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The Iraqi insurgency denotes groups using armed resistance against the US-led Coalition occupation of Iraq. These groups may also resist the newly created Iraqi government. The fighting appears both as a resistance to occupation as well as a civil war in Iraq among the diverse groups in the population. The insurgents use asymmetric warfare, with assistance from non-governmental organizations. The period of the insurgency has seen numerous human rights violations by both insurgent groups and Coalition forces.^[1] Combatants  Iran Kurdish Peshmerga Iraq Peoples Mujahedin of Iran Commanders Ruhollah Khomeini Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Ali Shamkhani Mostafa Chamran â€  Saddam Hussein Ali Hassan al-Majid Strength 305,000 soldiers 500,000 Pasdaran and Basij militia 900 tanks 1,000 armored vehicles 3,000 artillery pieces 470 aircraft 750 helicopters... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Multinational Force Iraq. ... The current government of Iraq took office on May 20, 2006 following approval by the members of the Iraqi National Assembly. ... Combatants Islamic State of Iraq (includes Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Jeish al-Taiifa al-Mansoura) Ansar al-Sunna other Sunni and nationalist insurgent groups Elements among the Iraqi Shiite militias (Mahdi Army, Badr Corps) and Iraqi Security Forces (Mahdi Army and Badr Corps have also been fighting each other... Asymmetric warfare originally referred to war between two or more actors or groups whose relative power differs significantly. ... A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization which is not a part of a government. ...

The insurgency began shortly after the 2003 Coalition invasion of Iraq and before the establishment of a new Iraqi government. In the early stages of the Occupation, the insugency primarily targeted Coalition forces and the interim government formed under the occupation. As the security situation within Iraq evolved, insurgent forces gradually shifted their focus to targeting rival sectarian and political factions. Many militant attacks have been directed at the police and military forces of the new Iraqi government. They have continued during the transitional reconstruction of Iraq, as the new Iraqi government tries to establish itself. As in most guerrilla warfare, civilians on all sides bear the brunt of the violence. According to a February-March 2007 poll, 51% of the Iraqi population approve of the attacks on Coalition forces.^[2] When broken down along sectarian lines, over 90% of the Arab Sunni, many of whom were among those who held power under President Saddam Hussein, approve of the attacks. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Multinational Force Iraq. ... The Iraqi Interim matt chokes on cock Government was created by the United States and its coalition allies as a caretaker government to govern Iraq until the Iraqi Transitional Government was installed following the Iraqi National Assembly election conducted on January 30th, 2005. ... Occupation zones in Iraq as of September 2003 The post-invasion period in Iraq followed the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a multinational coalition led by the United States, which overthrew the Baath Party government of Saddam Hussein. ... Sectarianism is an adherence to a particular sect or party or denomination, it also usually involves a rejection of those not a member of ones sect. ... The Iraqi Regular Army is a component of the Iraqi Security Forces tasked with assuming responsibility for all Iraqi land-based military operations following the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. ... The current government of Iraq took office on May 20, 2006 following approval by the members of the Iraqi National Assembly. ... A Rendering of the Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference Center. ... “Guerrilla” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ...

Iraq's deep sectarian divides have been a major dynamic in the insurgency, with support for the insurgents varying amongst different segments of the population.

Composition

The Iraqi insurgency is composed of at least a dozen major organizations and perhaps as many as 40 distinct groups. These groups are subdivided into countless smaller cells. According to the head of British Armed Forces, General Sir Richard Dannatt, speaking in September 2007, A covert cell structure is a method for organizing undercover or unconventional fighters against a large and well-established organization. ... General Sir Francis Richard Dannatt, KCB, CBE, MC (born 23 December 1950) is the Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army. ...

