. How can you be 100 sure . shouting navai so the guys just pulled this man away. Theyre telling me now that families here have said that he tried to blackmail them. That when they were fleeing, he said if you dont pay me, if you dont give me money, im going to go and tell isis that youre fleeing and theyll kill you. Navai its suddenly got quite chaotic here. Theyre accusing him of being an isis fighter. We werent allowed to follow him. We dont know where theyve taken him. One of the militia leaders takes us to a building where theyre holding isis suspects. As we approach the building, we keep filming with a phone. The militiamen tell us the prisoners were picked up among refugees fleeing isis territory. We dont see the man who was just arrested. There are are over a hundred men in there they say are isis fighters, isis sympathizers. The conditions are really cramped. The men didnt look like theyd been beaten, they did look pretty terrified. Under iraqi law, isis suspects are supposed to be brought quickly before a judge. But the militia fighters say some of these prisoners have been here for three months. I speak to badrs local head of intelligence, sheikh haidar. Why arent they in official prisons . Why havent you handed them over to the government . Navai to many iraqis the militias are heroes, but human rights organizations claim some groups consistently mistreat sunni civilians. A number of sunni politicians are investigating these allegations. I head to baghdad to meet them. One is a member of parliament from the sunni province of anbar, lekaa al wardi. Navai she tells me that in summer 2016, a Shia Militia Group called the hezbollah brigades took away hundreds of sunni men after driving isis out of a town called saqlawiyah. Leka has just given me these three documents. And they list over 600 names of people leka says are still missing. Navai how dangerous is it for you speaking out like this . Navai online i can see the hezbollah brigades posted video of the battle for saqlawiyah. shouting it shows the towns sunni residents celebrating liberation from isis. But theres no mention of the over 600 sunni men and boys ive been told are missing. Saqlawiyah is 45 miles from baghdad. Hundreds of thousands of sunnis have been displaced by the fighting in this area. Many of the women from saqlawiyah have fled to the Amriyat Al Fallujah refugee camp. women weeping navai what do you think has happened to the men . Navai the women are saying that all these children here are missing their fathers. An investigation by the local governor found that 643 men are missing, and that hundreds more were sunni men were imprisoned. We discover a man who says he was held captive hiding in the refugee camp. As with others we meet, we agree to disguise his voice. Navai Officials Say 49 of the imprisoned men died in custody. shouting this local news footage shows other saqlawiyah prisoners immediately after their release. They also say that they were tortured. Navai survivors say that some of the men who tortured them wore the badge of the hezbollah brigades. Navai has this changed the way you feel about your country . Navai the hezbollah brigades fought u. S. Troops during the American Occupation and are on the state Department List of terrorist groups. No one from that militia would talk to me. Walking through this camp, dozens of people keep coming up to us telling us they have loved ones missing. On top of that, people are still going missing. Only a few days ago a handful of families tried to go back to saqlawiyah and some of the men were taken by militias. The Iraqi Government has opened an investigation into the disappearances in saqlawiyah, but hasnt released any findings. I want to find out more about saqlawiyah and other cases ive heard about. So i contact the Prime Minister, whos been trying to gain greater control of the militias. I also contact seven other senior officials in the government and military. They either decline to be interviewed or dont get back to me. But one of iraqs most prominent politicians, a shia but a vocal critic of the militias agress to meet me. They became too strong, politically at least for now, than the army and the police. Navai ayad allawi is one of three Vice President s, but opposes the government on many issues. Theres a government investigation into the disappearances at saqlawiyah but nobody i spoke to. There will be no answer. Navai so the government is not really interested . No, no, its dead, its dead like other inquiries. Nothing, nothing. Any explosions, killings, intimidation, people disappearing in prisons, no inquiry whatsoever. Nobody was taken to courts. Nothing is happening. Navai and why . Is it because the militias have more power . Because they dont want. Because powerful people are involved and there is a cover up. And they dont want realities to be divulged. Thats why we feel, and i feel, and many people, also, by the way, in the government feel that they are powerless to do anything. Navai iraqs government is divided, and the Vice President told me there is no concerted effort to control the militias. I want to know more about how these groups are operating on the ground, so i head to a shia militia stronghold