The Insurgency

The Sunni insurgency in Iraq continues to be weakened compared to its peak in 2006.  Although presently experiencing diminished capabilities given the lack of a permissive operating environment, al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI), led by Abu Ayyub al-Masri, is the largest and most capable terrorist group in Iraq and continues to pose a threat to Iraqi and Coalition forces.  Increased Iraqi and Coalition force operations against Sunni terrorist groups, combined with Sunni reconciliation efforts have created an increasingly difficult operating environment for terrorists and insurgents.  This, combined with leadership losses, including the October 5, 2008 death of AQI deputy Abu Qaswarah, and dwindling Sunni support, have forced AQI to focus on survivability in Iraq rather than the group’s long-term strategic objectives of establishing an Islamic state in Iraq.  

Many former insurgent leaders have been neutralized or are now participating in dialogue with representatives of the Government of Iraq (GoI) and joining the political process.  Sunni resistance groups have greatly reduced operations in the past year, as many members joined Sons of Iraq (SoI) or Sawaha formations or decided to participate in disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs. 

Some Shi’a insurgent groups such as Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) have conducted anti-Coalition and anti-Iraqi (primarily anti- Sunni) attacks;  however, these attacks are not seeking the failure of the Iraqi government; rather, they seek to expedite the withdrawal of foreign military forces from the country.  As security improves and the Iraqi Security Forces mature, a few Shi’a extremist groups are now attempting to engage the Government of Iraq in the reconciliation process.

Though weakened, both Sunni and Shi’a extremist groups are still capable of conducting attacks.  Due to its capability to conduct large-scale high-profile attacks, however, AQI remains a viable threat to Iraqi and Coalition interests in Iraq.

Other Iraqi terrorist groups are active in addition to AQI, notably Ansar al-Sunna, which operates primarily in Kurdish-dominated northern Iraq.

Terrorist Organizations

Although some named terrorist groups operate in Iraq, these categories are constantly shifting. The following is a brief introduction to some of the most well-known terrorist groups in Iraq.

Sunni Terrorist Organizations

A)  al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI)

Al-Qaida Organization in Iraq (AQI) is the name of the terrorist group formerly led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi until being killed in a Coalition force airstrike on June 7, 2006.  Abu Ayyub al-Masri replaced al-Zarqawi as leader of the group following his death.  The goals of this group are to overthrow the Iraqi government and establish an Islamic state in Iraq by forcing out the U.S.-led coalition. Elements of the Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam, and indigenous Sunni Iraqis comprise much of this group.

AQI has issued claims of responsibility in Iraq for attacks on American and Iraqi security forces, often claiming several attacks in one day. The group uses a variety of tactics that include RPG attacks against armored vehicles, guerilla style attacks by armed militants, suicide bombings, and the kidnapping and beheadings of foreigners.

AQI (sometimes referred to as Al-Qaida in the land of the Two Rivers) has focused on attacking Shiite Arabs and the Iraqi security forces (Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police). This group is blamed for the bombing of a Shia shrine in Samarra in February of 2006 and June of 2007, which set off a series of deadly reprisal killings between Sunnis and Shias.

In addition to these frequent smaller scale attacks in Iraq, the group claimed responsibility for the bombing of three hotels in Amman, Jordan that left 67 people dead and injured more than 150.

B)  1920 Revolution Brigades.

The 1920 Revolution Brigades is an anti-occupation resistance group in Iraq, which includes former members of the disbanded Iraqi army. The group has used improvised explosive devices, and armed attacks against U.S occupation forces.  The 1920 Revolution Brigades describes its aim as to establish a liberated and independent Iraqi state on an Islamic basis. It has been active in the area west of Baghdad, in the regions of Abu Ghrayb, Khan Dari and Fallujah and in the governorates of Ninawa, Diyala and al-Anbar.  The name of the group (Literally "Brigades of the Revolution of the Twenty") refers to the 1920 revolution against British colonial rule in Iraq, drawing an implicit parallel between the nationalist resistance against that occupation with the guerrillas fighting coalition forces today.   On March, 2007 some of its members broke off from the 1920 Revolution Brigades to form Hamas of Iraq.

In a statement issued on 18 March 2007, the 1920 Revolution Brigades stated that it had dissolved into two new brigades, Islamic Conquest and Islamic Jihad. Islamic Conquest became Hamas of Iraq and is the name chosen for its military wing. Islamic Jihad took over the name Twentieth Revolution Brigades, promising to uphold its jihadi inheritance.

C)  Naqshbandia

The “Men of the Army of al-Naqshbandia Way” (Jaysh Rajal al-Tariqah al-Naqshbandia, or JRTN) is a Sunni jihadi group that first announced insurgency operations against the Coalition in Iraq in December 2006 in response to the hanging of Saddam Hussein (December 30, 2006). Since then, the Naqshbandi army has claimed numerous attacks against the Coalition, posting links to video clips of these attacks in various jihadi forums. Like some other insurgency groups, JRTN publishes a monthly magazine promoting the group’s ideology and enumerates its operations against Coalition forces while soliciting donations.

The Naqshbandia, founded in 1389 by Sheikh Muhammad Baha’ al-Naqshbandi, is one of the major Sufi orders of Islam. The Naqshbandia magazine contains both religious and secular articles promoting Sufism and jihad, such as “A series of facts about Sufism.” 