The militants (and I use the word deliberately because not all are insurgents, or terrorists, or criminals; they are a mixture of them all) are well armed – probably with outside help, and probably from Iran. By motivation, essentially, and with the exception of the Al Qaeda in Iraq element who have endeavoured to exploit the situation for their own ends, our opponents are Iraqi Nationalists, and are most concerned with their own needs – jobs, money, security – and the majority are not bad people.^[3]

Because of its clandestine nature, the exact composition of the Iraqi insurgency is difficult to determine, but the main groupings are:

• Shi'a militias, including the southern, Iran-linked Badr Organization, the Mahdi Army, and the central-Iraq followers of Muqtada al-Sadr
• Ba'athists, the armed supporters of Saddam Hussein's former regime, e.g. army or intelligence officers;
• Nationalists, mostly Sunni Muslims, who fight for Iraqi self-determination;
• anti-Shi'a Sunni Muslims who fight to regain the prestige they held under the previous regime (the three preceding categories are often indistinguishable in practice);
• Iraqi Sunni Islamists, the indigenous armed followers of the Salafi movement, as well as any remnants of the Kurdish Ansar al-Islam;
• Foreign Islamist volunteers, including those often linked to al Qaeda and largely driven by the Sunni Wahhabi doctrine (the two preceding categories are often lumped as "Jihadists");
• Various socialist revolutionaries (such as the Iraqi Armed Revolutionary Resistance);
• Criminal insurgents who are fighting simply for money; and
• Nonviolent resistance groups and political parties (not part of the armed insurgency).

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Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... Badr Organization (Arabic: منظمة بدر ) (previously known as Badr Brigade or Bader Corps -- not to be confused with the Badr Brigade in the Jordanian Army) was the armed wing of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC). ... Members parade in Sadr City The Mahdi Army, also known as the Mahdi Militia, Mehdi Army or Jaish al Mahdi (Arabic جيش المهدي) , is a militia force created by the Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June of 2003. ... Muqtada al-Sadr ( Muqtadā aá¹£-á¹¢adr) is the fourth son of a famous Iraqi Shi‘a cleric, the late Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr. ... Bath Party flag The Arab Socialist Bath Party (also spelled Baath or Baath; Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي) was founded in 1945 as a radical, left-wing, secular Arab nationalist political party. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ... Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolising French nationalism during the July Revolution 1830. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Self-determination is a principle in international law that a people ought to be able to determine their own governmental forms and structure free from outside influence. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... For the religion of Islam, see Islam. ... This article is on the beliefs of the followers of the Salaf. ... Ansar al-Islam (Arabic: انصار الاسلام, Supporters or Partisans of Islam) is a Kurdish Sunni Islamist group, promoting a radical interpretation of Islam and holy war. ... Map of major attacks attributed to al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (also al-Qaida or al-Qaida or al-Qaidah) (Arabic: ‎ , translation: The Base) is an international alliance of terrorist organizations founded in 1988[4] by Osama bin Laden and other veteran Afghan Arabs after the Soviet War in... Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation). ... Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. ... The Iraqi Armed Revolutionary Resistance is a Marxist insurgent group operating in Iraq. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...

Shia militia

The southern, Iran-linked Badr Organization is seeking to establish an Islamic Republic of Iraq.^{[citation needed]} Badr Organization (Arabic: منظمة بدر ) (previously known as Badr Brigade or Bader Corps -- not to be confused with the Badr Brigade in the Jordanian Army) was the armed wing of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC). ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ...

The Shia militias have presented Nouri al-Maliki with perhaps the greatest conundrum of his administration given the capture of Amarah. American officials have pressed him hard to disarm the militias and rid the state security forces of their influence. Yet Mr. Maliki has hesitated to move against them, particularly the Mahdi Army and Badr Organization, for fear of alienating fundamentalist Shia leaders inside his fractious coalition.^[4] Nouri Kamel Mohammed Hassan al-Maliki (Arabic: نوري كامل المالكي, transliterated NÅ«rÄ« Kāmil al-MālikÄ«; born c. ... Members parade in Sadr City The Mahdi Army, also known as the Mahdi Militia, Mehdi Army or Jaish al Mahdi (Arabic جيش المهدي) , is a militia force created by the Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June of 2003. ... Amarah (sometimes written al-Amarah), is a city in southeastern Iraq, located next to the Tigris River waterway south of Baghdad, at 32°10N 46°03E. Predominately Shiite, it had a population of about 340,000 as of 2002. ...