the province of diyala. Access to diyala is tightly controlled, the province is pretty much run by the militias. There are checkpoints everywhere, so the only way to get in and find out whats really happening is to go in undercover. Parts of diyala used to be under isis control, but they were driven out in 2015 by a coaltion of shia militias led by the Badr Organization. Ive been told life hasnt returned to normal. Last year two iraqi journalists investigating the militias here were murdered. The journalists were killed outside muqdadiya, the town i want to reach. Muqdadiya is the heart of shia militia power in diyala province. Even in villages there are checkpoints. This is the second one that weve come to in this village. Weve got to put the phone down now. Ive arranged to secretly meet a disillusioned shia militiaman willing to take me into muqdadiya. Hes a member of the Badr Organization. Weve stopped on the side of the road. Hes said we need to get into his car. You can see it in front. Its unmarked. He says its known to all the militiamen in this area and thats the only safe way that we can get through checkpoints here. Navai he takes me into the center of muqdadiya. I can still see the signs of the battle against isis. In this town, shias and sunnis live side by side. The militia insider says some of his fellow militiamen have been taking revenge on the sunni population for isis attacks. So on my left here is a sunni mosque. You can see that its been completely destroyed. Navai he takes me to another sunni mosque. Im looking through the gates now and its just a mound of rubble. In all he shows me six destroyed sunni mosques. The militiaman claims a local imam even handed out lighters to his unit to burn sunni homes. Navai the Iraqi Government announced an investigation into the situation in diyala more than a year ago, but it hasnt made any of its findings public. The fighter says that although there are federal police in diyala, they cant take on the militia. Navai he says he knows of badr militiamen who have kidnapped and killed sunni civilians with impunity. Different Militia Groups have carved up the town and have also been accused of abusing sunni civilians. Theyve even started fighting for territory between themselves. Weve just had to turn around because the militiaman said that that area is too dangerous to enter. Navai hes worried were attracting attention. He takes us back out of town and leaves us. I want to investigate the militiamans claims. Outside muqdadiya, i meet a sunni man who says militiamen recently kidnapped him and tortured him for a week. Navai he couldnt tell what militia they were from, and says he was only picked up because hes a sunni. Navai when the kidnappers moved him to a different location, he claims the police turned a blind eye. Navai he tells me he knows 22 people whove been kidnapped, and that 17 are dead despite their families paying a ransom. The numbers are impossible to verify, but human Rights Groups have documented widespread kidnapping and killing by militias in diyala. Navai i hear of a place near to muqdadiya where kidnappers have supposedly disposed of their victims. So our guide says we cant stop, we cant get out of the car, because there are militias all around us and theyre constantly patrolling. Its too dangerous to get out. Weve just stopped. They say its safe for us to check this bit out. Well be hidden by the grass thats growing on the side. Off camera, local people tell me the bodies are often thrown over this bridge. This is cellphone footage, given to us by a fisherman. He says he discovered this body three months ago. I track down the dead mans uncle, whos living in hiding. He asks us not to reveal the familys name, as he says it would put them all in danger. Witnesses told him what happened. Navai he tells me kidnappers are holding another of his relatives. He doesnt know which Militia Group they belong to. The family have decided not to pay a ransom. Navai i ask a Senior Police official in diyala about the allegations. Hes a shia who says hes appalled by whats happening to his sunni neighbors. He says the federal police dont stop the militias because their ranks are full of active badr members who wont go after their fellow fighters. Navai so what have you seen as a policeman in diyala . Navai so youre saying the police are involved in kidnapping and killing in diyala . Navai weve got to leave because its coming up to sunset and the areas not even safe for locals here. As i leave diyala my guides show me abandoned buildings and untended farms. Our guide is pointing out farms on the lefthand side here. Hes saying they were run by sunni families and theyve all fled. Theyre completely abandoned now. A number of residents give me cellphone footage they claim shows shia militias burning sunni farms. And i hear many similar stories about farms being burned or bulldozed. I try again to speak to the Prime Minister and other government officials about the many allegations in diyala. They wont talk. But a Senior Adviser to the government, ihsan alshimari agrees to go on camera. Why hasnt the government been able to do anything about the sectarian violence and these shia armed groups . Navai