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{{Short description|Jordanian/Iraqi Salafi jihadist militant group (1999–2004)}}
{{merge|Al-Qaeda in Iraq|Talk:Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad#Merger proposal|date=July 2008}}
{{Infobox War Faction {{Infobox War Faction
|name=Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad<br>(Group of Monotheism and 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 ]
|image=]
| image = ]
|caption=Jama'at al-Tawhid wal Jihad members with the group's banner in the background, shortly before ] the civilian hostage ] (below) on ], ]<br />
| caption = A flag that was in use by Jama'at al-Tawhid wal Jihad in late 2004
|active=Early 2003 to late 2004
| 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/>
|leaders=]
| founder = ]{{KIA}}
|clans=
| leaders = ]{{KIA}}<br>]{{KIA}}<br>]{{KIA}}
|headquarters=]
| clans =
|area=], limited in ]
| headquarters = ]
|strength=
| area = ], limited in ]
|partof=
| size =
|previous=] (associate)
| partof =
|next=]
| allegiance =
|opponents=],<br>] (], ] and ] militias),<br>],<br>]
| 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>
|battles=]
* ]<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}}, '''Group of Monotheism and Jihad''') was an ] ] group led by the ]ian national ].


== Origins ==
Foreign fighters were widely thought to play a key role in the decentralized network,<ref name=ChristianScienceMonitor20040514>
{{Jihadism sidebar}}
{{cite news
] 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>
| date=] ]
| url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0514/p03s01-usfp.html
| author=], ]
| publisher=]
| title=Iraq's bin Laden? Zarqawi's rise
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref>
although some analysts say it may have also had a considerable Iraqi membership.<ref name=Bbc20060815>
{{cite news
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4268904.stm
| date= ] ]
| publisher=]
| title=Guide: Armed groups in Iraq
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref> Following Zarqawi's ], ] pledge of ] to ]'s ] network, the group gradually became popularly known as ''']''' (official name ''Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn'').<ref name=Dawn20041018>
{{cite news
| title=Zarqawi pledges allegiance to Osama
| url=http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/18/top7.htm
| date= ] ]
| publisher=]
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref><ref name=Msnbc20041018>
{{cite news
| url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6268680/
| publisher=]
| title=Al-Zarqawi group vows allegiance to bin Laden
| date= ] ]
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref><ref name=JamestownFoundation20041018>
{{cite web
| url=http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=400&issue_id=3179&article_id=2369020
| title=Zarqawi's pledge of allegiance to al-Qaeda
| author=], translated by ]
| date= ] ]
| publisher=]
| accessdate=July 13
| accessyear=2007
}}</ref><ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GordonCorera>
{{cite web
| title=Unraveling Zarqawi's al-Qaeda connection
| author=]
| url=http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=400&issue_id=3179&article_id=2369021
| publisher=]
| date=] ]
| accessdate=July 13
| accessyear=2007
}}</ref>


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 />
==Name==


== Ideology and motivation ==
This group's name is usually abbreviated as '''JTJ''' or most often shortened to '''Tawhid and Jihad''', '''Tawhid wal-Jihad''' and sometimes '''Tawhid al-Jihad'''
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/>
(or just '''Al Tawhid''' or '''Tawhid''').


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 />
==Origins==
Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad was started by ], other foreigners, and local, mostly ] ] sympathizers. Zarqawi was a Jordanian who had traveled to ] 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 Afghanistan. Zarqawi started the network originally with a focus on overthrowing the ] kingdom, which he considered to be un-Islamic in the ] sense. Eventually, Zarqawi developed a large number of contacts and affiliates in several countries. His network may have been involved in the late 1999 ] in the U.S. and Jordan.


== History ==
Following the ], it is believed that Zarqawi moved westward into Iraq, where he may have received medical treatment in ] for an injured leg. It is believed that he developed extensive ties in Iraq with '']'' ("Partisans of Islam"), a Kurdish Islamist militant group that was based in the extreme northeast of the country. Ansar had alleged ties to Iraqi Intelligence; ]'s motivation would have been to use Ansar as a surrogate force to repress the secular Kurds who wanted a "free ]".<ref name=TheCanadianInstituteofStrategicStudies>
=== In Jordan (1999–2001) ===
{{cite web
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/>
| url=http://www.ciss.ca/Comment_EnemyofMyEnemy.pdf
| publisher=The Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies
| title=The Enemy of My Enemy: The odd link between Ansar al-Islam, Iraq and Iran
| accessdate=July 13
| accessyear=2007
|format=PDF}}</ref>
(In January 2003 Ansar's founder, ], has staunchly denied any such contacts with Saddam's regime.<ref name=Bbc20030131>
{{cite news
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2713749.stm
| publisher=]
| title=Mullah denies Iraq al-Qaeda link
| date= ] ]
| author=]
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref>)
Zarqawi's operatives have been responsible for the assassination of the U.S. ] ] in Jordan in 2002.<ref name=StateDepartment20041015>
{{cite web
| url=http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/37130.htm
| author=]
| publisher=]
| date=], ]
| title=Foreign Terrorist Organization: Designation of Jama'at al-Tawhid wa'al-Jihad and Aliases
| accessdate=July 13
| accessyear=2007
}}</ref>