Muqtada al-Sadr

Supporters of the young Shi'a Islamist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr are largely impoverished men from the Shi'a urban areas and slums in Baghdad and the southern Shi'a cities.^[5] The Mahdi Army area of operation stretches from Basra in the south to the Sadr City section of Baghdad in central Iraq (some scattered Shi'a militia activity has also been reported in Baquba and Kirkuk, where Shi'a minorities exist).^{[citation needed]} A cleric is a member of the clergy of a religion, especially one that has trained or ordained priests, preachers, or other religious professionals. ... Muqtada al-Sadr ( Muqtadā aá¹£-á¹¢adr) is the fourth son of a famous Iraqi Shi‘a cleric, the late Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr. ... Members parade in Sadr City The Mahdi Army, also known as the Mahdi Militia, Mehdi Army or Jaish al Mahdi (Arabic جيش المهدي) , is a militia force created by the Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June of 2003. ... This article is about the city of Basra. ... // Overhead view of Sadr City Sadr City (Arabic: مدينة الصدر) is a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Baquba (بعقوبه; also transliterated as Baqubah and Baqouba) is the capital of Iraqs Diyala province. ... Kirkuk (also spelled Karkuk or Kerkuk; Arabic: كركوك, KirkÅ«k; Kurdish: كه‌ركووك, Kerkûk; Syriac: ܐܪܦܗܐ, Arrapha; Persian: کرکوک; Turkish: Kerkük) is a city in northern Iraq and capital of Taamim Governorate. ...

Sadr was suspected by U.S. and Iraqi authorities of ordering the assassination of a returning moderate Shia cleric, Imam Abdul Majid al-Khoei, in Najaf on April 12 2003.^[6] On April 5 2004, a warrant was issued for Sadr's arrest in connection with this killing; this, in addition to the closing of his newspaper al-Hawza on March 29, the arrest of one of his aides and other actions to suppress his movement, led to an armed attack by the Mahdi Army in April 2004. This initial attack in southern Iraq was suppressed by June. A second attack by his militia, centered in a mosque in Najaf, began in August; this was resolved in an agreement brokered by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Since that point, Sadr's opposition to the multinational occupation has been mainly in the realm of politics. Since the handover of sovereignty, the Mahdi Army has been maintained as an organized force. Sadr supporters also continue to engage in peaceful resistance such as the large protests in Baghdad on April 9 2005. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Sayyid Abdul Majid al-Khoei (Arabic:السيد عبد المجيد الخوئي) ( 16 August 1962 – 10 April 2003) was a Shia cleric and the son of Ayatollah Al-Udhma Sayyid Abul Qasim al-Khoei who was born in the holy city of Najaf. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 88th day of the year (89th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Najaf (Arabic: ‎; BGN: An Najaf) is a city in Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. ... Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husaini al-Sistani Arabic: السيد علي الحسيني السيستاني, Persian: سید علی حسینی سیستانی;. Born approximately August 4, 1930) is an Iranian Grand Ayatollah, a Shia marja . ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr are driven by a variety of beliefs and grievances which combine both the nationalist and ultra-conservative religious tendencies of the movement. They believe that the U.S. and UK are foreign occupiers and oppressors, that they have failed to live up to their promises, and that Islamic law must eventually be established in Iraq. Al-Sadr's movement also opposes any breakup of Iraq along ethnic, religious, or other lines. Sharia (Arabic شريعة also Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is traditional Islamic law. ...

During his group's active militant phase, Al-Sadr enjoyed wide support from the Iraqi people. A poll by the Iraq Center for Research and Studies found that 32% of Iraqis "strongly supported" him and another 36% "somewhat supported" him, making him the second most popular man in Iraq, behind only Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.^{[citation needed]} The Mahdi Army is believed by some sources to number between 3,000 and 10,000 guerrillas.^{[citation needed]} Pentagon and other source believe Mahdi Army numbers are as great as 40,000 to 60,000.^{[citation needed]}

After the December 2005 elections in Iraq, al-Sadr's party captured 32 seats giving him substantial political power in the divided Iraqi Parliament. In January 2006, he used these seats to swing the vote for prime minister to Ibrahim al-Jaafari, giving al-Sadr a legitimate stake in the new Iraqi government and allying al-Jaafari with the controversial cleric. Ibrahim al-Jaafari Dr. Ibrahim abd al-Karim Hamza al-Ashaiqir al-Jaafari (Arabic: ) (born 1947) is the former Prime Minister of Iraq in the Iraqi Transitional Government following the elections of January 2005. ...

