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{{Short description|Jordanian/Iraqi Salafi jihadist militant group (1999–2004)}} | |||
{{Cleanup|date=April 2007}} | |||
{{Infobox War Faction | {{Infobox War Faction | ||
|name=Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad | | name = Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad<br/>(Congregation of Monotheism and Jihad) | ||
| native_name = {{lang|ar|جماعة التوحيد والجهاد}} | |||
|war=the ] | |||
| war = the ] | |||
|caption= | |||
| image = ] | |||
|active=2003-present | |||
| caption = A flag that was in use by Jama'at al-Tawhid wal Jihad in late 2004 | |||
|leaders=]†<br> | |||
| active = 1999<ref name=winepJune14>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ResearchNote_20_Zelin.pdf|publisher=]|date=June 2014|title=The War between ISIS and al-Qaeda for Supremacy of the Global Jihadist Movement|access-date=14 February 2015|archive-date=20 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220221134/http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ResearchNote_20_Zelin.pdf|url-status=dead}} (pages 1-2)</ref>–17 October 2004<ref name=JamestownFoundation20041018/> | |||
|clans= | |||
| founder = ]{{KIA}} | |||
|headquarters=Unknown | |||
| leaders = ]{{KIA}}<br>]{{KIA}}<br>]{{KIA}} | |||
|area=] | |||
| clans = | |||
|strength=N/A | |||
| headquarters = ] | |||
|partof=] | |||
| area = ], limited in ] | |||
|previous= | |||
| size = | |||
|next= | |||
| partof = | |||
|opponents=] | |||
| allegiance = | |||
|battles=], | |||
| ideology = *]<ref name=sect/><ref name="Atwan">{{cite news|last=Atwan|first=Abdel Bari|title=Al Qaeda's hand in tipping Iraq toward civil war|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0320/p09s01-coop.html|work=]|date=20 March 2006}}</ref><ref name="winepJune14e">{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ResearchNote_20_Zelin.pdf|publisher=]|date=June 2014|title=The War between ISIS and al-Qaeda for Supremacy of the Global Jihadist Movement|access-date=1 January 2015|archive-date=20 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220221134/http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ResearchNote_20_Zelin.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
* ]<ref name="winepJune14e"/> | |||
*]<ref name="winepJune14e"/> | |||
*]<ref name=sect/> | |||
*]<ref name=sect/> | |||
*]<ref name=sect/><ref name="Atwan"/> | |||
*]<ref name=winepJune14e/><ref name=sect>{{cite web|url=http://carnegieendowment.org/2016/06/13/sectarianism-of-islamic-state-ideological-roots-and-political-context-pub-63746|title=The Sectarianism of the Islamic State: Ideological Roots and Political Context|publisher=]|author=]|date=13 June 2016}}</ref><ref name="aljazeera">{{cite news|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/archive/2005/09/200849143727698709.html|work=]|title=Al-Zarqawi declares war on Iraqi Shia|date=September 14, 2005|access-date=October 22, 2009}}</ref> | |||
* ]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-11-21 |title=Al-Qaeda in Iraq – "Knights Of Martyrdom 8" |url=https://ojihad.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/al-qaeda-in-iraq-knights-of-martyrdom-8/ |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=Jih@d |language=de-DE}}</ref><ref name=sect/> | |||
*]<ref name=sect/> | |||
*]<ref name=sect/> | |||
*]<ref name=FoxNews20060608/> | |||
| predecessor = | |||
| successor = ] ] | |||
| allies = {{flagicon image|Flag of Ansar al-Islam.svg}} ] (associate)<ref name=Bbc20060815>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4268904.stm|date =August 15, 2006|publisher=BBC|title=Guide: Armed groups in Iraq|access-date=2007-07-13}}</ref><ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill/><br /><!-- Deleted image removed: ] -->] (sometimes) <br />{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda.svg}} ] (sometimes) <br />{{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} ] (sometimes)<br />{{flagicon image|Al-Liwaa.svg}} ] (sometimes) <br />{{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} ] (sometimes) | |||
| opponents = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Multi-National Force – Iraq.svg}} ]<br />{{flagicon image|Flag of Iraq (2004–2008).svg|Flag of Iraq (2004–2008).svg}} ]<br />{{flag|United States}}<br />{{flag|Jordan}}<br /> | |||
{{flagcountry|Iran}}<br />{{flagcountry|Turkey}}<br />{{flagcountry|Japan}}<ref name="Beheaded Japanese to be flown home">"." '']''. November 1, 2004. Retrieved on 25 October 2015.</ref><br />{{flag|United Nations}} | |||
| battles = ] | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
| designated_as_terror_group_by = {{Unbulleted list | |||
|{{flag|Kyrgyzstan}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://24.kg/english/48835_List_of_terrorist_and_extremist_organizations_banned_in_Kyrgyzstan_/|title=List of terrorist and extremist organizations banned in Kyrgyzstan|date=5 April 2017}}</ref> | |||
|{{MYS}}<ref>http://www.moha.gov.my/images/maklumat_bahagian/KK/kdndomestic.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901101308/https://www.moha.gov.my/images/maklumat_bahagian/KK/kdndomestic.pdf |date=2021-09-01 }} {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref> | |||
|{{flag|Russia}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fsb.ru/fsb/npd/terror.htm|script-title=ru:Единый федеральный список организаций, в том числе иностранных и международных организаций, признанных в соответствии с законодательством Российской Федерации террористическими|language=ru|date=2 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514033426/http://www.fsb.ru/fsb/npd/terror.htm|archive-date=14 May 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
}} | |||
}} | }} | ||
{{History of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}} | |||
'''Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad''' ({{Langx|ar|جماعة التوحيد والجهاد|lit=Congregation of Monotheism and Jihad}}), abbreviated as '''JTJ''' or '''Jama'at''', was a ] militant group.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/186573/PR141212_The_Evolution_of_ISIS.pdf |title=From Al-Qaida Affiliate to the Rise of the Islamic Caliphate: The Evolution of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria |date=December 2014 |first=Ahmed S. |last=Hashim |access-date=3 August 2019 |journal=] |publisher=] |pages=1–16}}</ref> It was founded in Jordan in 1999, and was led by ]ian national ] for the entirety of its existence. During the ], the group became a decentralized network with foreign fighters<ref name=ChristianScienceMonitor20040514/> with a considerable Iraqi membership.<ref name=Bbc20060815/><ref name=winepJune14/> | |||
On 17 October 2004, al-Zarqawi pledged ] to ]'s ] network, and the group became known as ] (commonly known as al-Qaeda in Iraq or Tanzim).<ref name=JamestownFoundation20041018/><ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GordonCorera/> After several mergers with other groups and the formation of the ], it changed its name several times until it called itself ] (ISI) in 2006. | |||
'''Jama'at al-] wal-]''' ({{lang-ar|جماعة التوحيد والجهاد}}, '''Unification (Monotheism) and the Holy Struggle Group''') This group's name, which is usually abbreviated as JTJ, purposely contrasts the strict ] of ] with the "God in three persons" of the ] ], which it sees as ]. | |||
==Origins== | == Origins == | ||
{{Jihadism sidebar}} | |||
] | |||
] was a Jordanian ] who traveled to ] to fight within the ], but arrived after the departure of the Soviet troops, and soon returned to his homeland. He eventually returned to Afghanistan, where he ran an Islamic militant training camp near ].<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/186573/PR141212_The_Evolution_of_ISIS.pdf |title=From Al-Qaida Affiliate to the Rise of the Islamic Caliphate: The Evolution of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria |date=December 2014 |first=Ahmed S. |last=Hashim |access-date=3 August 2019 |journal=] |publisher=] |pages=1–16}}</ref> | |||
Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad was started by ], who himself was never Al Qaeda, other foreigners who are alleged to be Al-Qaeda members, and local, mostly Kurdish sympathizers. {{Fact|date=March 2007}} Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was a Jordanian who had traveled to Afghanistan to fight in the ], but had arrived after the departure of the Soviet troops. Instead he busied himself with reporting on the fighting of others. After a trip home, he eventually returned to Afghanistan, running an Islamic militant training camp near ] in ]. Zarqawi started the network originally with a focus on overthrowing the Jordanian ], which he considered to be un-Islamic and made up of "hypocrites". Zarqawi comes from a school of militant ] ] and ] thought, which advocates a return to the laws and practices of the ] community that existed at the time of the death of the Prophet ] in the ]. After spending five years in a Jordanian prison for attempting to overthrow the government, Zarqawi later left the country, traveling to Afghanistan where he became the leader of his own terrorist training camp near Herat. Eventually, Zarqawi developed a large number of contacts and affiliates in several countries. His network may have been involved in the late ] ] in the US and Jordan. Following the ], it is believed that Zarqawi moved westward into ], where he may have received medical treatment in ] for an injured leg. It is believed that he developed extensive ties in Iraq with ], a ] Islamist militant group that was based in the extreme northeast of the country. Both the BBC in July 2002 and the ], in a published paper in April 2003, claimed Ansar had ties to Iraqi Intelligence. Given the authoritarian nature of Saddam Hussein's government, it is unlikely he would not have known and approved of this collaboration. Saddam's motivation would have been to use Ansar as a surrogate force to repress the Kurds (who wanted a "free Kurdistan" in Northern Iraq/Southern Turkey). Following the ], JTJ was developed as a militant network composed of foreign fighters, remnants of Ansar al-Islam, and indigenous Kurdish Sunni group to resist the coalition occupation forces and their Iraqi allies. The group's spiritual advisor was ]. They are well known for their savage, horrid attacks against Iraqi Shittes. | |||
A report released by the ] in mid-2014 describes al-Zarqawi, in association with other Jordanians and ] ] militants, as starting JTJ in 1999 with its training camp in Herat, and with "a small amount of seed money" from bin Laden "which continued until ]".<ref name=winepJune14 /> | |||
==Goals== | |||
The stated goals of JTJ are to force a withdrawal of U.S-led forces from Iraq, topple the Iraqi interim government and assassinate collaborators with the "]," marginalize the ] ] population and defeat its militias, and to subsequently establish a pure ] Islamic state. Presumably, if and when those goals are achieved, the global jihad would continue to establish a pan-Islamic state and remove ] influence from the Muslim world.To remove the Western influence, JTJ sometimes target the ] minority and its interest such as church. Iraqi Christian became their target since 2004.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} | |||
== Ideology and motivation == | |||
==Tactics== | |||
Al-Zarqawi's interpretation of ]ic ]—accusing other Muslims of ] and thereby justifying his killing—was extreme, which caused friction between him and bin Laden.<ref name=winepJune14/> | |||
] and with the banner in the background.]] | |||
] in orange, seated, before his decapitation. He is one of over 150 American contractors who have died in Iraq since 2003 .]] | |||
] members with ] giving Korea 24 hours to withdraw Korean troops out of Iraq .]] | |||
JTJ differs from other ] groups considerably in its tactics. Rather than just using conventional weapons and ], it has relied heavily on ], mostly with vehicles, targeting a wide variety of groups but most especially Iraqi civilians, ]and those facilitating the occupation. U.S and coalition forces, the ], foreign civilians, ] organizations, Shiite and Kurdish political and religious figures, Iraqi police and security forces, and Iraqi interim officials have also been targeted. Zarqawi's militants have been known to use a wide variety of other tactics, however, including targeted ], ]s and ]s, the planting of improvised explosive devices, mortar attacks, and beginning in a late June 2004 offensive urban guerilla-style attacks using ]s and small arms. | |||
Al-Zarqawi's political motives included what he considered the ] as a "gift to the Jews so they can rape the land and humiliate our people",<ref name=FRONTLINE,2006 /> the United Nation's support for American "oppressors of Iraq",<ref name=FRONTLINE,2006 /> and the "humiliation our nation".<ref name=bbc19-5-4 /> | |||
For months, it appeared as though two separate wars were being conducted in Iraq. One was a militant terrorist campaign, largely conducted by foreign ]is, of high-profile suicide bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings. The other was a guerrilla war being conducted by ] indigenous ], and disenfranchised former ] members against the American occupation. Recently, as Zarqawi's network has taken root and grown in Iraq and as the insurgency has become more radicalized and religiously motivated, the distinction between the two has reduced. The ] offensive, which combined guerrilla warfare, and conventional tactics and in which a number of groups operating under the Zarqawi umbrella participated, was the most obvious indication of this shift. Militants in this group also have been known to operate with other insurgents in the city ], where they openly patrolled, enforcing ] law, and distributing audiotapes of the ] before a U.S-led offensive on the city in the beginning of October forced them underground again. | |||
== History == | |||
JTJ cites various texts from the ] and the ] (traditions) of the prophet Muhammad that they perceive to support their tactics. They refer to the tradition of the prophet Muhammad where he said to the people of ] when conquering them, "By the one in whose hand the soul of Muhammad is in, I came to you with slaughter" narrated in the books of ] (traditions) including, Musnad Imam Ahmad, Saheeh Al Muslim and others. They also quote the prophet Muhammad saying, "Whoever slaughters a non-Muslim (at war with Islam, i.e. those perceived to be 'enemy occupiers') sincerely for the sake of Allah, Allah will make hellfire prohibited upon him." as well as many verses of the Qur'an calling Muslims to fight invading non-muslims and even behead them, such where Allah says in the Qur'an, "when you meet the non-muslim (enemies in battle) strike their necks." | |||
=== In Jordan (1999–2001) === | |||
Al-Zarqawi started JTJ with the intention of overthrowing the ] Kingdom of Jordan,<ref name=winepJune14/> which he considered to be un-Islamic. After toppling Jordan's monarchy, presumably he would turn to the rest of the ].<ref name=winepJune14/> | |||
For these purposes he developed numerous contacts and affiliates in several countries. His network may have been involved in the late 1999 ] in the United States and Jordan.<ref name=twpJune06>{{cite news|title=Al-Zarqawi's Biography|date=June 8, 2006|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/08/AR2006060800299_2.html?nav=rss_world/africa| first=Craig | last=Whitlock | access-date=February 27, 2015}}</ref> | |||
==Reported activities and alleged attacks== | |||
===2003=== | |||
*]: Zarqawi was believed{{who}} to be responsible for a truck bombing of the ]ian embassy, which killed 19.<ref>http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=400&issue_id=3179&article_id=2369022</ref> | |||
*]: Zarqawi was translated as saying by ] that he was responsible for a truck bombing of ] in Baghdad that killed 22, including top U.N. envoy ]<ref></ref> | |||
*]: According to Kurdish Intelligence officials Zarqawi's father-in-law ] was responsible for the car bomb in ] that killed more than 85, including ], the leader the ]<ref></ref> | |||
*]: 16 American soldiers are killed and 26 are wounded when their ] was shot down by shoulder fired anti aircraft missile near Fallujah.<ref>http://news.mainetoday.com/war/insideiraq/041222iraqtimeline.shtml</ref> | |||
