February 22, 2006 — A Witness That Does Not Remain Silent

Every year, specifically on February 22, Iraqi Sunni Arabs remember one of the darkest chapters in their modern history: the anniversary of the war of genocide launched by sectarian Shiite militias and successive Iran-backed governments against the Sunni Arab component since 2006 and continuing to this day.

The Beginning of the Tragedy

The bombing of the Al-Askari Shrine in Samarra in 2006, which several reports indicate was carried out by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the Badr Organization militia, was merely the spark that ignited the largest campaign of ethnic cleansing witnessed in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime. From that day forward, Iraq turned into a bloody arena of forced displacement, mass arrests, and identity-based killings targeting Sunni Arabs in Baghdad and the rest of the provinces.

Numbers Beyond Comprehension: More Than One Million Victims

Estimates based on documented incidents indicate that more than one and a half million Sunni Arabs have been killed from 2006 through 2024, including thousands of academics, doctors, preachers, students, engineers, and university professors. More than 48 cities and towns were completely emptied of their Sunni population, whether in Sunni-majority provinces or mixed areas, in addition to 11 cities in Shiite-majority provinces.

Massacres in Every Province

The names of the massacres differ, but the crime is one. From the Al-Sijar massacre to Al-Saqlawiyah, from Hawija to Diyala, from Jabella to Jurf Al-Sakhar, and from the Musab bin Umair Mosque massacre to Al-Farhatiya, all became arenas of systematic genocide carried out by militias known by name, including:

• Asaib Ahl al-Haq
• Kataib Hezbollah
• Badr Organization
• Saraya al-Salam (Mahdi Army)
• Popular Mobilization Forces (now officially part of the armed forces)
• More than 30 other armed factions

These militias used horrific torture methods such as electric drills to kill victims and carried out mass executions and enforced disappearances against thousands of young men and civilians.

The Elimination of Sunni Intellectuals

One of the most dangerous crimes was the systematic assassination of more than 600 Sunni academics, doctors, and intellectuals. These assassinations included university presidents, college deans, surgeons, nuclear scientists, and authors. Most were executed in front of their homes or workplaces, in full view of the Iraqi government, which failed to open a single serious investigation into any of these crimes.

Jurf Al-Sakhar: An Occupied City

One of the most prominent ongoing crimes is the tragedy of Jurf Al-Sakhar, a city that was completely depopulated in 2014 after more than 3,000 documented killings. Militias continue to prevent residents from returning to this day, making it a living model of systematic ethnic cleansing in Iraq.

The United States and the Moral and Political Responsibility

The United States of America sacrificed greatly to build a new Iraq. It lost more than 4,000 of its soldiers and spent over 3 trillion dollars in the process of removing the former regime, restructuring the Iraqi state on democratic federal and decentralized foundations, and drafting a constitution that guarantees rights and freedoms for all components of the people.

These efforts did not stop at regime change. The Strategic Framework Agreement between the United States and Iraq was signed, outlining long-term cooperation in security, politics, economics, education, and culture. Under this agreement, the United States bears clear responsibilities toward Iraq, including supporting its stability and security, contributing to the development of its institutions, strengthening its sovereignty and territorial integrity, supporting democracy and human rights, and ensuring the protection of all its components from targeting or marginalization.

Today, as violations against Sunni Arabs in Iraq continue, the need to activate this partnership in a manner consistent with American values and principles becomes more urgent. Washington, by virtue of this agreement and its past sacrifices, is called upon to be an active voice in protecting civilians, ensuring accountability for perpetrators of crimes, and supporting political solutions that preserve human rights, so that those tremendous sacrifices are not wasted.

Our Demand: An International Investigation and Real Justice

The anniversary of this genocide is not merely an occasion for mourning; it is an urgent call to the international community, the International Criminal Court, and human rights organizations to open a comprehensive international investigation into war crimes and ethnic cleansing committed against Sunni Arabs in Iraq from 2006 until today.

The people of this component also demand the establishment of a safe region under their own civil administration within a federal system that guarantees protection for the population, the return of displaced persons, reconstruction, accountability for perpetrators, and the preservation of memory.