On November 27, 2006, a senior American intelligence official told reporters that the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah had been training members of the Mahdi Army. The official said that 1,000 to 2,000 fighters from the Mahdi Army and other Shia militias had been trained by Hezbollah in Lebanon, and a small number of Hezbollah operatives have also visited Iraq to help with training. Iran has facilitated the link between Hezbollah and the Shia militias in Iraq, the official said. "There seems to have been a strategic decision taken sometime over late winter or early spring by Damascus, Tehran, along with their partners in ait Lebanese Hezbollah, to provide more support to Sadr to increase pressure on the U.S.," the American intelligence official said.^[7] For other uses, see Hezbollah (disambiguation). ... Members parade in Sadr City The Mahdi Army, also known as the Mahdi Militia, Mehdi Army or Jaish al Mahdi (Arabic جيش المهدي) , is a militia force created by the Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June of 2003. ... For other uses, see Damascus (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Tehran (disambiguation). ...

Ba'athists

Ba'ath Party flag

The Ba'athists include former Ba’ath Party officials, the Fedayeen Saddam, and some former agents of the Iraqi intelligence elements and security services, such as the Mukhabarat and the Special Security Organization. Their goal, at least before the capture of Saddam Hussein, was the restoration of the former Ba'athist regime to power. The pre-war organization of the Ba'ath Party and its militias as a cellular structure aided the continued pro-Saddam resistance after the fall of Baghdad, and Iraqi intelligence operatives may have developed a plan for guerrilla war following the toppling of Saddam Hussein from power. Following Saddam's capture, the rhetoric of the Ba'athist resistance gradually shifted to become either nationalist or Islamist, with the goal of restoring the Ba'ath Party to power as it once was seemingly out of reach. Many former Ba'athists have adopted an Islamist façade in order to attract more credibility within the country, and perhaps support from outside Iraq. Others, especially following the January 2005 elections, became more interested in politics. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Bath Party flag The Arab Socialist Bath Party (also spelled Baath or Baath; Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي) was founded in 1945 as a radical, left-wing, secular Arab nationalist political party. ... Bath Party flag The Arab Socialist Bath Party (also spelled Baath or Baath; Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي) was founded in 1945 as a left-wing, secular Arab nationalist political party. ... Fedayeen Saddam (فدائيي صدام) was a paramilitary organization loyal to the former Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein. ... Mukhabarat (مخابرات) is the Arabic term for intelligence, as in intelligence agency. ... “Guerrilla” redirects here. ...

The fall of Baghdad effectively ended the existence of the Fedayeen Saddam as an organized paramilitary. Several of its members died during the war. A large number survived, however, and were willing to carry on the fight even after the fall of Saddam Hussein from power. Many former members joined guerrilla organizations that began to form to resist the U.S-led occupation. By June, an insurgency was clearly underway in the central and northern Iraq, especially in an area known as the Sunni Triangle. Some units of the Fedayeen also continued to operate independently of other resistance and insurgent organizations in the Sunni areas of Iraq. On November 30, 2003, a U.S. convoy traveling through the town of Samarra in the Sunni Triangle was ambushed by over 100 Iraqi guerillas, reportedly wearing trademark Fedayeen Saddam uniforms. Fedayeen Saddam (فدائيي صدام) was a paramilitary organization loyal to the former Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein. ... Map of the Sunni Triangle The Sunni Triangle refers to a roughly triangular area of Iraq to the northwest of Baghdad. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map showing Samarra near Baghdad Sāmarrā (سامراء) is a town in Iraq ( ). It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad Din Governorate, 125 km north of Baghdad and, in 2002, had an estimated population of 201,700. ... Map of the Sunni Triangle The Sunni Triangle refers to a roughly triangular area of Iraq to the northwest of Baghdad. ...