*]: According to an MSNBC article, al-Zarqawi is blamed for an attack on coalition bases and governor's office in ] that killed 19.<ref>Ibid</ref> | |||
=== In Jordan and Iraq (2001–2002) === | |||
===2004=== | |||
] in 2006]] | |||
*]: U.S. officials blame a ] in Baghdad and Karbala that kill at least 181<ref>Ibid</ref> people and injure hundreds more during the ], a Shia holiday, on al-Zarqawi. | |||
Following the ], al-Zarqawi moved to Iraq, where he reportedly received medical treatment in ] for an injured leg. | |||
*]: According to a statement allegedly published by on the ] Islamist web site and allegedly signed by Zarqawi, Zarqawi took responsibility for boat suicide bombings that ram oil pumping stations in the ]. Three U.S. servicemen are killed in the attack, which cost Iraq some $40 million<ref>http://www.iags.org/n0124051.htm</ref> in lost revenues.<ref>http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-04/27/content_326602.htm</ref> | |||
*]: Iraq's interim interior minister was quoted as stating that he believed that al-Zarqawi was responsible for the suicide car bombing of the Iraqi army recruitment center in ] that killed 35 people, and wounded 145.<ref>http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/06/17/iraq.main/index.html</ref> | |||
*]: Americans ] and ] and Briton ] were kidnapped from their Baghdad home. The JTJ threatened to behead them in 48 hours unless Iraqi women are released from ] and ] prisons. On ], the group published a video showing the decapitation of Eugene Armstrong. U.S. Officials say that his body has been found and identified. On ], Hensley is beheaded as well. | |||
*]: Kenneth Bigley is beheaded. | |||
*]: A suicide car bomber rams his car against a U.S. convoy killing 8 marines and wounding 9 others west of Baghdad.<ref>http://news.mainetoday.com/war/insideiraq/041222iraqtimeline.shtml</ref> | |||
*]: ] is beheaded. | |||
Al-Zarqawi was in Baghdad from May until late November 2002, when he traveled to ] and northeastern Iraq.<ref name="Conclusions"/> The United States 2006 ] concluded: "Postwar information indicates that ] attempted, unsuccessfully, to locate and capture al-Zarqawi and that the regime did not have a relationship with, harbor, or turn a blind eye toward al-Zarqawi."<ref name="Conclusions">{{cite news|title=Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Postwar Findings About Iraq's WMD Programs and Links to Terrorism and How They Compare with Prewar Assessments. 109th Congress, 2nd Session. |url=http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/phaseiiaccuracy.pdf |access-date=8 February 2015 |publisher=] |date=8 September 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215060854/http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/phaseiiaccuracy.pdf |archive-date=February 15, 2015 }}(See III.G, Conclusions 5 and 6, p.109.)</ref> | |||
===Attacks outside of Iraq=== | |||
*April 2004: A failed plot to explode chemical bombs in ], ]. | |||
*], ]: Attackers attempted to detonate a car bomb against fuel trucks on the Jordanian side of the Iraqi-Jordanian border, but failed. Zarqawi was sentenced to death '']'' for this plot in 2006. | |||
*], ]: Rockets were fired at the ] and the ] off the coast of ], ], but missed and hit a warehouse, killing a Jordanian soldier. Another rocket was fired at ], ]. | |||
*], ]: The ] in Jordan, which left over 60 people dead. | |||
*], ]: A volley of ] rockets were fired into northern Israel from southern ]. Al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed the attack, but Israel suspects ] of the attack. | |||
Al-Zarqawi and his operatives are held responsible by the United States for the assassination of US diplomat ] in Jordan in October 2002.<ref name=StateDepartment20041015>{{cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/37130.htm|author=]|publisher=]|date=15 October 2004|title=Foreign Terrorist Organization: Designation of Jama'at al-Tawhid wa'al-Jihad and Aliases|access-date=26 November 2014}}</ref> | |||
==U.S. campaign against Zarqawi's al-Qaeda forces== | |||
{{disputed-section}} | |||
Al Qaeda admitted that the American effort against Zarqawi's network resulted in the death of at least 4,000 foreign Al Qaeda terrorists. From ] to early ], only 200 or so ] members were killed by US troops in ]. Most of the US effort during this time, went into Protecting "soft targets" against bombings conducted by the elusive force. In ], U.S. Marines and members of the ]'s ] retook the city of Fallujah killing between 1,200-1,500 ] fighters and ]. In late June 2004, U.S. forces began a campaign of missile strikes and ] assaults, against suspected ] safehouses in ], a stronghold of insurgents and radical clerics and the supposed focus of Zarqawi's militant network. Between ] and ], over 60 ] members were killed in three separate air raids conducted by the U.S military in both ] and ]. Civilians and officials in ] and ] charged that civilian targets were hit. Zarqawi himself was said to have narrowly escaped the ] attack, although there have been conflicting reports as to whether he was within Fallujah. Iraqi civilians, militiamen, policemen, and members of the Iraqi military, have suffered several hundred deaths and injuries in subsequent months, along with several thousand ] and ] deaths reported. These deaths are due to an escalating series of duels between anti-coalition militants employing car bombs and U.S. forces employing airstrikes and raids. The ] region between Baghdad and ] is the focus of the search for Zarqawi and his followers. | |||
=== Involvement in the Iraq War (2003–2004) === | |||
On ], the ] announced its designation of Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, along with its aliases Monotheism and Jihad Group, al-Zarqawi network, and al-Tawhid, as a ] and a ] under ]. . | |||
Following the ] and the ], Jama'at became a decentralized militant network fighting against the coalition forces and their Iraqi allies. Jama'at included a growing number of foreign fighters<ref name=ChristianScienceMonitor20040514>{{cite news|date=May 14, 2004|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0514/p03s01-usfp.html|author=], ]|newspaper=]|title=Iraq's bin Laden? Zarqawi's rise|access-date=2007-07-13}}</ref><ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill/> and a considerable Iraqi membership, including remnants of ].<ref name=Bbc20060815>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4268904.stm|date =August 15, 2006|publisher=BBC|title=Guide: Armed groups in Iraq|access-date=2007-07-13}}</ref><ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill/> | |||
Many foreign fighters arriving in Iraq were not initially associated with Jama'at, but once they were in the country they became dependent on al-Zarqawi's local contacts.<ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill>{{cite journal|last1=Gambill|first1=Gary|title=Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi: A Biographical Sketch|journal=Terrorism Monitor|date=16 December 2004|volume=2|issue=24|page=The Jamestown Foundation|url=http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=400&&issue_id=3179|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930185929/http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=400&&issue_id=3179|archive-date=30 September 2007|access-date=30 July 2014}}</ref> | |||
On ], ] the Iraqi Prime Minister confirmed that Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi was killed in a United States Air Force ] airstrike at 6:15 pm local time (1415 UTC) the previous evening, ]. In a statement posted on the ] that day, signed by Al-Qaeda in Iraq's "deputy emir," ], al-Qaeda in Iraq pledged to "increase persistence in continuing holy war so that the word of God will be supreme." | |||
Jama'at's tactics included ], often using ]s, kidnappings, the planting of ]s, attacks using ]s, ] and ]s, and ] Iraqi and foreign hostages and distributing video recordings of these acts on the Internet. | |||
