Maliki-affiliated Facebook page administrators, along with cyber troop writers and analysts were reportedly been paid $1,600 or more per month for their efforts. Since the decline of Maliki’s influence, there have been reports of journalists charging $1,000 a month to campaign on behalf of an Islamic party (Yaqein, 2018). Alternatively, a political party may pay around $1,000 for several posts on a popular Facebook page each month (Niqash, 2018c). In addition to these costs, most politicians or political parties have designated office space for their cyber troop employees (2019 ,‫)خلود العامري‬. Reports claim that Hezbollah has approximately 400 employed cyber troop staff, tasked with operating the network of fake Facebook pages and accounts (Crisp & al-Salhy, 2020). Some of these political interest groups operate permanent cyber troop campaigns, however other pages emerge during security crises, elections or political power struggles. In one instance, cyber troop campaigns were mobilised by various political actors during the passage of a contentious draft law (2019 ,‫)خلود العامري‬. Table 3: Cyber Troop Capacity in Iraq Team Size Resources Spent Activity Levels (USD) Permanent Coordination Professional Facebook page administrators Capacity Measure High References Al-Badeel Iraq. (n.d.). ‫!! "أكذوبة الجیش العراقي "یحصل على جائزة األفضل بالعالم دون منازع‬ http://www.albadeeliraq.com/ar/node/761 Al-Ittihad. (2018, April 23). ‫االنتخابات العراقیة »األشرس« والنساء في عین العاصفة‬. Al-Kaisy, A. (2019). A fragmented landscape: Barriers to independent media in Iraq. Al-Quds al-Arabi. (2018a, April 19). ‫ وهناك حملة‬..‫ زوجتي مسیحیة ولیست یهودیة‬:‫مرشح لرئاسة العراق‬ ‫مدعومة ضدي‬. Al-Quds al-Arabi. (2018b, September 26). ‫ وهناك‬..‫ زوجتي مسیحیة ولیست یهودیة‬:‫مرشح لرئاسة العراق‬ ‫حملة مدعومة ضدي‬. Alshamary, M. (2020, November 13). Six months into his premiership, what has Mustafa alKadhimi done for Iraq? Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-fromchaos/2020/11/13/six-months-into-his-premiership-what-has-mustafa-al-kadhimi-donefor-iraq/ Crisp, W., & al-Salhy, S. (2020, June 14). Iraqi groups paying Facebook millions to churn out fake news. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/06/14/iraqigroups-paying-facebook-millions-churn-fake-news/ Freedom House. (2020). Iraq. Freedom House. https://freedomhouse.org/country/iraq/freedom-world/2020 Iraqi Media House. (n.d.). "‫ أخبار مفبركة تجتاح "فیسبوك‬..."‫"الجیوش اإللكترونیة‬. Iraqi News Agency. (2020, May 22). Iraq denies Shia militia granted land in Green Zone. Mawazin News. (2019, January 31). ‫االعالم العراقي الحقیقي في مواجهة خطر الجیوش االلكترونیة‬. https://www.mawazin.net/Details.aspx?jimare=32207 Niqash. (2017, April 12). ‫ الساسة العراقیون یتقاتلون عبر "جیوش الكترونیة‬:‫"الترویج لشائعات وأخبار كاذبة‬. Niqash. (2018a, April 16). ‫ حمالت تسقیط وتشهیر ضد المرشحات العراقیات‬:‫بین التسقیط واالستهزاء‬. https://www.niqash.org/ar/articles/politics/5891/ 207