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>
Following the 2003 ], JTJ was developed as a militant network composed of foreign fighters and remnants of Ansar al-Islam to resist the coalition occupation forces and their Iraqi allies. In May 2004 JTJ joined forces with another Islamist organisation, the '']''.<ref name=Bbc20041008>
{{cite news
| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3677658.stm
| publisher=]
| date= ], ]
| title=Profile: Tawhid and Jihad group
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref> Many of foreign fighters were not the group members, but once in Iraq they became dependent on Zarqawi's local contacts.
<ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill>
{{cite web
| title=Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi: A biographical sketch
| author=]
| url=http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=400&&issue_id=3179
| publisher=]
| date=] ]
| accessdate=July 13
| accessyear=2007
}}</ref>


=== In Jordan and Iraq (2001–2002) ===
==Goals==
] in 2006]]
{{Original research|date=October 2007}}
Following the ], al-Zarqawi moved to Iraq, where he reportedly received medical treatment in ] for an injured leg.
The stated goals of JTJ were to force a withdrawal of U.S-led forces from Iraq, topple the Iraqi ] and assassinate collaborators with the "]," marginalize the ] ] population and defeat its militias, and to subsequently establish a pure ]. Presumably, if and when those goals are achieved, the global ] would continue to establish a pan-Islamic state and remove ] influence from the Muslim world.


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>
==Tactics==


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>
JTJ differed from other Iraqi insurgent 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 ] and those facilitating the occupation. U.S and coalition forces, the ] (UN), foreign civilians, ] organizations, Iraqi ] and ] political and religious figures, Iraqi police and security forces, and Iraqi interim officials have also been targeted. The group have assassinated several leading Iraqi politicians of the early post-Saddam era.<ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill/>


=== Involvement in the Iraq War (2003–2004) ===
Zarqawi's militants have been known to use a wide variety of other tactics, however, including targeted ] and ]s, the planting of ]s, ] attacks, and beginning in a late June 2004 offensive ]-style attacks using ]s and ]. TWJ was also known for committing war crimes such as the brutal ]s of foreign and Iraqi civilian ]s, which were then distributed on the ] in video footage attributed to the group.<ref name=Bbc20060815/>
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>
JTJ cites various texts from the ] and the ] (traditions) of ] 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). They also quote 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."'' The group's spiritual advisor was ].


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.
==Activities==
===Attacks===
] after TWJ attack]]


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/>
TWJ took responsibility or was blamed for some of the biggest early insurgent attacks, including:


=== Pledge of allegiance to al-Qaeda ===
* ] ]: ] which killed 17 and injured at least 40.<ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill/>
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&nbsp;p.m. local time.
* ] ]: ] that killed ] and 22 others at the UN headquarters in Baghdad. More than 100 were injured.<ref name=Bbc20060815/><ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill/>
* ] ]: ] in ] that killed ] ] and more than 85 others. More than 500 were injured.<ref name=Bbc20060815/><ref name=Newsday20050207>
{{cite news
| title=Zarqawi kin reportedly bombed shrine in Iraq
| author=]
| date=], ]
| url=http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-wozarq0208,0,4101449.story?coll=ny-worldnews-toputility
| publisher=]
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref>
* ], ]: ] in ] which killed 17 ] paramilitary policemen and 10 civilians and injured at least 100.<ref name=JamestownFoundation20041216GaryGambill/>
* ] ]: ] in Baghdad and ] that killed some 178 people and wounded at least 500 during the ].<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=], ]
| accessdate=July 13
| accessyear=2007
}}</ref>
* ] ]: Failed plot to explode ] in ], Jordan, said to be financed by Zarqawi's network.<ref name=Cbs20040518>
{{cite news
| url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/18/opinion/main618114.shtml
| title=Who Is Abu Zarqawi?
| date=] ]
| publisher=]
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref>
* ] ]: In a statement published by on the ] Islamist web site, Zarqawi took responsibility for ] of the oil pumping stations in the ].
* ] ]: ] assassination of ] president ] in Baghdad.<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= ], ]
| publisher=]
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref>
* ] ]: ] in Baghdad that killed 35 civilians, and wounded 145.<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=] ]
| publisher=]
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref>
*] ]: Car bomb ] civilians and police recruits on ] in Baghdad.<ref name=FoxNews20060608/><ref name=AustralianBroadcastingCorporation20040914>
{{cite news
| publisher=]
| title=Car bomb kills dozens in Baghdad
| author=]
| date=] ]
| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200409/s1199052.htm
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref>