A found in Zarqawi's safe house indicates that the terrorist group was trying to provoke the U.S. to attack Iran in order to reinvigorate the insurgency in Iraq and to weaken American forces in Iraq. "The question remains, how to draw the Americans into fighting a war against Iran? It is not known whether American is serious in its animosity towards Iran, because of the big support Iran is offering to America in its war in Afghanistan and in Iraq. Hence, it is necessary first to exaggerate the Iranian danger and to convince America and the west in general, of the real danger coming from Iran...". The document then outlines 6 ways to incite war between the two nations. Iraqi national security adviser ] said the document, shows al-Qaeda in Iraq is being hindered and hence, in "pretty bad shape." He added that "we believe that this is the beginning of the end of al-Qaeda in Iraq." | |||
The group targeted ] and those assisting the occupation, Iraqi interim officials, Iraqi Shia and Kurdish political and religious figures and institutions, Shia civilians, foreign civilian contractors, United Nations and humanitarian workers, and also Sunni Muslim civilians.<ref name=winepJune14/><ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill/> | |||
On ], ] al-Qaeda in Iraq announced the appointment of ] as the successor to al-Zarqawi. | |||
=== Pledge of allegiance to al-Qaeda === | |||
During the months leading up to ]'s assassination, at least one hundred Al Qaeda commanders and members were killed by ], said to be composed of US ] and ] ] units. In the subsequent months since ]'s death, at least two hundred Al Qaeda members have been killed or captured according to the US Military, and the ] Government. This number includes | |||
On 17 October 2004, al-Zarqawi pledged ] to Osama bin Laden's ] network, and the group became known as ] (commonly known as al-Qaeda in Iraq).<ref name=JamestownFoundation20041018>{{cite news|url=http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=27305#.VBeNlOk9Jy0|title=Zarqawi's pledge of allegiance to al-Qaeda: From Mu'Asker Al-Battar, Issue 21|author=], translated by ]|newspaper=Jamestown |date=18 October 2004|publisher=]|access-date=16 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=Dawn20041018/><ref name=Msnbc20041018>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6268680 |agency=Associated Press|publisher=NBC News|title=Al-Zarqawi group vows allegiance to bin Laden|date=October 18, 2004|access-date=2007-07-13}}</ref><ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GordonCorera>{{cite news|title=Unraveling Zarqawi's al-Qaeda connection|author=]|newspaper=Jamestown |url=http://www.jamestown.org/programs/tm/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=332&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=179&no_cache=1#.VBeNtek9Jy0|publisher=]|date=16 December 2004|access-date=16 September 2014}}</ref> Al-Zarqawi died in a US targeted airstrike in June 2006 on an isolated safe house north of Baghdad at 6:15 p.m. local time. | |||
== Activities == | |||
Additional Al Qaeda in Iraq leadership figures publicly known to have been killed or captured by Coalition and Iraqi government forces during the ] include the following: | |||
{{see also|Iraq#2003–2007}} | |||
=== Attacks === | |||
* ], killed in September 2006 in Baghdad{{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
], on 22 August 2003]] | |||
* ], who was captured by US ] on ], ].<ref name="AFP0903">Agence France-Presse. Iraq's al-Qaeda number two captured. ] ].</ref> | |||
]ings were a common form of attack in Iraq during the Coalition occupation]] | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured in September 2006 in Shahraban {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
After the ] and the establishment of a governing ], an insurgency quickly emerged. Dozens of insurgent attacks were claimed by, or attributed to, JTJ in the following months: | |||
* Hamed Jumaa Faris Juri al-Saaydi (aka ]), captured in August 2006 in Baquba {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed in June 2006 near Baquba<ref>{{cite news | title=Iraq Terror Chief Killed In Airstrike | date=] ]|publisher=CBS News|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/08/iraq/main1692753.shtml }}</ref> | |||
* ], killed in June 2006 near Baquba<ref>{{cite news | title=Iraq Terror Chief Killed In Airstrike | date=] ] | publisher=CBS News|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/08/iraq/main1692753.shtml }}</ref> | |||
* ], captured on ] ] in Baghdad {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], captured on ] ] in Bagdad {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed on ] ] in unknown location {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], captured on ] ] in Ramadi {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed on ] ] near Samarra {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), killed on ] ] in Baghdad {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] in Karbala {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), killed on ] ] near Abu Ghraib {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in south Baghdad {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), killed on ] ] in northern Baghdad {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] south of Baghdad {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed on ] ] in Baghdad {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed on ] ] in al-Ushsh {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed on ] ] in Mosul {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), killed on ] ] in Haditha {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Mosul {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Mosul {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed on ] ] in Zanazil {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed on ] ] in Jaramil {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], captured on ] ] in Fallujah area {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], captured on ] ] in Mosul {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed on ] ] in Mosul {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Mosul {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Mosul {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Ramadi {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Ramadi {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), killed on ] ] in Mosul {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Mosul {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], captured on ] ] in Yusifiyah {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], captured on ] ] {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Ramadi {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), killed on ] ] in al-Qa'im {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], captured on ] ] in al-Shurqat {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Mosul {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Mosul {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Mosul {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], captured on ] ] in Khalidiyah {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Baghdad {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured in April 2005 in Ramadi {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured in April 2005 in Ramadi {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in unknown location {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Anah {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Anah {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], captured on ] ] {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], captured on ] ] {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ] (aka ]), captured on ] ] in Baghdad {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed on ] ] in Fallujah {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed on ] ] in Fallujah {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed in December 2004 {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed in December 2004 in Fallujah {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed on ] ] near Fallujah {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], killed on ] ] near Abu Ghraib {{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* ], captured on ] ] in Baghdad{{Fact|date=February 2007}} | |||
