Islamic State of Iraq

Infobox War Faction
name = دولة العراق الإسلاميةspaces|2ar icon "Dawlat al-'Iraq al-Islamiyya" Islamic State of Iraq
war = Iraq war


caption = Flag and logo of the Islamic State of Iraq
motto = لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول اللهspaces|2(Arabic) "Lā ilāhā illā-llāhu; muhammadun rasūlu-llāhi"spaces|2(transliteration) "There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" (the Shahadah)
active = 15th October, 2006 - Present
ideology =
leaders = Abu Omar al-Baghdadi
headquarters = Unknown
area = Iraq
strength = 12,000+ (2006)
opponents = Iraqi security forces
United States Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
battles=

The Islamic State of Iraq or Dawlat al-'Iraq al-Islamiyya (Arabic دولة العراق الإسلامية), is an umbrella organization of a number of Iraqi insurgent groups established on October 15, 2006 [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/e239159e-5c6a-11db-9e7e-0000779e2340.html Stephen Negus: "Call for Sunni state in Iraq".] "ft.com", 2006-OCT-15. Retrieved 2007-JUN-27.] "to protect the Iraqi people from US attacks and defend Islam, by the "Khalf al-Mutayibeen"Literally, "Pact of the Scented/Perfumed/Sweet People". Either a reference to the "tib", a badge which was touched when swearing an oath in early Islamic Arabia [http://wincoast.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-42881.html] , or referring to "Tayib", a honorific Muslim name for Abd-Allah ibn Muhammad [http://www.answering-islam.de/Main/Books/Muir/Life2/chap2.htm] .] ".It appears that "Khalf al-Mutayibeen" refers to the alliance of insurgent groups, and "Dawlat al-'Iraq al-Islamiyya" to the state it claims to govern.

The group is composed of and supported by a variety of insurgency groups, including its predecessor, the Mujahideen Shura Council, "Al-Qaeda in Iraq", "Jeish al-Fatiheen", "Jund al-Sahaba", "Katbiyan Ansar Al-Tawhid wal Sunnah", "Jeish al-Taiifa al-Mansoura", etc, and some Sunni clans. It aims to establish a caliphate in the Sunni Arab dominated regions of Iraq.

It claims a presence in the governorates of Baghdad, Al Anbar, Diyala, Kirkuk, Salah ad Din, Ninawa, and parts of Babil and Wasit, etc. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/10/AR2006091001204.html?nav=rss_email/components "Situation Called Dire in West Iraq".] "Washington Post", 2006-SEP-10.] [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/27/AR2006112701287.html "Anbar Picture Grows Clearer, and Bleaker".] "Washington Post", 2006-NOV-28] [ [http://onthescene.msnbc.com/baghdad/2006/12/reporting_under.html#posts Reporting under al-Qaida control - Blogging Baghdad: The Untold Story - MSNBC.com ] ] [ [http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/17/32969.aspx Dangers of the Baghdad plan - World Blog - msnbc.com ] ] It initially claimed Baqubah as its capital.

2007 events

Between late 2006 and May 2007, the ISI brought the Dora neighborhood of southern Baghdad under its control. Numerous Christian families left, unwilling to pay the Jizya taxFact|date=October 2007. US efforts to drive out the ISI presence stalled in late June, 2007, despite the walling-off of streets and the use of biometric identification technology. [ [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-christians27jun27,1,3082872.story?coll=la-headlines-world&ctrack=1&cset=true Ned Parker: "Christians forced out of Baghdad district".] "Los Angeles Times", 2007-JUN-27. Retrieved 2007-JUN-27.] By November 2007 the ISI had been removed from Dora, and Assyrian churches could be re-opened.

March

The Interior Ministry of Iraq said that Al-Baghdadi was captured in Baghdad on March 9, 2007 [http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/03/09/iraq.main/index.html?eref=rss_latest "Iraqi ministry: Militant leader arrested in Baghdad".] "CNN", 2007-MAR-09.] ,but it was later said that the person in question was not Al-Baghdadi [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D355EE8F-9733-48D8-9085-97C54385A0B0.htm "Captured Iraqi not al-Baghdadi".] "Al-Jazeera" 2007-MAR-10.] .

April

On April 19, 2007, the organization announced that it had set up a provisional government termed "the first Islamic administration" of post-invasion Iraq. The "emirate" was stated to be headed by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and his cabinet of 10 ministers [http://www.siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications274907&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 "Islamic State of Iraq Announces Establishment of the Cabinet of its First Islamic Administration in Video Issued Through al-Furqan Foundation".] "SITE Institute", 2007-APR-19. Retrieved 2007-APR-20.] :

These are apparently all "noms de guerre".

May

On May 3, Iraqi sources claimed that Abu Omar al-Baghdadi had been killed a short time earlier; no evidence was provided to support his death, and US sources remained skeptical [http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/03/iraq.main/ "Iraq says insurgent leader dead".] "CNN", 2007-MAY-03.] . The Islamic State of Iraq released a statement later that day that denied his death [http://siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications279207&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 "Islamic State of Iraq Denies the Killing of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, but Confirms the Death of its Official Spokesman, Abu Abdullah al-Jabouri".] "SITE Institute", 2007-MAY-03.] .The death of Abu Ayyub al-Masri was also claimed, apparently in error too (see that article for details).