== Activities ==
TWJ claimed credit for a number of attacks targeting Coalition and Iraqi forces, including the October 2004 massacre of 49 unarmed ] recruits, and ] agency targets such as the ].<ref name=TheKnowledgeBaseIraq2004>
{{see also|Iraq#2003–2007}}
{{cite web
| url=http://www.tkb.org/MorePatterns.jsp?countryCd=IZ&year=2004
| title=Iraq: 2004 overview
| publisher=]
| accessdate=July 13
| accessyear=2007
}}</ref>
The group conducted numerous attacks against ] personnel and Iraqi ] throughout 2004, including suicide attacks inside the ] perimeter in Baghdad.<ref name=StateDepartment20060428>
{{cite web
| url=http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2005/65275.htm
| publisher=]
| date=], ]
| title=Country Reports on Terrorism
| accessdate=July 13
| accessyear=2007
}}</ref>


===Foreign hostages=== === Attacks ===
], on 22 August 2003]]
<!-- Unsourced image removed: ] giving Korea 24 hours to withdraw Korean troops out of Iraq.]] -->
]ings were a common form of attack in Iraq during the Coalition occupation]]
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:


* 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/>
*], American civilian beheaded on ] ]
* 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>
*], ] civilian shot dead on ] ]
* 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/>
*], ]n civilian executed on ] ]
* 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>
*] and ], ]n civilians beheaded on ] ].<ref name=ChilaDaily20040803>
{{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>
{{cite news
* April 19, 2004: Failed plot to explode ] in ], Jordan, said to be financed by Zarqawi's network.<ref name=Cbs20040518>
| url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-08/03/content_357131.htm
{{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>
| title=Turkish hostage shot to death in Iraq
* 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 ].
| date=] ]
* 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>
| publisher=]
{{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>
| accessdate=2007-07-13
* 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>
}}</ref>
{{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>
*], Turkish civilian beheaded on ] ].<ref name=FoxNews20060608/>
* 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>
*], American civilian beheaded on ] ]
* September 14, 2004: Car bomb ] police recruits on ] in Baghdad.<ref name=FoxNews20060608/><ref name=AustralianBroadcastingCorporation20040914>
*], American civilian beheaded on ] ]
{{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>
*], ] civilian beheaded on ] ]<ref name=FoxNews20060608/>
* 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 ===
==Legacy==
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>


=== Beheading/killing non-Iraqi hostages ===
Since October 2004 JTJ became known as ].
* 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 &#124; Middle East &#124; 'Zarqawi' beheaded US man in Iraq|work=BBC News|date=May 13, 2004|access-date=9 February 2015}}</ref>
* 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 ==
The group may also been linked with the little-known group called "Tawhid and Jihad in ]", and may have influenced the extremist ] group called "Tawhid and Jihad Brigades" (better known as ]) in ].<ref name=InternationHeraldTribune20070528>
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>
{{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
| publisher=]
| date=] ]
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref><ref name=AsiaMedia20070417>
{{cite news
| url=http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-world.asp?parentid=67903
| title=PALESTINE: Reporter is dead, claims terror group
| publisher=]
| date= ], ]
| accessdate=2007-07-13
}}</ref>


==See also== == Legacy ==
] in ] in November 2004 pursuing ]'s network]]
*]
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.
==References==
{{reflist|2}}


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>
==External links==

* ] on ] ]
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>
* ] on ] ]

* ]
== 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}} {{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 11:33, 24 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
FounderAbu Musab al-Zarqawi 
LeadersAbu Musab al-Zarqawi 
Abu Anas al-Shami 
Omar Husayn Hadid al-Muhammadi 
Dates of operation1999–17 October 2004
HeadquartersFallujah
Active regionsIraq, 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 warsIraqi 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
(2013‑2014)

Islamic State (2014‑present)
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)

A pair of armed anti-American insurgents in Iraq in 2006

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 § 2003–2007

Attacks

The UN headquarters building in Baghdad after the Canal Hotel bombing, on 22 August 2003
Car bombings were a common form of attack in Iraq during the Coalition occupation

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:

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

U.S. soldiers in Fallujah in November 2004 pursuing Al-Zarqawi's network

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

References

  1. ^ "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)
  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.
  3. ^ Hassan Hassan (13 June 2016). "The Sectarianism of the Islamic State: Ideological Roots and Political Context". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
  4. ^ Atwan, Abdel Bari (20 March 2006). "Al Qaeda's hand in tipping Iraq toward civil war". The Christian Science Monitor.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "Al-Zarqawi declares war on Iraqi Shia". Al Jazeera. September 14, 2005. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  7. "Al-Qaeda in Iraq – "Knights Of Martyrdom 8"". Jih@d (in German). 2010-11-21. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  8. ^ "Fast facts about Abu Musab al-Zarqawi". Fox News. June 8, 2006. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
  9. ^ "Guide: Armed groups in Iraq". BBC. August 15, 2006. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "Beheaded Japanese to be flown home." CNN. November 1, 2004. Retrieved on 25 October 2015.
  12. "List of terrorist and extremist organizations banned in Kyrgyzstan". 5 April 2017.
  13. http://www.moha.gov.my/images/maklumat_bahagian/KK/kdndomestic.pdf Archived 2021-09-01 at the Wayback Machine
  14. 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.
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