over the past two years, thousands of sunnis have fled their homes in diyala. On the northern border of the province, i find a makeshift refugee camp, full of families. Two years after their province was liberated from isis, they say theyre too frightened to return home. Sheikh suliman aliawi and his wife, amal, tell me theyve been warned never to return to their home village of sinsil. They say that in january 2015, a shia militia they dont know which one gathered all men under 70 for security vetting, including five of their sons. Amal went to the house where theyd been taken. man screaming navai this is cellphone footage of what she saw. Their five sons had been killed, as well as over 50 other men. Navai mubaraks father. Navai they say their sons had nothing to do with isis. Navai the government announced an inquiry into what happened, but more than two years on, no findings have been released. The badr militia denies it was involved, but says the men were all isis members. Its really striking that while the west is fighting the war against isis, most people weve spoken to here have told us theyre much more scared of the militias. I want to speak to someone senior in the Badr Organization. So i travel to the Northern City of erbil. Haitham al mayahi is the political adviser to the head of badr. He says they dont condone abuse of sunnis, but harsh treatment of isis suspects is justified. To kill an isis member or to torture an isis member, this is abuse to you . To me its not. This is the right way because hes a murderer, he has to be tortured and killed. We are a country who are facing car bombing every day, suicidal every day. If this happens to you, would you wait for a trial . Navai ive spoken to a Badr Organization member who told me he knows colleagues of his who kidnap and kill. If you are very sure about that, that there are people who are kidnapping and killing and they are related to badr, i assure you we can go together now, well take those people to justice, because i am very sure we not allow any mistakes in badr. Navai i have even spoken to a shia member of the federal police in diyala, and he says that Badr Organization members have infiltrated the federal police in diyala and he says that many times he has seen Badr Organization members kidnap in front of his eyes, hes witnessed it, hes seen men bound and gagged in the back of cars. Im not quite sure what youre talking about, because, um, i visit diyala many times, and when we are there, people actually welcome us with warm feeling. Navai while im in erbil, i hear of more allegations not about badr but once again about the hezbollah brigades, also known as kataib hezbollah. Were going to meet a sunni mp from anbar whos been investigating the case of hundreds of sunni men who have disappeared at a checkpoint manned by kataib hezbollah. Now, hes one of only a few people whos been speaking out openly against the militias, and for that hes been receiving regular death threats. Mr. Salmani. Ahmed salmani is one of iraqs bestknown sunni politicians. He monitors videos that militiamen share on social media. He says this video shows hezbollah brigades militiamen at the razaza checkpoint in anbar province. Navai oh, god it shows a man in militia uniform cutting off the ear of a prisoner. Navai that was horrific. That was razaza checkpoint . This is where the men are going missing . Navai relatives have given Ahmad Salmani the names of over 2,000 men they say disappeared from razaza checkpoint. He says militia insiders have told him the abducted men are in a network of prisons run by the hezbollah brigades around the town of Jurf Al Sakhar. Navai does the government know this is happening . Navai the defense minister has since left his position. He doesnt reply to my request to talk to him. I ask Vice President allawi about the militia prisons. Does the government know about the secret prisons run by the shia militias . Definitely. But they dont want to confront these secret prisons because they are held and controlled by strong militias. Navai like Public Awareness<\/a> of critical issues. The john and Helen Glessner<\/a> family trust. Supporting trustworthy journalism that informs and inspires. And by the frontline journalism fund. With major support from jon and jo ann hagler. chatter on radio ramita navai im traveling through northern iraq, heading to the district of al fathah. Until recently, this was isisheld territory. Weve been driving for a few miles north of the country and every now and again we come across a scene like this. This is the town of beji. I should say it was the town of beji, just look at it. Im on my way to meet a militia fighting against isis. With the worlds attention focused on the battle in mosul, this is one of the wars hidden fronts. Few journalists come here. You can see how close we are to isis now. On both sides of the road you can see black smoke billowing out, and thats from oil wells that isis have set on fire. This unit has advanced deep into isis territory. Alongside the iraqi army, militias like this have played a Critical Role<\/a> in driving back isis across iraq. I want to find out how they operate. How far are they . Navai theyre pointing over