* August 7, 2003: ] which killed 17 and injured at least 40. ] considered ] and Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad responsible for this attack.<ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill/> | |||
{{Armed Iraqi Groups in the Iraq War and the Iraq Civil War}} | |||
* August 19, 2003: ] that killed chief of the United Nations Mission to Iraq ] and 22 others at the UN headquarters in Baghdad. More than 100 were injured.<ref name=Bbc20060815/><ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill/> Zarqawi claimed responsibility for this attack in April 2004, saying the U.N. ''"gave Palestine to the Jews so they can humiliate our people"'' and are ''"friends of the '''' oppressors"''.<ref name=FRONTLINE,2006>. Transcript from a TV program of ] from ]. Retrieved 22 February 2015.</ref><ref name=CNN7-4-4>{{cite news|date=April 7, 2004 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/07/zarqawi.tape/index.html?_s=PM:WORLD |title=CIA: Zarqawi tape 'probably authentic' |publisher=CNN |access-date=22 February 2015 |last=Benson |first=Pam |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003001701/http://articles.cnn.com/2004-04-07/world/zarqawi.tape_1_al-zarqawi-zarqawi-organization-abu-musab-zarqawi?_s=PM%3AWORLD |archive-date= 3 October 2012 }}</ref> | |||
* November 12, 2003: ] in ] which killed 17 ] paramilitary policemen partaking in the U.S.-led ']', and 10 civilians and injured at least 100. ] considered ] and Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad responsible for this attack.<ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill/> | |||
* March 2, 2004: ] in Baghdad and ] that killed some 178 Shi'ite civilians and wounded at least 500 during the holy ]. The ] held "Zarqawi's group" responsible.<ref name=WashingtonInstitute20051115> | |||
{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2400|title=Zarqawi's 'Total War' on Iraqi Shiites Exposes a Divide among Sunni Jihadists|author=]|date=November 15, 2005|access-date=28 February 2015}}</ref> | |||
* April 19, 2004: Failed plot to explode ] in ], Jordan, said to be financed by Zarqawi's network.<ref name=Cbs20040518> | |||
{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-is-abu-zarqawi/|title=Who Is Abu Zarqawi?|date=May 18, 2004|publisher=]|access-date=2007-07-13}}</ref> | |||
* April 24, 2004: In a statement published on the ] Islamist web site, Zarqawi took responsibility for a series of suicide boat bombings of oil pumping stations in the ]. | |||
* May 18, 2004: Car bomb assassination of ] President ] in Baghdad. The Jama'at group stated on an Islamist website that they were ''"determined to lift the humiliation from our nation (...) Another lion has removed the rotten head of those who betray God and sell their religion to the Americans and their allies".''<ref name=bbc19-5-4>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3727597.stm |title=Al-Qaeda group claims Salim death |work=BBC News |date=19 May 2004|access-date=31 December 2014}}</ref><ref name=FoxNews20060608> | |||
{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,198661,00.html|title=Fast facts about Abu Musab al-Zarqawi|date=June 8, 2006|publisher=]|access-date=2007-07-13}}</ref> | |||
* June 18, 2004: ] in Baghdad near an Iraqi Army recruitment center that killed 35 civilians, and wounded 145. Jama'at was blamed.<ref name=Cnn20040617> | |||
{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/06/17/iraq.main/index.html|title=Car bomb kills 35 in Baghdad|date=June 17, 2004|publisher=CNN|access-date=2007-07-13}}</ref> | |||
* August 1, 2004: ], 12 people killed and 71 wounded. Iraq's national security adviser, ], blamed the attacks on ].<ref name=BBC2-8-4>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3527032.stm|title=Leaders condemn Iraq church bombs|work=BBC News|date=2004-08-02|access-date=3 January 2015| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070105011256/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3527032.stm| archive-date=January 5, 2007| url-status= live}}</ref> | |||
* September 14, 2004: Car bomb ] police recruits on ] in Baghdad.<ref name=FoxNews20060608/><ref name=AustralianBroadcastingCorporation20040914> | |||
{{cite news|publisher=] |title=Car bomb kills dozens in Baghdad |author=] |date=September 14, 2004 |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200409/s1199052.htm |access-date=2007-07-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071230000013/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200409/s1199052.htm |archive-date=December 30, 2007 }}</ref> | |||
* September 30, 2004: ] which killed 41 people, mostly children. Jama'at claimed responsibility for attacks on the day, but it was unclear if this was included.<ref name=FoxNews20060608/> | |||
* The October 2004 massacre of 49 unarmed ] recruits was claimed by JTJ.<ref name=TheKnowledgeBaseIraq2004> | |||
{{cite web|url=http://www.tkb.org/MorePatterns.jsp?countryCd=IZ&year=2004 |title=Iraq: 2004 overview |publisher=] |access-date=July 13, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070827174758/http://www.tkb.org/MorePatterns.jsp?countryCd=IZ&year=2004 |archive-date=August 27, 2007 }}</ref> | |||
* December 3, 2004: Failed attempt to blow up an Iraqi–Jordanian ], for which al-Zarqawi and two of his associates were sentenced to death '']'' by a Jordanian court in 2006<ref>{{cite news|last=Aloul|first=Sahar|title=Zarqawi handed second death penalty in Jordan|url=http://beta.inquirer.net/common/print.php?index=1&story_id=60417&site_id=38|publisher=]|date=19 December 2005|agency=Agence France-Presse|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071029032906/http://beta.inquirer.net/common/print.php?index=1&story_id=60417&site_id=38|archive-date=29 October 2007}}</ref> | |||
=== Inciting sectarian violence === | |||
==See also== | |||
Alleged sectarian attacks by the organization included the ] bombing in 2003 and the 2004 ] bombings (]) and Karbala and Najaf bombings in 2004. These were precursors to a more widespread campaign of ] after the organization transitioned to become ],<ref name="Atwan">{{cite news|last=Atwan|first=Abdel Bari|title=Al Qaeda's hand in tipping Iraq toward civil war|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0320/p09s01-coop.html|work=]|date=20 March 2006}}</ref><ref name="Insurgents">{{cite news|title=Al Qaeda leader in Iraq 'killed by insurgents'|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-05-01/al-qaeda-leader-in-iraq-killed-by-insurgents/2537000|publisher=ABC News|date=1 May 2007}}</ref> with Al-Zarqawi purportedly declaring an all-out war on Shias,<ref name="aljazeera">{{cite news|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/archive/2005/09/200849143727698709.html|work=]|title=Al-Zarqawi declares war on Iraqi Shia|date=September 14, 2005|access-date=October 22, 2009}}</ref><ref name="NYTimes09/15">{{cite news|title=Another wave of bombings hit Iraq |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028173331/http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/09/15/africa/web.0915iraq.php |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/09/15/africa/web.0915iraq.php |work=International Herald Tribune |date=15 September 2005 |archive-date=28 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> while claiming responsibility for the Shia mosque bombings.<ref name="Tavernise">{{cite news|last=Tavernise|first=Sabrina|title=20 die as insurgents in Iraq target Shiites|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/09/16/news/iraq.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080127045649/http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/09/16/news/iraq.php|archive-date=27 January 2008|newspaper=The New York Times|date=17 September 2005}}</ref> | |||
*] | |||
*] | |||
{{Wikisource|The Rest of the Story: Iraq's Links to Al Qaeda}} | |||
=== Beheading/killing non-Iraqi hostages === | |||
==References== | |||