Following the execution of Saddam Hussein, Deputy Leader of the Iraqi Baath Party and former Vice President of Iraq Izzat Ibrahim ad-Douri became a leading candidate to succeed him as Leader of the Iraqi Baath Party. Ad-Douri had taken over the running of the Iraqi Baath Party following Saddam Hussein's capture in 2003 and had been endorsed by a previously unknown group calling itself Baghdad Citizens Gathering.^[8][9] On 3 January 2007 the website of the banned Iraqi Baath Party confirmed that he was new leader of the party.^[10][11] Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ... Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri (born July 1, 1942) was an Iraqi military commander and was vice-president and deputy chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council until the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. ... On 31 December 2006, a Baathist group previously unknown who following the execution of Saddam Hussein, the former ruler of Iraq and leader of Iraqs Baath Party, very publicly issued a statement in Amman in Jordan at the Jordanian branch of the Iraqi Baath Party (apparently sent from the...

Increasing Syrian influence in the Iraqi Baath Party may well have a major effect on result in a fragmentation of Baathist parts of the resistance.^[12]

Nationalists

Nationalists from the Sunni Arab regions are drawn from former members of the Iraqi military as well as other Sunnis. Their reasons for opposing the Coalition vary from a rejection of the foreign presence as a matter of principle to the failure of the multinational forces to fully restore public services and to quickly restore complete sovereignty. Some Iraqis who have had relatives killed by Coalition soldiers may also be involved in the resistance. Most likely, the majority of the low-level members of the indigenous Sunni resistance (such as foot soldiers) fall under this broad category.^{[citation needed]} A smaller number of Shi'a nationalist fighters also exist, who are usually recruited from left-wing backgrounds.^{[citation needed]} Sunni nationalists are mainly left-wing or, more commonly, ex-regime adherents.^{[citation needed]} Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly (through the public sector) or by financing private provision of services. ... “Sovereign” redirects here. ...

Some of these groups pursue the restoration of the power previously held by the Sunni minority in Iraq, who controlled all previous Iraqi regimes since the departure of the British in the 1950s. One former minister in the interim government, Ayham al-Samarai, "launched a new political movement, saying he aimed to give a voice to figures from the legitimate Iraqi resistance.'The birth of this political bloc is to silence the skeptics who say there is no legitimate Iraqi resistance and that they cannot reveal their political face,' he told a news conference."^[13] There are some groups of Sunni Islamists who have taken a more explicitly anti-Shi'a role and frequently engage in revenge killings; these are mainly vigilante groups of local significance (as are most of their Shi'a counterparts).

One notable leader of the resistance among nationalist Sunni is former aide to Saddam Hussein and a former Regional Baath Party Organiser Mohammed Younis al-Ahmed al-Muwali who has been crossing the border between Iraq and Syria disbursing funds, smuggling weaponry and organising much of the fighting in the central area of Iraq.^[14][15] Mohammed Younis al-Ahmed al-Muwali aka Khadr al-Sabahi is a former senior member of the Baath Party in Iraq with a Million Dollar Bounty on his head as one of Iraqs most wanted men accussed of funding and leading terrorist operations. ...

Sunni Islamists

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The Sunni Islamists are composed of Iraqis belonging to the Ikhwan movement or the Salafi branch of Sunni Islam, who advocate a return to the pure Islam of the time of the Prophet Mohammed and oppose any foreign non-Muslim influence. Salafis in Iraq do not usually condone intolerance towards the Shi'a.^{[citation needed]} Hard-line clerics and remaining underground cells of the Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq have helped provide support for the indigenous militant Islamist movement.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... For the religion of Islam, see Islam. ... The Muslim Brothers (Arabic: الإخوان المسلمون al-ikhwān al-muslimÅ«n, full title The Society of the Muslim Brothers, often simply الإخوان al-ikhwān, the Brotherhood or MB) is a world-wide Sunni Islamist movement and the worlds largest, most influential Islamist group[1]. The MB is the largest political... This article is on the beliefs of the followers of the Salaf. ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... The Muslim Brothers (Arabic: الإخوان المسلمون al-ikhwān al-muslimÅ«n, full title The Society of the Muslim Brothers, often simply الإخوان al-ikhwān, the Brotherhood or MB) is a world-wide Sunni Islamist movement and the worlds largest, most influential Islamist group[1]. The MB is the largest political... The word militant has come to refer to any individual or party engaged in aggressive physical or verbal combat, normally for a cause. ... Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ...