The Naqshbandia army claims to have carried out jihadi operations against the Coalition in Baghdad, al-Anbar, Ninawa, Diyala and Salah al-Din provinces, where they launched over 17 rocket attacks using Katyusha, Grad and Iraqi-made Tariq rockets, five mortar attacks, 14 road bombs, four sniper attacks and two massive assaults with light weapons on U.S. military bases. In regular military fashion, the JRTN attributes these attacks to platoons and detachments attached to certain brigades of the JRTN. It is a common perception that Sufism is a non-violent form of Islam, guiding its adherents away from political confrontation toward a more spiritual facet of the religion. Hence, Sufism was tolerated by totalitarian regimes such as in Iraq and—in some cases—practiced by the statesmen in such regimes. It is apparent from the regular military terminology used in the Naqshbandia magazine that ex-Iraqi military officers are the main core of JRTN and are using the Naqshbandia order to legitimize their insurgency. Although Sufism is in stark contrast with Salafism, both sects push their religious differences aside to unite against a non-Muslim enemy. However, any Sufi-Salafi alliance is not expected to survive in the absence of a common enemy, possibly even emerging as a new and bitter conflict in strife-torn Iraq.

D)  Ansar al-Sunna

The Ansar al-Sunna Sharia Council, which members were formerly part of Ansar al-Sunna, is a militant salafi group in Iraq.  The group is based in northern and central Iraq, and includes Kurdish and Sunni Arab as well as foreign fighters. The original group was founded in September 2003 as an umbrella organization for guerrillas, with former members of Ansar al-Islam a Kurdish Islamic organization based in the mountains near Halabja in northeastern Iraq before the U.S-led invasion, at its core. This date coincides with the first released message from the group stating their existence. Their goal is to expel U.S. occupation forces from Iraq.  Ansar al-Sunna Sharia Council is thought to have links with other Islamic organizations operating in Iraq.  In October 2004 Ansar al-Sunna released a video beheading of a Turkish truck driver on its website. The kidnappers on the video identified themselves as members of al-Tawhid wal-Jihad. Initially, both the United States and the Iraqi interim governments reportedly linked Ansar al-Sunna to al-Qaeda. However a letter intercepted by the American military in January 2007 exposes violent conflict between the two groups.  In July 2007 representatives of the Ansar al-Sunna Sharia Council were instrumental in forming an alliance of Sunni militant groups to prepare for the withdrawal of American and allied forces. The new alliance is composed of seven groupings explicitly excluding al-Qaeda and the Baath-party. This delimitation reveals a growing split between al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sunna Sharia Council over tactics, alleged attacks on Iraqi civilians being a main point of difference. that is fighting the U.S.-led occupation and the elected government led by Nouri al-Maliki. 

Shia Terrorist Organizations

E)  Jaysh al_mahdi

Jaysh al_mahdi (JAM/Promised Day Brigade (PDB).  Muqtada al-Sadr announced the formation of JAM in July 2003 to oppose the Coalition’s presence.  JAM members employ improvised explosive devices (IEDs), explosively formed projectiles (EFPs), and indirect fire (IDF) attacks.  It staged two uprisings against the Coalition in April and August 2004.  It mobilized against its rival Shia faction, the Badr Organization, in August 2005 and was heavily involved in the sectarian conflict that erupted after the February 2006 bombing of the al-Askari Shrine in Samarra.  Several splinter factions have emerged since Sadr first demobilized JAM following the second uprising.  This has challenged Sadr’s command and control.  In August 2007, Sadr ordered a “freeze” on all JAM activity after his followers assassinated two Shia governors and desecrated a major Shia religious festival in Karbala.  In June 2008, Sadr announced that the majority of JAM would be transitioned into a socio-cultural organization to oppose secularism and Western thought while a small group of hand-picked fighters would continue to target the Coalition.  In mid-November 2008, Sadr announced the formation of the PDB, providing a name for the authorized militia.  Sadr is continuing to assert his personal control over the direction of the Sadrist movement by attempting to call on AAH members to join his new armed wing.  While progress in forming the PDB has been slow, the group has conducted some intermittent attacks.

F)  Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq

Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH).  AAH is a Sadrist splinter organization formed by detained senior Sadrist Qays al-Khazali and currently led by AAH co-founder Akram al-Kabi.  AAH claims to uphold the teachings of Sadr’s father, the late Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr.  AAH opposes the Coalition presence and has publicly claimed over 6,000 attacks.  AAH employs IEDs, EFPs, and conducts IDF attacks.  It was formed as an elite Jaysh al-Mahdi group in late 2004 with the support of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Qods Force (IRGC-QF).  AAH leadership fell out with Sadr in mid-2006.  Muqtada al-Sadr has publicly challenged AAH leaders and implied that they have abandoned the resistance by negotiating with the Coalition.

G)  Kata’ib Hizballah

Kata’ib Hizballah (KH).  A small, but lethal Shia insurgent group that carries out attacks against Coalition forces in Iraq with advanced weapons from Iran, such as improvised rocket assisted mortars (IRAMs), man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), IEDs, and EFPs.  It formerly claimed attacks under the banner of the Shia Islamic Resistance in Iraq and has actively opposed the Coalition since 2003.  KH strongly condemned the signing of the Iraq-US bilateral security agreement, even going so far as to threaten Iraqis who signed or facilitated the signing of the agreement, a reversal of its standing prohibition against targeting Iraqis.