- Islamic Army in Iraq
Infobox War Faction
war =Iraq war
active = 2003 - Present
ideology = Islamist
leaders =Ishmael Jubouri
headquarters = Unknown
area = Iraq
strength = Unknown
opponents =Iraqi security forces Mahdi Army Badr Corps
United States Armed ForcesBritish Armed Forces
battleThe Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI) (
Arabic : الجيش الإسلامي في العراق",al jaysh al islāmi fī'l-`irāq") is one of a number of undergroundBaath ist and Islamistmilitant (or "mujahideen ") organizations formed in Iraq following the2003 invasion of Iraq byUnited States andcoalition military forces, and the subsequent collapse of the Baathist government headed bySaddam Hussein .Although it carries an Islamic title, the group combines Islamism with Iraqi
nationalism , and is thought to be the largest militant group that consists of former Baathists and has been labelled as "resistance" by Iraq's SunniVice-President Tariq al-Hashemi despite regular attacks against Iraqi soldiers and policemen, as well as Shi'ite militias such as theMahdi Army and theBadr Organization .Roots and ideology
The precise details about the emergence of the IAI are unclear, although it is generally assumed that the group was established sometime during the summer of 2003 to fight
coalition forces . [http://www.jamestown.org/images/pdf/ter_003_005.pdf]When the IAI first formed it used kidnapping as a means of pursuing its goals. The group also threatened to target the January 2005 elections, although it didn't carry out any such attack. Unlike most
resistance movement organizations today the IAI does not have Salafist tendencies, its primary focus and goal being the expulsion of foreign troops from Iraq. A November 2004 "Washington Post " interview with the group's leader,Ishmael Jubouri , stated that the IAI was predominantly composed ofIraqis (Sunnis ,Shiites ,Kurds , andArabs ) trying to force foreign troops out of Iraq. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16794-2004Nov27.html] TheTerrorism Monitor put out byThe Jamestown Foundation confirms some of what Jubouri was claiming. In a March 2005 article it states the group is composed primarily of Sunnis with a much smaller, but still present, Shiite congregation and, in general, is " [an] inclusive Islamic organization with Iraqi nationalist tendencies." [http://www.jamestown.org/images/pdf/ter_003_005.pdf] Who|date=December 2007In a Nov. 2006 "
al-Jazeera " interview, spokesmanIbrahim al-Shamary expanded on who the IAI considers foreign troops, "There are two occupations in Iraq.Iran on one side through the militias which they control and through direct involvement with the national guard and the intelligence services, that causes the killing and destruction of the Sunnis... And then there is the American occupation which destroys the Iraqi people." [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/45CFC5AE-6065-4607-9D84-69273EA45F1C.htm]The group has released several joint statements with other groups such as Islamic Resistance Movement and the
Islamic Front for the Iraqi Resistance , which are known to be of an ikhwan background. In one of these joint statements, six groups (including the IAI) called for Iraqis to participate in the referendum on the October 2005constitution by voting against it. (This was in conspicuous contrast toal-Qaeda in Iraq , which said that simply participating in voting is a compromise of the basic fundamentals ofIslam , even if one were to vote against it.)When rumours spread in Iraq of the alleged demolition of the
al-Aqsa Mosque , in April 2005 the IAI announced the formation of the "al-Aqsa Support Division." This group was to support thePalestinians in their armed struggle againstIsrael . The current status of the al-Aqsa Support Division is unknown, leading people to believe that the statement was merelyrhetoric .Foreign hostages
The group was responsible for the abduction of the following persons who were released unharmed:
*
Fereidoun Jahani , IranianConsul .
*Georges Malbrunot (41), andChristian Chesnot (37), French journalists.
*Marwan Ibrahim al-Kassar andMohammed Jawdat Hussein , Lebanese electrical workers.
*Angelo Dela Cruz , Filipino truck driver.
*Rosidah Anom, andRafikan Binti Amin , femaleIndonesia n nationals.The IAI is believed responsible for the execution of the following foreigners:
*
Enzo Baldoni , Italian journalist killed on or aboutAugust 26 ,2004 .
*Raja Azad (49), engineer, andSajad Naeem (29), his driver,Pakistan i nationals working in Iraq for aKuwait i-based firm killed on or aboutJuly 28 ,2004 .
*Dalibor Lazarevski ,Dragan Markovic , andZoran Naskovski , nationals ofRepublic of Macedonia , working forUnited Arab Emirates -basedSoufan Engineering on contracts and subcontracts for the U.S. military and its private contractors. The three were seized in August 2004 and the Macedonian government confirmed their execution byOctober 21 ,2004 ; receipt of videos depicting twobeheading s were announced, but not broadcast, on al-Jazeera TV onOctober 17 ,2004 .