there and theyre saying, thats the black flag of isis. And there it is. These militiamen are shia muslims, like 60 of iraqis. There are over 40 Shia Militia Group<\/a>s in iraq with about a hundred thousand fighters. Most of them joined in 2014 in response to the rise of isis. How many men have you lost here . Navai these men are in the Badr Organization<\/a>, the biggest militia in iraq. Last year, along with other militias, they were granted official recognition by the Iraqi Government<\/a>. They are supposed to answer directly to the Prime Minister<\/a>, but in practice they have their own allegiances and chains of command. The posts senior officer, who goes by abu sajjad, says isis attacked a few days earlier. Navai the bodies of isis fighters lie between the lines. shouting suddenly, the militiamen spot some civilians fleeing isis territory. We head into nomans land to meet them. The road is pockmarked with craters from ieds that isis fighters plant every night. The familys right ahead of us, a few dozen people. Theyve been walking all night to get here. Salam alaikum. The refugees are sunni muslims, from the isisheld town of hawija. How are you feeling, how was your journey . baby crying navai the guys here say we may be monitored by isis right now, fighters often shoot across, so were leaving. Navai the militiamen bring the refugees to their base for screening. How did you escape . Navai today theyve escaped isis but now they face a new ordeal. The militia separate the men from their families. Isis follow their own violent version of sunni islam, so the shia militia often see sunni refugees as isis suspects. And in this part of iraq most people are sunnis. Navai what are the chances youve got some isis fighters in that room . Navai but its such a hard process to really tell if somebody is an ordinary guy or if hes an isis fighter. How can you be 100 sure . shouting navai so the guys just pulled this man away. Theyre telling me now that families here have said that he tried to blackmail them. That when they were fleeing, he said if you dont pay me, if you dont give me money, im going to go and tell isis that youre fleeing and theyll kill you. Navai its suddenly got quite chaotic here. Theyre accusing him of being an isis fighter. We werent allowed to follow him. We dont know where theyve taken him. One of the militia leaders takes us to a building where theyre holding isis suspects. As we approach the building, we keep filming with a phone. The militiamen tell us the prisoners were picked up among refugees fleeing isis territory. We dont see the man who was just arrested. There are are over a hundred men in there they say are isis fighters, isis sympathizers. The conditions are really cramped. The men didnt look like theyd been beaten, they did look pretty terrified. Under iraqi law, isis suspects are supposed to be brought quickly before a judge. But the militia fighters say some of these prisoners have been here for three months. I speak to badrs local head of intelligence, sheikh haidar. Why arent they in official prisons . Why havent you handed them over to the government . Navai to many iraqis the militias are heroes, but human rights organizations claim some groups consistently mistreat sunni civilians. A number of sunni politicians are investigating these allegations. I head to baghdad to meet them. One is a member of parliament from the sunni province of anbar, lekaa al wardi. Navai she tells me that in summer 2016, a Shia Militia Group<\/a> called the hezbollah brigades took away hundreds of sunni men after driving isis out of a town called saqlawiyah. Leka has just given me these three documents. And they list over 600 names of people leka says are still missing. Navai how dangerous is it for you speaking out like this . Navai online i can see the hezbollah brigades posted video of the battle for saqlawiyah. shouting it shows the towns sunni residents celebrating liberation from isis. But theres no mention of the over 600 sunni men and boys ive been told are missing. Saqlawiyah is 45 miles from baghdad. Hundreds of thousands of sunnis have been displaced by the fighting in this area. Many of the women from saqlawiyah have fled to the Amriyat Al Fallujah<\/a> refugee camp. women weeping navai what do you think has happened to the men . Navai the women are saying that all these children here are missing their fathers. An investigation by the local governor found that 643 men are missing, and that hundreds more were sunni men were imprisoned. We discover a man who says he was held captive hiding in the refugee camp. As with others we meet, we agree to disguise his voice. Navai Officials Say<\/a> 49 of the imprisoned men died in custody. shouting this local news footage shows other saqlawiyah prisoners immediately after their release. They also say that they were tortured. Navai survivors say that some of the men who tortured them wore the badge of the hezbollah brigades. Navai has this changed the way you feel about your country . Navai the hezbollah brigades fought u. S. Troops during the American Occupation<\/a> and are on the state Department List<\/a> of terrorist groups. No one from that militia would talk to me. Walking through this