In what was apparently the same incidentVerify source|date=July 2007, "Minister of Public Relations" Abu Bakr al-Jabouri was announced to have been killed on May 1/2, 2007 near Taji. The exact circumstances of the incident are unknown. The initial version of the events at Taji, as given by the Iraqi Interior Ministry, was a shootout between rival Sunni militias. Coalition and Iraqi government operations were apparently conducted in the same area about the same time, and later sources implied they were directly involved, with al-Jabouri being killed "resisting arrest". See Abu Omar al-Baghdadi for details and sources. The successor of al-Jabour (if any) is presently unknown.

In an ISI press release, responsibility was claimed for an ambush at Al Taqa (Babil) on May 12, at which one Iraqi soldier and 4 US 10th Mountain Division soldiers were killed; 3 soldiers of the US unit were captured. One was found dead in the Euphrates 11 days later. The other two were claimed to have been executed and buried in an ISI video release, after a 4,000-man manhunt by US and allied forces ended without success. No direct proof was given. [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/05/24/state/n022304D32.DTL&hw=Iraq+missing+hometown&sn=001&sc=1000 Jeremiah Marquez: "SoCal family mourns soldier found dead in Iraq river".] "Associated Press", 2007-MAY-24. Retrieved 2007-JUN-27.] [http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--backtoiraq0627jun27,0,56562.story?coll=dp-headlines-virginia Michael Zitz: "With men still missing, a soldier returns to Iraq".] "Free Lance-Star", 2007-JUN-27. Retrieved 2007-JUN-27.]

June

On June 18, the US launched Operation Arrowhead Ripper, as "a large-scale effort to eliminate al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists operating in Baquba and its surrounding areas" [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6766217.stm "US launches major Iraq offensive".] "bbc.co.uk", 2007-JUN-19. Retrieved 2007-JUN-27.] . See also Diyala province campaign.

The June 25 suicide bombing of a meeting of Al Anbar tribal leaders and officials at Mansour Hotel, Baghdad [ [http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070626/FOREIGN/106260034/1003 Charles J. Hanley: "Suicide bomber kills 13 at busy Baghdad hotel".] "Associated Press", 2007-JUN-26. Retrieved 2007-JUN-27.] ,which killed 13, including 6 Sunni sheikhs [ [http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/3327/Police_Release_Tribal_Shaykhs_Names "Police Release Tribal Shaykhs' Names".] "IraqSlogger", 2007-JUN-27. Retrieved 2007-JUN-27.] and some other prominent figures, was proclaimed by the ISI to have been in retaliation for the rape of a Sunni woman by Iraqi police [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2112106,00.html "Al-Qaida linked to Baghdad hotel bombing".] "The Guardian", 2007-JUN-26. Retrieved 2007-JUN-27.] .Security at the hotel, which is some 100 meters outside the Green Zone, was provided by a British contractor [ [http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/3336/Brit_Security_Firm_Faulted_in_Hotel_Bombing "Brit Security Firm Faulted in Hotel Bombing".] "IraqSlogger", 2007-JUN-27. Retrieved 2007-JUN-27.] that apparently hired guerilla fighters to provide physical security [ [http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-394745-al_mansour_hotel-i "Al Mansour Hotel, Baghdad".] "Yahoo! Travel", 2007-FEB-05. Retrieved 2007-JUN-27.] ;the veracity and implications of allegated claims of responsibility of an Egyptian Islamist group and possible on-scene assistance for the suicide bomber [ [http://www.miamiherald.com/578/story/152494.html Mike Drummond: "Two tribal leaders killed in Baghdad".] "McClatchy News Service", 2007-JUN-27. Retrieved 2007-JUN-27.] are undetermined.

July

Abu Omar al-Baghdadi released an audio tape that issued an ultimatum to Iran. He said: "We are giving the Persians, and especially the rulers of Iran, a two-month period to end all kinds of support for the Iraqi Shia government and to stop direct and indirect intervention ... otherwise a severe war is waiting for you." He further warned Arab states from doing business with Iran. [ [http://cordover.blogspot.com/2007/07/al-qaeda-issues-ultimatum-to-iran.html "Al-Qaeda Issues Ultimatum to Iran"] Cafe Cordover by Adam Cordover]

Iran supports the Iraqi government which many see as anti-Sunni. Furthermore, Iran is believed to support Shi'ite militias, such as that of Muqtada al-Sadr, which have attacked Sunni groups and populations.

Resistance to Coalition operations in Baqubah turned out to be less than anticipated. In early July, US Army sources suggested that the ISI leadership as was in the area had largely relocated elsewhere in early June, 2007, before start of Operation Arrowhead Ripper. [ [http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/852/re1.htm "More death and political intrigue"] Nermeen Al-Mufti, Al-Ahram Weekly, 5 - 11 July 2007]

References

* [http://siteinstitute.org/ Islamic State of Iraq proclaims a new flag] Verify source|date=July 2007