This is the story of how the Iraqi state has been steadily stripped of its sovereignty, identity, and the trappings of statehood by predatory militias, aided and abetted by the Iranian regime. This is the story of the journey from nation-statehood, to militia-statehood. This book is principally concerned with the Iraqi militia coalition known as Al-Hashd al-Shaabi [the Popular Mobilization Units - PMU]. More broadly, it relates the malign consequences of Tehran's interference across the Middle East region. The Hashd's most significant paramilitary forces were armed and mobilized by Iran, and through their actions and objectives, the nature of Iran's destabilizing agenda towards the region can be better understood.