camp, dozens of people keep coming up to us telling us they have loved ones missing. On top of that, people are still going missing. Only a few days ago a handful of families tried to go back to saqlawiyah and some of the men were taken by militias. The Iraqi Government<\/a> has opened an investigation into the disappearances in saqlawiyah, but hasnt released any findings. I want to find out more about saqlawiyah and other cases ive heard about. So i contact the Prime Minister<\/a>, whos been trying to gain greater control of the militias. I also contact seven other senior officials in the government and military. They either decline to be interviewed or dont get back to me. But one of iraqs most prominent politicians, a shia but a vocal critic of the militias agress to meet me. They became too strong, politically at least for now, than the army and the police. Navai ayad allawi is one of three Vice President<\/a> s, but opposes the government on many issues. Theres a government investigation into the disappearances at saqlawiyah but nobody i spoke to. There will be no answer. Navai so the government is not really interested . No, no, its dead, its dead like other inquiries. Nothing, nothing. Any explosions, killings, intimidation, people disappearing in prisons, no inquiry whatsoever. Nobody was taken to courts. Nothing is happening. Navai and why . Is it because the militias have more power . Because they dont want. Because powerful people are involved and there is a cover up. And they dont want realities to be divulged. Thats why we feel, and i feel, and many people, also, by the way, in the government feel that they are powerless to do anything. Navai iraqs government is divided, and the Vice President<\/a> told me there is no concerted effort to control the militias. I want to know more about how these groups are operating on the ground, so i head to a shia militia stronghold the province of diyala. Access to diyala is tightly controlled, the province is pretty much run by the militias. There are checkpoints everywhere, so the only way to get in and find out whats really happening is to go in undercover. Parts of diyala used to be under isis control, but they were driven out in 2015 by a coaltion of shia militias led by the Badr Organization<\/a>. Ive been told life hasnt returned to normal. Last year two iraqi journalists investigating the militias here were murdered. The journalists were killed outside muqdadiya, the town i want to reach. Muqdadiya is the heart of shia militia power in diyala province. Even in villages there are checkpoints. This is the second one that weve come to in this village. Weve got to put the phone down now. Ive arranged to secretly meet a disillusioned shia militiaman willing to take me into muqdadiya. Hes a member of the Badr Organization<\/a>. Weve stopped on the side of the road. Hes said we need to get into his car. You can see it in front. Its unmarked. He says its known to all the militiamen in this area and thats the only safe way that we can get through checkpoints here. Navai he takes me into the center of muqdadiya. I can still see the signs of the battle against isis. In this town, shias and sunnis live side by side. The militia insider says some of his fellow militiamen have been taking revenge on the sunni population for isis attacks. So on my left here is a sunni mosque. You can see that its been completely destroyed. Navai he takes me to another sunni mosque. Im looking through the gates now and its just a mound of rubble. In all he shows me six destroyed sunni mosques. The militiaman claims a local imam even handed out lighters to his unit to burn sunni homes. Navai the Iraqi Government<\/a> announced an investigation into the situation in diyala more than a year ago, but it hasnt made any of its findings public. The fighter says that although there are federal police in diyala, they cant take on the militia. Navai he says he knows of badr militiamen who have kidnapped and killed sunni civilians with impunity. Different Militia Group<\/a>s have carved up the town and have also been accused of abusing sunni civilians. Theyve even started fighting for territory between themselves. Weve just had to turn around because the militiaman said that that area is too dangerous to enter. Navai hes worried were attracting attention. He takes us back out of town and leaves us. I want to investigate the militiamans claims. Outside muqdadiya, i meet a sunni man who says militiamen recently kidnapped him and tortured him for a week. Navai he couldnt tell what militia they were from, and says he was only picked up because hes a sunni. Navai when the kidnappers moved him to a different location, he claims the police turned a blind eye. Navai he tells me he knows 22 people whove been kidnapped, and that 17 are dead despite their families paying a ransom. The numbers are impossible to verify, but human Rights Groups<\/a> have documented widespread kidnapping and killing by militias in diyala. Navai i hear of a place near to muqdadiya where kidnappers have supposedly disposed of their victims. So our guide says we cant stop, we cant get out of the car, because there are militias all around us and theyre constantly