Emerging as the most public face supportive of the resistance, is the founder of the ultra-conservative Association of Muslim Scholars, Sheikh Hareth al-Dhari.^{[citation needed]} The Association of Muslim Scholars (Arabic: هيئة علماء المسلمين Hayat Al-Ulama Al-Muslimin) also sometimes called Association of Muslim Clerics or Muslim Scholars Association), are a group of Sunni Muslim religious leaders in Iraq. ...

Marxists

On May 15, 2007 a Communist resistance group called the Iraqi Armed Revolutionary Resistance distributed leaflets in the Mid-Euphrates area around Najaf, Hilla and Karbala calling for “resistance against American, British and Zionist occupiers in order to liberate Iraq and form a free socialist, democratic alternative,” according to the Al-Badeel Al-Iraqi website. The group, which described itself as a “movement of Iraqi Communists and Marxists experienced in armed struggle, leftist Iraqi nationalists, and their supporters,” claimed responsibility for an attack against U.S. troops at the Khan Al-Nus area between Najaf and Karbla on Sunday. The leaflets, which carried a photo of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, announced the launch of the resistance in the Mid-Euphrates and condemned the “puppet government, the so-called Council of Representatives, terrorist Salafis, militias, the Interior Ministry, Iraqi traitors who came on American tanks, the American and British mercenaries, contractors, and their servants from the South Lebanese Army.” Printed in both Arabic and English, the statement said car bombs and roadside bombs killing Iraqis are planted by the above groups to damage the reputation of Iraqi resistance groups.^[16] This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... The Iraqi Armed Revolutionary Resistance is a Marxist insurgent group operating in Iraq. ... Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (June 14,[1] 1928 – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara, El Che or just Che was an Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary, medical doctor , political figure, and leader of Cuban and internationalist guerrillas. ...

Foreign participants

When Saddam Hussein was captured in December 2003, several documents were found in his possession. One particular document, which was apparently written after he lost power, appeared to be a directive to his Ba'athist loyalists warning them to be wary of Islamist mujahideen and other foreign Arabs entering the country to join the insurgency. The directive supposedly shows Saddam having concerns that foreign fighters would not share the same objectives as Ba'ath loyalists (i.e. the eventual return of Saddam to power and the restoration of his regime). A US official commenting on the document stressed that while Saddam urged his followers to be cautious in their dealings with other Arab fighters, he did not order them to avoid contact or rule out co-operation. Bruce Hoffman, a Washington counter-terrorism expert stated that the existence of the document underscores the fact that "this is an insurgency cut of many different cloths...[and] everybody's jockeying for their position of power in the future Iraq." Many experts believe that fighters from other countries who have flocked to Iraq to join the insurgents are motivated by animosity toward the United States and the desire to install an Islamic state in place of the Ba'ath Party's secular regime.^[17] Combatants United States Saddam Hussein Operation Red Dawn was a military operation conducted by the United States Armed Forces on December 13, 2003 in the small town of ad-Dawr in Iraq, near Tikrit. ... Islamism is a political ideology derived from the conservative religious views of Muslim fundamentalism. ... For the Iranian opposition group, see Peoples Mujahedin of Iran. ... Bath Party flag The Arab Socialist Bath Party (also spelled Baath or Baath; Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي) was founded in 1945 as a left-wing, secular Arab nationalist political party. ... This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ...

