Iraqi militias dismiss US terrorist designation as ‘meaningless’

BAGHDAD — Leaders of two Iraqi armed groups responded Wednesday to their designation as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the U.S. Department of State, dismissing the decision and reaffirming their commitment to their cause.

Harakat al-Nujaba, one of the four groups listed, issued a statement through its military assistant, Abdulqader al-Karbalai, rejecting the classification. In a post on X, al-Karbalai said, “Label us as you wish and say what you want about us… By God, we will not abandon the path of truth, justice, pride, and dignity, and Jerusalem will remain the symbol of our resistance.”

He added, “We will not compromise or retreat from the path of our Imam Hussein, master of martyrs—the path of sacrifice and steadfastness, the path of the triumph of blood over the sword… Plot your plots and make your efforts, all your decisions are under our feet and have no value.”

The U.S. State Department also listed Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali. All four were already designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

Abu Ala al-Wala’i, secretary-general of Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, also responded, saying, “The news of putting us on the terrorism list has no value, it only increased our honor and stature.”

The State Department said Iran, which it called “the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism,” provides ongoing support to the groups, enabling them to “plan, facilitate, or directly carry out attacks across Iraq.” It said the militias have targeted the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and bases hosting American and coalition forces, “typically using front names or proxy groups to obfuscate their involvement.”