*Ronald Schulz , American contract electrician, killed aroundDecember 8 ,2005 .Other activities
The Islamic Army in Iraq claimed responsibility for the
September 1 ,2004 ,assassination attempt against Iraqi politicianAhmed Chalabi , leader of theIraqi National Congress , in which two of his bodyguards were killed, two were wounded and two went missing (the IAI admitted capturing one of Chalabi's bodyguards and executing the other), and Chalabi escaped unharmed.On
22 April Specify|date=September 2007, the IAI released a video of their members killing aBulgaria n "civilian contractor" who survived after the downing of his helicopter. He was helped to his feet and then shot with 27 rounds of ammunition. [http://www.ogrish.com/archives/islamic_army_in_iraq_missile_fire_downs_iraq_chopper_11_dead_includes_aftermath_and_execution_video_of_surviver_of_helicopter_crash_Apr_21_2005.html] The group also claims to have shot down a commercialairliner in Iraq, although officials maintain the accident was caused byfog . The crash killed 34 people.Fact|date=September 2007In 2006 videos were released of their snipers killing
coalition forces . The "nom de guerre " of the IAI sniper(s) is "Juba". These sniper videos were distributed for free to Iraqi citizens on CDs as part of apropaganda ,recruiting campaign and as a means of wagingpsychological warfare oncoalition forces . [http://www.jubaonline.org] Islamic Army videos of attacks on US-led coalition forces are aired on theal-Zawraa TV channel, which is banned in Iraq.War with al-Qaeda in Iraq
In early 2007 the Islamic Army engaged in an armed conflict against al-Qaeda in Iraq. In June, this ended in a
ceasefire between the two rival groups. The IAI was quoted saying "The most important thing is that it's our common duty to fight the Americans;" nevertheless, the groups never adopted al-Qaeda's philosophy and refused to sign on to the al-Qaeda-ledIslamic State of Iraq . [http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1629871,00.html]According to Iraqi sources, fighters from the Islamic Army battled al-Qaeda gunmen around
Samarra at least twice in October and November 2007, a possible indication that the cease-fire brokered earlier this year had collapsed (however, coalition officials later issued a statement claiming that Iraqi Policemen and coalition troops, not Islamic Army fighters, had carried out the latter operation). [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7088013.stm] [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15191&Itemid=128] Furthermore, although the Islamic Army denied that it had joined forces with the U.S. military, several news outlets reported that many Islamic Army commanders in and around Baghdad were now working together with the U.S.-led coalition to counter al-Qaeda in Iraq militants and Shia militias. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2208820,00.html]ee also
*
Ansar al-Islam
*Ansar al-Sunna External links
* [http://www.iaisite-eng.org/ Islamic Army in Iraq offical english website] Videos, Pictures, Documents, statements, Jihad and Reform Front statements, alboraq media organizations issues
* [http://www.iaisite.org/ Islamic Army in Iraq arabic website] Videos, Pictures, Documents.
* [http://www.athenaintelligence.org/index2.html Athena Intelligence] Advanced Research Network on Insurgency and TerrorismAlso see crude [http://translate.google.com/translate?sourceid=navclient&hl=en&u=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eiaisite%2einfo%2findex%2ephp live translation into English of the IAI web site] on Google.
* [http://www.iraqresistance.net/article.php3?id_article=202 Iraqresitance.net]
* [http://www.uslaboragainstwar.org/article.php?id=6476 vision du USA Labour against war]
* [http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/F9DB58BF-B1B3-4457-970C-27641F32FAF1 Arabic article (by Al-Jazeera) on insurgency/resistance groups]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16794-2004Nov27.html Interview with IAI's current leader Ishmael Jubouri]
* [http://www.tkb.org/Group.jsp?groupID=4375 Profile on the Islamic Army in Iraq and other terrorist organizations]
* [http://www.jamestown.org/images/pdf/ter_003_005.pdf Post-Election Terrorist Trends in Iraq March 10, 2005]
* [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/12/terror/main655475.shtml CBS:Purported Al-Zarqawi Tape Surfaces]
* [http://www.wincoast.com/forum/showthread.php?s=c1f47d618e3b32fc1865966c8a22e57d&p=537841#post537841 IAI Translations]
* [http://www.drzawahri.com/showthread.php?t=64092 IAI Translations]
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