Foreign fighters are mostly of Arab fighters from neighboring countries, who have entered Iraq, primarily through the porous desert borders of Syria and Saudi Arabia, to assist the Iraqi insurgency. Many of these fighters are Wahhabi fundamentalists who see Iraq as the new "field of jihad" in the battle against U.S. forces. It is generally believed that most are freelance fighters, but a few members of Al-Qaeda and the related group Ansar al-Islam are suspected of infiltrating into the Sunni areas of Iraq through the mountainous northeastern border with Iran. The U.S. and its allies point to Jordanian-born Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as the key player in this group. Zarqawi was considered the head of an insurgent group called Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad ("Monotheism and Holy War") until his death on June 7, 2006, which according to U.S. estimates numbers in the low hundreds. Wahhabism (Arabic: Al-WahhābÄ«yya الوهابية, Wahabism) is a branch of Sunni Islam practised by those who follow the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab, after whom the movement is named. ... For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation). ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... Ansar al-Islam (Arabic: انصار الاسلام, Supporters or Partisans of Islam) is a Kurdish Sunni Islamist group, promoting a radical interpretation of Islam and holy war. ... Wikinews has news related to: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi killed in airstrike Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (Arabic: ‎, ) (October 20, 1966 – June 7, 2006) led Al-Qaeda in Iraq until his death in June 2006. ... Jamaat al-Tawhid wal Jihad members with Shosei Koda and with the banner in the background Jamaat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Arabic: جماعة ال�توحيد والجهاد, Monotheism and Holy Struggle Movement) is the...

Usage of the term "foreign fighters" has received criticism as being Western-centric because, taken literally, the term would encompass all non-Iraqi forces, including Coalition forces.^[18] Zarqawi himself has taken to taunting the American occupiers about the irony of the term: "Who is the foreigner, O cross worshippers? You are the ones who came to the land of the Muslims from your distant corrupt land." (Communiqué of 10 May 2005^[19]). Zarqawi's group has since announced the formation of the Ansar platoon, a squad of Iraqi suicide bombers, which an AP writer called "an apparent bid to deflect criticism that most suicide bombers in Iraq are foreigners."^[20] is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

While it is not known how many of those resisting the U.S. occupation in Iraq are from outside the country, it is generally agreed that foreign fighters make up a very small percentage of the insurgency. Major General Joseph Taluto, head of the 42nd Infantry Division, said that "99.9 per cent" of captured Insurgents are Iraqi.^[21] The estimate has been confirmed by the Pentagon's own figures; in one analysis of over 1000 insurgents captured in Fallujah, only 15 were non-Iraqi.^[22] According to the Daily Telegraph, information from military commanders engaging in battles around Ramadi exposed the fact that out of 1300 suspected insurgents arrested in five months of 2005, none were non-Iraqi, although Colonel John Gronski stated that foreigners provided money and logistical support: "The foreign fighters are staying north of the [Euphrates] river, training and advising, like the Soviets were doing in Vietnam"^[23] In September 2006, the Christian Science Monitor reported, "It's true that foreign fighters are in Iraq, such as the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. But they are a small minority of the insurgents, say administration critics. Most Iraqi mujahideen are Sunnis who fear their interests will be ignored under Iraq's Shia-dominated government. They are fighting for concrete, local political goals - not the destruction of America." The paper quoted University of Michigan history professor Juan Cole: "If the Iraqi Sunni nationalists could take over their own territory, they would not put up with the few hundred foreign volunteers blowing things up, and would send them away or slit their throats."^[24] Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... The 42d Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I and World War II, and is the division of the New York National Guard. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Soviet redirects here. ... The Christian Science Monitor (CSM) is an international newspaper published daily, Monday through Friday. ... John Juan Ricardo I. Cole (born October 1952 in Albuquerque, New Mexico) is a professor of modern Middle Eastern and South Asian history at the University of Michigan. ...

Despite the low numbers of foreign fighters their presence has been confirmed in several ways and Coalition forces believe the majority of suicide bombings are believed to be carried out by non-Iraqi foreigners. Kenneth Katzman, a Middle East expert with the Congressional Research Service[3], stated in June 2005: "I still think 80 percent of the Insurgents, the day to day activity, is Iraqi - the roadside bombings, mortars, direct weapons fire, rifle fire, automatic weapons fire...[but] the foreign fighters attract the headlines with the suicide bombings, no question."^[25] The Congressional Research Service is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. ...