patrolling. Its too dangerous to get out. Weve just stopped. They say its safe for us to check this bit out. Well be hidden by the grass thats growing on the side. Off camera, local people tell me the bodies are often thrown over this bridge. This is cellphone footage, given to us by a fisherman. He says he discovered this body three months ago. I track down the dead mans uncle, whos living in hiding. He asks us not to reveal the familys name, as he says it would put them all in danger. Witnesses told him what happened. Navai he tells me kidnappers are holding another of his relatives. He doesnt know which Militia Group<\/a> they belong to. The family have decided not to pay a ransom. Navai i ask a Senior Police<\/a> official in diyala about the allegations. Hes a shia who says hes appalled by whats happening to his sunni neighbors. He says the federal police dont stop the militias because their ranks are full of active badr members who wont go after their fellow fighters. Navai so what have you seen as a policeman in diyala . Navai so youre saying the police are involved in kidnapping and killing in diyala . Navai weve got to leave because its coming up to sunset and the areas not even safe for locals here. As i leave diyala my guides show me abandoned buildings and untended farms. Our guide is pointing out farms on the lefthand side here. Hes saying they were run by sunni families and theyve all fled. Theyre completely abandoned now. A number of residents give me cellphone footage they claim shows shia militias burning sunni farms. And i hear many similar stories about farms being burned or bulldozed. I try again to speak to the Prime Minister<\/a> and other government officials about the many allegations in diyala. They wont talk. But a Senior Adviser<\/a> to the government, ihsan alshimari agrees to go on camera. Why hasnt the government been able to do anything about the sectarian violence and these shia armed groups . Navai over the past two years, thousands of sunnis have fled their homes in diyala. On the northern border of the province, i find a makeshift refugee camp, full of families. Two years after their province was liberated from isis, they say theyre too frightened to return home. Sheikh suliman aliawi and his wife, amal, tell me theyve been warned never to return to their home village of sinsil. They say that in january 2015, a shia militia they dont know which one gathered all men under 70 for security vetting, including five of their sons. Amal went to the house where theyd been taken. man screaming navai this is cellphone footage of what she saw. Their five sons had been killed, as well as over 50 other men. Navai mubaraks father. Navai they say their sons had nothing to do with isis. Navai the government announced an inquiry into what happened, but more than two years on, no findings have been released. The badr militia denies it was involved, but says the men were all isis members. Its really striking that while the west is fighting the war against isis, most people weve spoken to here have told us theyre much more scared of the militias. I want to speak to someone senior in the Badr Organization<\/a>. So i travel to the Northern City<\/a> of erbil. Haitham al mayahi is the political adviser to the head of badr. He says they dont condone abuse of sunnis, but harsh treatment of isis suspects is justified. To kill an isis member or to torture an isis member, this is abuse to you . To me its not. This is the right way because hes a murderer, he has to be tortured and killed. We are a country who are facing car bombing every day, suicidal every day. If this happens to you, would you wait for a trial . Navai ive spoken to a Badr Organization<\/a> member who told me he knows colleagues of his who kidnap and kill. If you are very sure about that, that there are people who are kidnapping and killing and they are related to badr, i assure you we can go together now, well take those people to justice, because i am very sure we not allow any mistakes in badr. Navai i have even spoken to a shia member of the federal police in diyala, and he says that Badr Organization<\/a> members have infiltrated the federal police in diyala and he says that many times he has seen Badr Organization<\/a> members kidnap in front of his eyes, hes witnessed it, hes seen men bound and gagged in the back of cars. Im not quite sure what youre talking about, because, um, i visit diyala many times, and when we are there, people actually welcome us with warm feeling. Navai while im in erbil, i hear of more allegations not about badr but once again about the hezbollah brigades, also known as kataib hezbollah. Were going to meet a sunni mp from anbar whos been investigating the case of hundreds of sunni men who have disappeared at a checkpoint manned by kataib hezbollah. Now, hes one of only a few people whos been speaking out openly against the militias, and for that hes been receiving regular death threats. Mr. Salmani. Ahmed salmani is one of iraqs bestknown sunni politicians. He monitors videos that militiamen share on social media. He says this video shows hezbollah brigades militiamen at the razaza checkpoint in anbar province. Navai oh, god it shows a man in militia