* May 7, 2004: ], American civilian beheaded. A video of the killing was published on the Internet; the ] said it was likely that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi personally had wielded the knife<ref name=FoxNews20060608/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3712421.stm |title=World | Middle East | 'Zarqawi' beheaded US man in Iraq|work=BBC News|date=May 13, 2004|access-date=9 February 2015}}</ref> | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
* June 22, 2004: ], ]n civilian, executed by beheading. | |||
* July 8, 2004: Georgi Lazov and ], ]n civilians beheaded<ref name=ChilaDaily20040803> | |||
{{cite news|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-08/03/content_357131.htm|title=Turkish hostage shot to death in Iraq|date=August 3, 2004|newspaper=]|access-date=2007-07-13}}</ref> | |||
* August 2, 2004: ], ] civilian shot dead, by ].<ref name=FoxNews20060608/> | |||
* September 13, 2004: ], Turkish civilian beheaded<ref name=FoxNews20060608/> | |||
* September 20, 2004: ], American civilian beheaded. Presumably claimed by Zarqawi and his men.<ref name=FoxNews20060608/> Some sources claimed it was done by Al-Zarqawi personally.<ref>. Weblog ‘]’, 20 September 2004. Retrieved 9 February 2015.</ref> It was shown in ], a LiveLeak film in 2008. | |||
* September 21, 2004: ], American civilian beheaded. Presumably by Zarqawi and his men.<ref name=FoxNews20060608/> | |||
* October 7, 2004: ], ] civilian beheaded. Presumably by Zarqawi and his men.<ref name=FoxNews20060608/> | |||
* October 29, 2004: ], ]ese civilian beheaded. An Islamist website that was used by al-Zarqawi's group had posted video of Koda shortly after the abduction.<ref name="Beheaded Japanese to be flown home">"." '']''. November 1, 2004. Retrieved on 25 October 2015.</ref> | |||
The ] translator Aytullah Gezmen was also abducted by Jama'at, but released after "repenting."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/turkish-hostage-freed-in-iraq/|title=Turkish Hostage Freed In Iraq|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=15 September 2004 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-28}}</ref> | |||
== U.S. fighting Jama'at == | |||
==External links== | |||
In September 2004, the U.S. conducted many airstrikes targeting Al-Zarqawi, calling the hunt for Al-Zarqawi its "highest priority".<ref>{{cite web |author=Brian Ross |url=http://www.abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=131414 |title=Tracking Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi |publisher=ABC News |date=September 24, 2004 |access-date=27 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170128205514/http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=131414 |archive-date=28 January 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
* | |||
* | |||
== Legacy == | |||
* | |||
] in ] in November 2004 pursuing ]'s network]] | |||
* June 2006 | |||
The group pledged allegiance to ]'s al-Qaeda network in a letter in October 2004 and changed its name to '']''.<ref name=JamestownFoundation20041018/><ref name=Dawn20041018>{{cite news|title=Zarqawi pledges allegiance to Osama|url=http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/18/top7.htm |date=18 October 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229020549/http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/18/top7.htm|archive-date=29 December 2007|agency=]|work=]|access-date=13 July 2007}}</ref><ref name=Msnbc20041018/> | |||
] | |||
] | |||
That same month, the group, now popularly referred to as ] (AQI), kidnapped and killed Japanese citizen ]. In November, al-Zarqawi's network was the main target of the US ] in ], but its leadership managed to escape the American siege and subsequent storming of the city. | |||
] | |||
] | |||
The Lebanese-Palestinian militant group ], which was defeated by Lebanese government forces during the ], was linked to AQI and led by al-Zarqawi's former companion Mustafa Ramadan Darwish who had fought alongside him in Iraq.<ref>{{cite news|title=Fatah Islam: Obscure group emerges as Lebanon's newest security threat|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/20/africa/ME-GEN-Lebanon-Violence-Militants.php|work=International Herald Tribune|date=20 May 2007|agency=Associated Press|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070525035308/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/20/africa/ME-GEN-Lebanon-Violence-Militants.php|archive-date=25 May 2007}}</ref> | |||
] | |||
] | |||
The group may have been linked to the little-known group called "Tawhid and Jihad in Syria",<ref name=InternationHeraldTribune20070528>{{cite news|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/28/africa/ME-GEN-Syria-Al-Qaida.php |title=Al-Qaida inspired militant group calls on Syrians to kill country's president |agency=Associated Press |work=International Herald Tribune |date=28 May 2007 |access-date=6 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070601162448/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/28/africa/ME-GEN-Syria-Al-Qaida.php |archive-date= 1 June 2007 }}</ref> and may have influenced the Palestinian resistance group in ] called ].<ref name=AsiaMedia20070417>{{cite news|url=http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-world.asp?parentid=67903|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100715015944/http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-world.asp?parentid=67903|archive-date=15 July 2010|title=Palestine: Reporter is dead, claims terror group|work=]|date=17 April 2007|access-date=6 August 2014}}</ref> | |||
] | |||
] | |||
== See also == | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
== References == | |||
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}} | |||
== External links == | |||
* ] on September 21, 2004 | |||
* ] on October 8, 2004 | |||
* ] | |||
{{Armed Iraqi Groups in the Iraq War and the Iraq Civil War}} | |||
{{Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}} | |||
{{Militant Islamism in the Middle East}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 06:39, 29 December 2024
Jordanian/Iraqi Salafi jihadist militant group (1999–2004)Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Congregation of Monotheism and Jihad) | |
---|---|
جماعة التوحيد والجهاد | |
A flag that was in use by Jama'at al-Tawhid wal Jihad in late 2004 | |
Founder | Abu Musab al-Zarqawi † |
Leaders | Abu Musab al-Zarqawi † Abu Anas al-Shami † Omar Husayn Hadid al-Muhammadi † |
Dates of operation | 1999–17 October 2004 |
Headquarters | Fallujah |
Active regions | Iraq, limited in Jordan |
Ideology | |
Allies | Ansar al-Islam (associate) Islamic Army of Iraq (sometimes) Ansar al-Sunnah (sometimes) Jaish al-Rashideen (sometimes) Islamic Front for the Iraqi Resistance (sometimes) Jeish Muhammad (sometimes) |
Opponents | Multi-National Force – Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority United States Jordan Iran Turkey Japan United Nations |
Battles and wars | Iraqi insurgency |
Designated as a terrorist group by | |
Succeeded by Al-Qaeda in Iraq |
Part of a series on the |
---|
History of the Islamic State |
Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (1999‑2004) Al-Qaeda in Iraq (2004‑2006) Jama'at Jaysh Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah (2004‑2006) Jaish al-Ta'ifa al-Mansurah (2004‑2006) Mujahideen Shura Council (2006) Islamic State of Iraq (2006‑2013) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant |
By topic |
Category |
Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Arabic: جماعة التوحيد والجهاد, lit. 'Congregation of Monotheism and Jihad'), abbreviated as JTJ or Jama'at, was a Salafi jihadist militant group. It was founded in Jordan in 1999, and was led by Jordanian national Abu Musab al-Zarqawi for the entirety of its existence. During the Iraqi insurgency (2003–11), the group became a decentralized network with foreign fighters with a considerable Iraqi membership.
On 17 October 2004, al-Zarqawi pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, and the group became known as Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (commonly known as al-Qaeda in Iraq or Tanzim). After several mergers with other groups and the formation of the Mujahideen Shura Council, it changed its name several times until it called itself Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) in 2006.