Leaders of the Genocide: Key Political and Military Figures Responsible for Massacres Against Sunnis in Iraq

Since 2006, several Shiite political and military figures have emerged in Iraq, playing central roles in directing and leading campaigns of genocide and sectarian cleansing against Sunni Arabs, whether through direct government decisions or through commanding armed militias operating outside the law but protected officially.

1. Nouri al-Maliki — Prime Minister (2006–2014)

Nouri al-Maliki, the former Prime Minister, is regarded as the primary political figure responsible for the largest wave of sectarian killings, arrests, and displacement against Sunnis after 2003. During his rule, Shiite militias deeply infiltrated state institutions, especially the Ministries of Interior and Defense. Sunnis referred to him as “the head of the snake” because of his role in:

• Sponsoring sectarian death squads in Baghdad
• Supporting the Badr militia and Mahdi Army in storming Sunni areas and killing residents, particularly in Al-Adhamiyah, Al-Fadl, and Hay al-Jihad
• Directly supervising systematic displacement campaigns targeting thousands of Sunni families, especially in Baghdad

2. Baqir Solagh (Jabr) — Minister of Interior (2005–2006)

Sunnis referred to him as “the Drill Minister” due to extensive reports documenting the use of electric drilling tools in torturing and killing Sunni detainees inside Ministry of Interior prisons, particularly the notorious Al-Jadiriyah prison. During his tenure:

• The most brutal forms of physical and psychological torture were carried out against Sunni detainees
• He operated the ministry as if it were a Shiite militia apparatus serving a sectarian elimination project
• Thousands of enforced disappearances were recorded, most involving innocent Sunnis whose fate remains unknown to this day

3. Muqtada al-Sadr — Leader of the Sadrist Movement and Commander of the Mahdi Army

He led the “Mahdi Army” militia, which committed horrific massacres against Sunnis during the sectarian civil war from 2006–2008, particularly in Baghdad, Samarra, Diyala, the Baghdad Belt, Jurf Al-Sakhar, and Basra. Mahdi Army fighters stormed Sunni markets and kidnapped and executed anyone carrying names such as “Omar,” “Othman,” or “Bakr.” Al-Sadr is held responsible for:

• Leading waves of identity-based killings in Baghdad neighborhoods
• Providing religious and political cover for sectarian assassinations against Sunnis
• Protecting militia members from legal accountability

4. Hadi al-Amiri — Commander of the Badr Organization and Former Minister of Transportation

Al-Amiri occupies a central role as the field commander of one of the largest Iran-backed militias in Iraq. He participated in every military campaign against Sunni cities, which in reality were campaigns of extermination and displacement, including:

• The massacres of Al-Sijar and Al-Saqlawiyah in Anbar, where thousands of fleeing Sunni civilians were executed
• Leading Badr militias in sectarian cleansing operations in Baghdad, Diyala, and Salahuddin
• Alleged involvement in organ theft from Sunni detainees after torture, according to documented testimonies

These leaders, alongside others, represent the political and military face of the sectarian genocide system that targeted the existence of Sunni Arabs in Iraq. These were not merely war crimes, but crimes against humanity that require an international investigation and urgent prosecution before the International Criminal Court.

The shocking reality is that all of these individuals remain deeply embedded within the Iraqi political system today, either directly as ministers, parliament members, and bloc leaders, or through their representatives and armed wings within the executive, legislative, and security institutions. No investigation has been opened against them, nor have they faced any accountability. Instead, they have been rewarded with greater influence and legitimacy, while Sunni victims continue searching for justice, dignity, and shelter.

The continued presence of these figures in positions of power represents a direct challenge to international justice, an insult to human rights principles, and evidence of both internal and external complicity in concealing acts of genocide against an essential component of the Iraqi people.

Conclusion: No Justice Without Recognition

There can be no genuine reconciliation in Iraq unless this genocide is first acknowledged, rights are restored to their owners, and the leaders and entities that planned, carried out, remained silent about, justified, or incited these crimes are held accountable.

February 22, 2006 remains a witness to the massacre. And it will never be erased from memory.