In September 2005, Iraqi and US forces conducted a counter-insurgency operation in the predominantly Turkmen town of Tal Afar. According to an AP, report, an Iraqi Army Captain claimed that Iraqi forces arrested 150 non-Iraqi Arabs (Syria, Sudan, Yemen and Jordan) in the operation;^[26] the American army claimed 20% of arrests were foreign combatants,^[27] while Donald Rumsfeld on PBS confirmed that foreign combatants were present.^[28] However, not all accounts of the battle mention these arrests,^[29] and U.S. Army commander Colonel H. R. McMasters said the "vast majority" of Insurgents captured there were "Iraqis and not foreigners."[4] Iraqi journalist Nasir Ali claimed that there were "very few foreign combatants" in Tal Afar and charged "Every time the US army and the Iraqi government want to destroy a specific city, they claim it hosts Arab fighters and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."[5] Tal Afar (also Tal Afar, Tall Afar, Tell Afar, Tel Afar) (in Arabic: تل عفر, in Kurdish: Telehfer) (also تلعفر) is a city in northern Iraq, about 30 miles west of Mosul. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is a U.S. Republican politician and businessman, who was the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977, and the 21st Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ...

There are allegations that the U.S. government has attempted to inflate the number of foreign fighters in order to advance the theory that the insurgency is not a local movement.^{[citation needed]} U.S. Army Specialist Tony Lagouranis spoke about his job identifying many of the bodies after the assault on Fallujah: To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

We had women and children, old men, young boys. . . [U.S. commanders] were trying to prove that there were a lot of foreign fighters in Falujah, so that was mainly what we were going for. Very few of them had foreign IDs. . . In an effort to, sort of, "cook the books", you know, they would find a Qu'ran on the guy and the Qu'ran was printed in Algeria and they'd mark him down as an Algerian, or guys would come in with a black shirt and khaki pants, and they'd say, well, this is the Hezbollah uniform, and so they'd mark him down as a Lebanese. Which was ridiculous. . . I did say something to the Staff Sergeant, and, you know, I just got yelled down.^[30]

The Quran ( Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; its literal meaning is the recitation and is often called Al Quran Al Karim: The Noble Quran, also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book... For other uses, see Hezbollah (disambiguation). ...

Foreign fighter nationality distribution

In July 2007, the Los Angeles Times reported that 45% of all foreign militants targeting U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians and security forces are from Saudi Arabia; 15% are from Syria and Lebanon; and 10% are from North Africa. 50% of all Saudi fighters in Iraq come as suicide bombers. In the last six months, such bombings have killed or injured 4,000 Iraqis.^[31] This just IN !!!:paris hiltons new dog. ...

According to a U.S. military press briefing on October 20, 2005, 312 foreign nationals from 27 different countries had been captured in Iraq from April to October of 2005.^[32] This represents a component of the Iraqi resistance movement, which also includes a nationalist movement encompassing over 30 Shia and Sunni militias.

Foreign Insurgents captured in Iraq in the 7-month period April–October 2005:

Sorted by number of fighters captured Nationality No.  Egypt 78  Syria 66  Sudan 41  Saudi Arabia 32  Jordan 17  United States 15  Iran 13  Palestine 12  Tunisia 10  Algeria 8  Libya 7  Turkey 6  Lebanon 3  India 2  Qatar 2  United Arab Emirates 2  United Kingdom 2  Denmark 1  France 1  Indonesia 1  Ireland 1  Israel 1  Kuwait 1  Republic of Macedonia 1  Morocco 1  Somalia 1  Yemen 1 Total 327

Sorted alphabetically by nationality Nationality No.  Algeria 8  Denmark 1  Egypt 78  France 1  India 2  Indonesia 1  Iran 13  Ireland 1  Israel 1  Jordan 17  Kuwait 1  Lebanon 3  Libya 7  Republic of Macedonia 1  Morocco 1  Palestine 12  Qatar 2  Saudi Arabia 32  Somalia 1  Sudan 41  Syria 66  Tunisia 10  Turkey 6  United Arab Emirates 2