Q&A: Karim al-Nouri, candidate with the Fatah list

BAGHDAD - Iraq's political landscape has changed drastically since the country's previous national elections, in large part because of the popularity of paramilitary groups operating under the government's al-Hashid al-Shabi (Popular Mobilization) program.

Many Iraqis view the Hashid as heroes of the war against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) militant group, and many Hashid-affiliated politicians are hoping to leverage their stature into electoral success by running together on the Fatah electoral list.