Qais al-Khazali is the head of Asaib Ahl al-Haq (League of the Righteous), one of Iraq's toughest militias. Two decades ago he was one of America's most wanted: a leading light in the Shia Muslim insurgency against American-led coalition forces. He and his brother Laith were involved in numerous attacks on Western troops before being captured by British soldiers in 2007. He remains designated a terrorist by America.
Al-Khazali's vision goes beyond armed resistance. His militia has turned to business and government, raking in a fortune through state procurement contracts and the energy industry. He commands a political bloc that makes him a kingmaker in Iraq's parliament; whoever becomes prime minister will most probably have him to thank. The militia's takeover of the education ministry has turned Iraqi universities into ideological factories and recruitment grounds.
During the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in 2025, al-Khazali's militia kept quiet, insisting it had no wish to drag Iraq into another war. As the militia grew fat on commerce, it became less inclined to fight Iran's battles—and Iraq was rewarded with a fragile peace.
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