Iranian-Backed Iraqi Commander’s Release Celebrated With Rocket Fire at US Forces

Iraq on Wednesday announced the release of Qasim Muslih, a prominent commander of one of several Iran-aligned Shi’ite militias operating in Iraq against American forces stationed there and against the state’s recognized government itself. Muslih was arrested last month for terrorism-related charges and was let go Wednesday for lack of evidence, authorities said. His release was followed by two successive rocket attacks on Baghdad International Airport, where US troops and contractors are stationed. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s attempts to battle paramilitary organizations backed by Tehran have largely come up short in recent months, as Muslih’s discharge follows a string of similarly failed arrests. On several occasions, the apprehension of suspected terrorists led to their comrades storming Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, where foreign embassies and government buildings are located, and threatening the prime minister, himself.