uniform cutting off the ear of a prisoner. Navai that was horrific. That was razaza checkpoint . This is where the men are going missing . Navai relatives have given Ahmad Salmani<\/a> the names of over 2,000 men they say disappeared from razaza checkpoint. He says militia insiders have told him the abducted men are in a network of prisons run by the hezbollah brigades around the town of Jurf Al Sakhar<\/a>. Navai does the government know this is happening . Navai the defense minister has since left his position. He doesnt reply to my request to talk to him. I ask Vice President<\/a> allawi about the militia prisons. Does the government know about the secret prisons run by the shia militias . Definitely. But they dont want to confront these secret prisons because they are held and controlled by strong militias. Navai like Jurf Al Sakhar<\/a> prison . For example. Navai over 2,000 men and boys who were taken at razaza checkpoint . Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. So nobody knows why they are remaining in prison. The issue here which really is frightening, there is no attention being paid by the government to tackle this, this problem of the arrests, intimidation, and tortures of the, of people. Navai the government has not said anything publicly about the disappearances from razaza checkpoint or the prisons. But according to human Rights Groups<\/a>, only 65 of the men have been seen again. They were held at a prison run by the hezbollah brigades in Jurf Al Sakhar<\/a>. One of the men released from Jurf Al Sakhar<\/a> has finally agreed to talk to us, but only on condition of anonymity. When he was released, the militias parting words to him were that if he spoke about his experience, theyd hunt him down and kill him. Navai instead of execution, he says the torture started. Navai i meet another man, who says he was held in the same prison. He tells me the shia militias are creating a new generation of enemies. Are you worried that sunnis may turn to violence to fight back . Navai Vice President<\/a> allawi agrees that militia abuses could drive sunnis closer to isis, or daesh, as its called in arabic. Were hearing that the sunnis now are talking of a new insurgency. Does this trouble you . Its possible, its possible, its possible we will see even a worse daesh in the future. More serious replacements will appear, and more dangerous, more cunning and more destructive, and this will not only limit itself to this part of the world. It will travel and spill over into the whole globe. Navai the role of the shia militias has become a major concern in the ongoing battle for mosul, a mainly sunni city. The u. S. Has urged the Iraqi Government<\/a> to keep the shia militias out of the city, fearing sectarian violence. For now, militia leaders say their forces will remain in the nearby countryside. Im heading towards mosul to find out more. explosion are you filming . So were just on the road to mosul and everyones being stopped here, and you heard that big bang. We think its an i. E. D. Thats just been exploded. There was a guy with a knife digging in. We think he was trying to clear another one. Were two miles from the frontline. This neighborhood is not safe. The next day, at this very location, three isis suicide bombers killed and injured dozens of civilians. A badr militia unit has agreed to meet us not far from mosul. Theyve been given the job of taking isisheld towns and Countryside West<\/a> of the city. Its 7 00 a. M. The unit is about to advance to a town which the militia has just recaptured. Commander saady kadoom is watching the morning news, which is about isis atrocities. Navai although many badr units have been accused of mistreating sunnis, commander kadoom says he and his men are fighting isis, not iraqs sunni civilians. Navai the iraqi army is stretched thin around mosul. Theyre relying on the militias to secure some of the towns won back from isis. This is a sunni village. Most of the residents are no longer here. Im told theyve been rounded up for security screening. The guys are now moving on from this town, and theyre now going to the next town. This is what they do every few days. They advance and they take territory from isis. And what they leave behind is lots of graffiti. And now theres a shia flag flying from the sunni mosque here. arabic song playing on radio navai the guys are actually listening to isis radio. They love to listen to it, because it gives them motivation. Its what drives them. Navai the unit reaches the town of tal abtah. Isis have built tunnels under the streets here. The militia are still clearing them. Suddenly, were told to stop filming. Navai why do we have to put the camera down . Navai this neighborhood is controlled by the hezbollah brigades, the militia accused of the razaza and saqlawiya disappearances. The men were with are nervous. What happens when you go in their territory . Navai eventually, commander kadoom and his badr fighters reach their destination. gun firing in distance navai what was that shooting . Here, its good, but maybe go to there, its not safe. Navai kadoom and his men are securing tal abtahs hospital. Theyve been given the names of sunnis who might be isis