Origins
Part of a series on |
Jihadism |
---|
Practices and concepts |
Islamic fundamentalism |
Notable jihadist organisations |
Jihadism in Africa |
Jihadism in Asia |
Jihadism in the West |
Islam portal |
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was a Jordanian Jihadist who traveled to Afghanistan to fight within the Soviet–Afghan War, but arrived after the departure of the Soviet troops, and soon returned to his homeland. He eventually returned to Afghanistan, where he ran an Islamic militant training camp near Herat.
A report released by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in mid-2014 describes al-Zarqawi, in association with other Jordanians and Sunni Jihadist militants, as starting JTJ in 1999 with its training camp in Herat, and with "a small amount of seed money" from bin Laden "which continued until 9/11".
Ideology and motivation
Al-Zarqawi's interpretation of Islamic takfir—accusing other Muslims of heresy and thereby justifying his killing—was extreme, which caused friction between him and bin Laden.
Al-Zarqawi's political motives included what he considered the British Mandate for Palestine as a "gift to the Jews so they can rape the land and humiliate our people", the United Nation's support for American "oppressors of Iraq", and the "humiliation our nation".
History
In Jordan (1999–2001)
Al-Zarqawi started JTJ with the intention of overthrowing the 'apostate' Kingdom of Jordan, which he considered to be un-Islamic. After toppling Jordan's monarchy, presumably he would turn to the rest of the Levant.
For these purposes he developed numerous contacts and affiliates in several countries. His network may have been involved in the late 1999 plot to bomb the Millennium celebrations in the United States and Jordan.
In Jordan and Iraq (2001–2002)
Following the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, al-Zarqawi moved to Iraq, where he reportedly received medical treatment in Baghdad for an injured leg.
Al-Zarqawi was in Baghdad from May until late November 2002, when he traveled to Iran and northeastern Iraq. The United States 2006 Senate Report on Pre-war Intelligence on Iraq concluded: "Postwar information indicates that Saddam Hussein attempted, unsuccessfully, to locate and capture al-Zarqawi and that the regime did not have a relationship with, harbor, or turn a blind eye toward al-Zarqawi."
Al-Zarqawi and his operatives are held responsible by the United States for the assassination of US diplomat Laurence Foley in Jordan in October 2002.
Involvement in the Iraq War (2003–2004)
Following the US invasion of Iraq and the ensuing insurgency, Jama'at became a decentralized militant network fighting against the coalition forces and their Iraqi allies. Jama'at included a growing number of foreign fighters and a considerable Iraqi membership, including remnants of Ansar al-Islam.
Many foreign fighters arriving in Iraq were not initially associated with Jama'at, but once they were in the country they became dependent on al-Zarqawi's local contacts.
Jama'at's tactics included suicide bombings, often using car bombs, kidnappings, the planting of improvised explosive devices, attacks using rocket-propelled grenades, small arms and mortars, and beheading Iraqi and foreign hostages and distributing video recordings of these acts on the Internet.
The group targeted Iraqi security forces and those assisting the occupation, Iraqi interim officials, Iraqi Shia and Kurdish political and religious figures and institutions, Shia civilians, foreign civilian contractors, United Nations and humanitarian workers, and also Sunni Muslim civilians.
Pledge of allegiance to al-Qaeda
On 17 October 2004, al-Zarqawi pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, and the group became known as Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (commonly known as al-Qaeda in Iraq). Al-Zarqawi died in a US targeted airstrike in June 2006 on an isolated safe house north of Baghdad at 6:15 p.m. local time.
Activities
See also: Iraq § 2003–2007Attacks
After the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and the establishment of a governing Provisional Authority, an insurgency quickly emerged. Dozens of insurgent attacks were claimed by, or attributed to, JTJ in the following months:
- August 7, 2003: Jordanian embassy bombing in Baghdad which killed 17 and injured at least 40. The Jamestown Foundation considered Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad responsible for this attack.
- August 19, 2003: Canal Hotel bombing that killed chief of the United Nations Mission to Iraq Sérgio Vieira de Mello and 22 others at the UN headquarters in Baghdad. More than 100 were injured. Zarqawi claimed responsibility for this attack in April 2004, saying the U.N. "gave Palestine to the Jews so they can humiliate our people" and are "friends of the oppressors".
- November 12, 2003: The truck bombing in Nasiriyah which killed 17 Italian paramilitary policemen partaking in the U.S.-led 'Multi-National Force', and 10 civilians and injured at least 100. The Jamestown Foundation considered Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad responsible for this attack.
- March 2, 2004: Series of bombings in Baghdad and Karbala that killed some 178 Shi'ite civilians and wounded at least 500 during the holy Day of Ashura. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy held "Zarqawi's group" responsible.
- April 19, 2004: Failed plot to explode chemical bombs in Amman, Jordan, said to be financed by Zarqawi's network.
- April 24, 2004: In a statement published on the Muntada al-Ansar Islamist web site, Zarqawi took responsibility for a series of suicide boat bombings of oil pumping stations in the Persian Gulf.
- May 18, 2004: Car bomb assassination of Iraqi Governing Council President Ezzedine Salim in Baghdad. The Jama'at group stated on an Islamist website that they were "determined to lift the humiliation from our nation (...) Another lion has removed the rotten head of those who betray God and sell their religion to the Americans and their allies".
- June 18, 2004: The suicide car bombing in Baghdad near an Iraqi Army recruitment center that killed 35 civilians, and wounded 145. Jama'at was blamed.
- August 1, 2004: six churches in Baghdad and Mosul were attacked, 12 people killed and 71 wounded. Iraq's national security adviser, Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, blamed the attacks on Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
- September 14, 2004: Car bomb killed 47 and injured nearly 100 police recruits on Haifa Street in Baghdad.
- September 30, 2004: Baghdad bombing which killed 41 people, mostly children. Jama'at claimed responsibility for attacks on the day, but it was unclear if this was included.
- The October 2004 massacre of 49 unarmed Iraqi National Guard recruits was claimed by JTJ.
- December 3, 2004: Failed attempt to blow up an Iraqi–Jordanian border crossing, for which al-Zarqawi and two of his associates were sentenced to death in absentia by a Jordanian court in 2006
Inciting sectarian violence
Alleged sectarian attacks by the organization included the Imam Ali Mosque bombing in 2003 and the 2004 Day of Ashura bombings (Ashoura massacre) and Karbala and Najaf bombings in 2004. These were precursors to a more widespread campaign of sectarian violence after the organization transitioned to become al-Qaida in Iraq, with Al-Zarqawi purportedly declaring an all-out war on Shias, while claiming responsibility for the Shia mosque bombings.
Beheading/killing non-Iraqi hostages
- May 7, 2004: Nick Berg, American civilian beheaded. A video of the killing was published on the Internet; the CIA said it was likely that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi personally had wielded the knife
- June 22, 2004: Kim Sun-il, South Korean civilian, executed by beheading.
- July 8, 2004: Georgi Lazov and Ivaylo Kepov, Bulgarian civilians beheaded
- August 2, 2004: Murat Yuce, Turkish civilian shot dead, by Abu Ayyub al-Masri.
- September 13, 2004: Durmus Kumdereli, Turkish civilian beheaded
- September 20, 2004: Eugene Armstrong, American civilian beheaded. Presumably claimed by Zarqawi and his men. Some sources claimed it was done by Al-Zarqawi personally. It was shown in Fitna, a LiveLeak film in 2008.
