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A busy street in Nasiriya, Iraq, last month ( The Washington Post)
W
hen the call came to fight the Islamic State, the lines of volunteers in Nasiriyah, Iraq, stretched for blocks. Friends pooled money to pay for the ride to militia recruitment offices. Young men were already scrambling on to buses bound for the front lines.
As the Iraqi army melted away, it fell often to the mostly Shiite Muslim militias to go back and rout the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State. For many in the city, it felt like a battle for Iraq’s soul.
In Iraq, anti-American militias not just Iran s proxies washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Published: April 9, 2021 NASIRIYAH, Iraq When the call came to fight the Islamic State, the lines of volunteers here stretched for blocks. Friends pooled money to pay for transportation to local militia recruitment offices. Young men were already scrambling onto buses bound for the front lines. As the Iraqi army melted away, it fell often to the mostly Shiite Muslim militias to turn back and rout the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State. For many in the city of Nasiriyah, it felt like a battle for Iraq s soul. Back then, it was just about one thing, said former militiaman Thamer al-Safi, recalling the battles of 2014 in which two of his brothers died. This was about our future. This was about Iraq.