collaborators. This picture for cutting the hand off someone. Navai theyre now taking me to an isis tunnel, and isis have built all this network of tunnels in this area. And this is how they operated, and this is how they fought these guys. Theyd pop out of these tunnels. God, its big its a sophisticated tunnel. Towards the end of my trip, i meet fighters from another group. The Sayed Shuhada<\/a> brigades are powerful, with a representative in parliament. Theyre a Breakaway Group<\/a> from the hezbollah brigades, and, like several other militias, their main patron is iran. Their leader is abu alaa al waeli. Could you have fought this war against isis without irans help . Navai and what support has your group received directly from iran . Navai he says his militia also has men in neighboring syria fighting for president assad, who is backed by iran. Navai i was born in iran and have reported on the middle east for more than a decade. I know how rare it is for militia leaders to openly acknowledge irans influence. Later, i find some local sunni residents who have fled the fighting. They seem eager to praise the militias for driving out isis. Navai but when i speak off camera to a militiaman in persian, he tells me the militia have detained many sunni men from the town and are holding them in nearby prisons. Navai he also says its common to find iranian fighters among militias like this. He says there are four in his unit. Navai on the edge of mosul, i come across a familiar scene. crying navai sunni men are being separated from their families. Navai some of them have been taken aside as isis suspects and theyre lined up against the wall or theyre on the floor. But weve just been told. Weve stepped away because they havent been checked for suicide vests or for weapons, and the whole atmosphere here is tense. The defeat of isis in this neighborhood hasnt made life any easier for the people left behind. Navai there are gangs of kids like this, and you can see theyre cold and theyre really hungry. The conditions here are bad its freezing. Theyre desperate. On my journey through iraq, ive seen isis losing ground. But its come at a cost. Mistrust between sunnis and shias seems greater than ever. The challenge for iraq now will be preventing this from starting yet another war. Go to pbs. Org frontline to learn more about iraqs shia militias and their role in the fight against isis. This is what they do every few days, they advance and they take territory. Read an interview with correspondent ramita navai about her reporting in iraq. Visit our watch page, where you can stream more than 200 frontline documentaries anytime for free. Connect to the Frontline Community<\/a> on facebook and twitter or pbs. Org frontline. Narrator next time on frontline. The north korea the regime doesnt want seen. If people stop believing in the regime, that means Central Control<\/a> is breaking down. Narrator with undercover footage and exclusive interviewfrontline uncovers a new generation risking their lives to smuggle information in and out. Any kind of uprising will probably fail, and all your relatives will be sent to prison camps. Narrator inside the secret state of north korea. Frontlinis made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. And by the corporation for public broadcasting. Major support for frontliis provided by the john d. And catherine t. Macarthur foundation. Committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world. More information is available at macfound. Org. Additional support is provided by the park foundation. Dedicated to heightening Public Awareness<\/a> of critical issues. The john and Helen Glessner<\/a> family trust. Supporting trustworthy journalism that informs and inspires. And by the frontline journalism fund. With major support from jon and jo ann hagler. Captioned by Media Access Group<\/a> at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org for more on this and other frontline programs, visit our website at pbs. Org frontline. Frontlineiraq uncovered is available on dvd. To order, visit shoppbs. Org or call 1800playpbs. Frontline is also available for download on itunes. Youre watching pbs vinceto see these kids whoheroes had the least to gain, and yet their infinite patience, their loyalty to each other, their courage under fire. Was just phenomenal. And you would ask yourself, how does america produce young men like this . Baharie funding for afropop the ultimate Cultural Exchange<\/a> is provided in part by the corporation for public broadcasting and the National Endowment<\/a> for the arts. Hi. Im nikki baharie, and this is afropop the ultimate Cultural Exchange<\/a>. Tonight on afropop, black out and pangaea. This is afropop the ultimate Cultural Exchange<\/a>, an independent documentary showcase exploring the current realities and contemporary lifestyles of African Americans<\/a> and africans around the world. Journey with afropop and become immersed in the infinite array of lives, locales, and themes, stories made real by empowering the many voices of the people who live them every day. Afropop invites you to embrace the true spirit of Cultural Exchange<\/a>. 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