- September 21, 2004: Jack Hensley, American civilian beheaded. Presumably by Zarqawi and his men.
- October 7, 2004: Kenneth Bigley, British civilian beheaded. Presumably by Zarqawi and his men.
- October 29, 2004: Shosei Koda, Japanese civilian beheaded. An Islamist website that was used by al-Zarqawi's group had posted video of Koda shortly after the abduction.
The Turkish translator Aytullah Gezmen was also abducted by Jama'at, but released after "repenting."
U.S. fighting Jama'at
In September 2004, the U.S. conducted many airstrikes targeting Al-Zarqawi, calling the hunt for Al-Zarqawi its "highest priority".
Legacy
The group pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network in a letter in October 2004 and changed its name to Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn.
That same month, the group, now popularly referred to as al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), kidnapped and killed Japanese citizen Shosei Koda. In November, al-Zarqawi's network was the main target of the US Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah, but its leadership managed to escape the American siege and subsequent storming of the city.
The Lebanese-Palestinian militant group Fatah al-Islam, which was defeated by Lebanese government forces during the 2007 Lebanon conflict, was linked to AQI and led by al-Zarqawi's former companion Mustafa Ramadan Darwish who had fought alongside him in Iraq.
The group may have been linked to the little-known group called "Tawhid and Jihad in Syria", and may have influenced the Palestinian resistance group in Gaza called Tawhid and Jihad Brigades.
See also
- Abu Ayyub al-Masri
- Terrorism in Iraq
- Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda link allegations
- Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
References
- ^ "The War between ISIS and al-Qaeda for Supremacy of the Global Jihadist Movement" (PDF). Washington Institute for Near East Policy. June 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015. (pages 1-2)
- ^ Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, translated by Jeffrey Pool (18 October 2004). "Zarqawi's pledge of allegiance to al-Qaeda: From Mu'Asker Al-Battar, Issue 21". Jamestown. Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- ^ Hassan Hassan (13 June 2016). "The Sectarianism of the Islamic State: Ideological Roots and Political Context". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
- ^ Atwan, Abdel Bari (20 March 2006). "Al Qaeda's hand in tipping Iraq toward civil war". The Christian Science Monitor.
- ^ "The War between ISIS and al-Qaeda for Supremacy of the Global Jihadist Movement" (PDF). Washington Institute for Near East Policy. June 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- ^ "Al-Zarqawi declares war on Iraqi Shia". Al Jazeera. September 14, 2005. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
- "Al-Qaeda in Iraq – "Knights Of Martyrdom 8"". Jih@d (in German). 2010-11-21. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
- ^ "Fast facts about Abu Musab al-Zarqawi". Fox News. June 8, 2006. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
- ^ "Guide: Armed groups in Iraq". BBC. August 15, 2006. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
- ^ Gambill, Gary (16 December 2004). "Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi: A Biographical Sketch". Terrorism Monitor. 2 (24): The Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ^ "Beheaded Japanese to be flown home." CNN. November 1, 2004. Retrieved on 25 October 2015.
- "List of terrorist and extremist organizations banned in Kyrgyzstan". 5 April 2017.
- http://www.moha.gov.my/images/maklumat_bahagian/KK/kdndomestic.pdf Archived 2021-09-01 at the Wayback Machine
- Единый федеральный список организаций, в том числе иностранных и международных организаций, признанных в соответствии с законодательством Российской Федерации террористическими (in Russian). 2 December 2023. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024.
- Hashim, Ahmed S. (December 2014). "From Al-Qaida Affiliate to the Rise of the Islamic Caliphate: The Evolution of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (PDF). S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Nanyang Technological University: 1–16. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ^ Peter Grier, Faye Bowers (May 14, 2004). "Iraq's bin Laden? Zarqawi's rise". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
- ^ Gordon Corera (16 December 2004). "Unraveling Zarqawi's al-Qaeda connection". Jamestown. Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
- Hashim, Ahmed S. (December 2014). "From Al-Qaida Affiliate to the Rise of the Islamic Caliphate: The Evolution of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (PDF). S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Nanyang Technological University: 1–16. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ^ 'The Insurgency'. Transcript from a TV program of FRONTLINE from 21 February 2006. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
- ^ "Al-Qaeda group claims Salim death". BBC News. 19 May 2004. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
- Whitlock, Craig (June 8, 2006). "Al-Zarqawi's Biography". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ "Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Postwar Findings About Iraq's WMD Programs and Links to Terrorism and How They Compare with Prewar Assessments. 109th Congress, 2nd Session" (PDF). Senate Report on Pre-war Intelligence on Iraq. 8 September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 15, 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.(See III.G, Conclusions 5 and 6, p.109.)
- Richard Boucher (15 October 2004). "Foreign Terrorist Organization: Designation of Jama'at al-Tawhid wa'al-Jihad and Aliases". United States Department of State. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
- ^ "Zarqawi pledges allegiance to Osama". Dawn. Agence France-Presse. 18 October 2004. Archived from the original on 29 December 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
- ^ "Al-Zarqawi group vows allegiance to bin Laden". NBC News. Associated Press. October 18, 2004. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
- Benson, Pam (April 7, 2004). "CIA: Zarqawi tape 'probably authentic'". CNN. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
- Emily Hunt (November 15, 2005). "Zarqawi's 'Total War' on Iraqi Shiites Exposes a Divide among Sunni Jihadists". Retrieved 28 February 2015.
- "Who Is Abu Zarqawi?". CBS News. May 18, 2004. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
- "Car bomb kills 35 in Baghdad". CNN. June 17, 2004. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
- "Leaders condemn Iraq church bombs". BBC News. 2004-08-02. Archived from the original on January 5, 2007. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
- Peter Cave (September 14, 2004). "Car bomb kills dozens in Baghdad". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on December 30, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
- "Iraq: 2004 overview". The Knowledge Base. Archived from the original on August 27, 2007. Retrieved July 13, 2007.
- Aloul, Sahar (19 December 2005). "Zarqawi handed second death penalty in Jordan". The Inquirer. Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 29 October 2007.
- "Al Qaeda leader in Iraq 'killed by insurgents'". ABC News. 1 May 2007.
- "Another wave of bombings hit Iraq". International Herald Tribune. 15 September 2005. Archived from the original on 28 October 2007.
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- "Turkish hostage shot to death in Iraq". China Daily. August 3, 2004. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
- ‘Video: American Hostage Eugene Armstrong Beheaded’. Weblog ‘Outside the Beltway’, 20 September 2004. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
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- Brian Ross (September 24, 2004). "Tracking Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi". ABC News. Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
- "Fatah Islam: Obscure group emerges as Lebanon's newest security threat". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. 20 May 2007. Archived from the original on 25 May 2007.
- "Al-Qaida inspired militant group calls on Syrians to kill country's president". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. 28 May 2007. Archived from the original on 1 June 2007. Retrieved 6 August 2007.
- "Palestine: Reporter is dead, claims terror group". The Straits Times. 17 April 2007. Archived from the original on 15 July 2010. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
External links
- Brutal kidnappers gaining in popularity The Guardian on September 21, 2004
- Profile: Tawhid and Jihad group BBC News on October 8, 2004
- Purported Zarqawi letter Coalition Provisional Authority
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