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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  United Kingdom 2  United States 15  Yemen 1 Total 327

Image File history File links Flag_of_Egypt. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Syria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sudan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Jordan. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iran. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Palestine. ... This article is about the Palestinian territories as a geopolitical phenomenon. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tunisia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Algeria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Libya. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Turkey. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lebanon. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Qatar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Denmark. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Indonesia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Israel. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Kuwait. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Macedonia. ... For an explanation of terms related to Macedonia, see Macedonia (terminology). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Morocco. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Somalia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Yemen. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Algeria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Denmark. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Egypt. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Indonesia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iran. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Israel. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Jordan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Kuwait. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lebanon. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Libya. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Macedonia. ... For an explanation of terms related to Macedonia, see Macedonia (terminology). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Morocco. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Palestine. ... This article is about the Palestinian territories as a geopolitical phenomenon. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Qatar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Somalia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sudan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Syria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tunisia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Turkey. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Yemen. ...

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

Further information: Al-Qaeda in Iraq

This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (September 2007)

The U.S. Government described Zarqawi as the single most dangerous and capable insurgent operative to work against the U.S.-led Coalition and its Iraqi allies, responsible for a large number of major attacks.^{[citation needed]} There are signs that an increasing rift is developing between supporters of al-Zarqawi, including both foreign guerrillas and some Iraqis who have adopted a hard-line Wahhabi philosophy, and the nationalists and more moderate religious elements of the resistance. The main source of the divide is over the suicide bombings that have inflicted heavy Iraqi civilian casualties, along with disagreements about whether to cooperate with the Shi'a and their armed forces. However, the publicity given to Zarqawi has ensured that he has become an iconic figure to various Sunni Islamist groups, regardless of the actual scope of his influence.^{[citation needed]} Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) is a takfeeri militant group which is playing an active role in the Iraqi insurgency. ... Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Wahhabism (Arabic: Al-Wahhābīyya 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. ... A suicide bombing is an attack using a bomb in which the individual(s) carrying the explosive materials composing the bomb intend(s) and expect(s) to die upon detonation (see suicide). ...

The extent of Zarqawi's influence is a source of much controversy. Zarqawi was reported killed in action in March 2004 in "a statement signed by a dozen alleged insurgent groups" [6]. His Jordanian family then held a funeral service on his behalf, although no body has been recovered and positively identified. Iraqi leaders have denied the presence of Zarqawi in Fallujah prior to the U.S. attack on that city in November 2004. Zarqawi's existence has even been questioned, for example by Pepe Escobar, an antiwar op-ed writer for the Asia Times. [7] There exists considerable biographic information on Zarqawi suggesting that he is best described as a former street thug of limited education; it is improbable that he actively fulfils the often-claimed role of "terrorist mastermind" and in fact could be better described as a "terrorist celebrity".^{[citation needed]} Actual involvement of Zarqawi in significant terrorist incidents is not usually proven, although his group often claims it perpetrated bombings. As al-Qaeda is an "opt-in" group (meaning that everyone who agrees to some basic Wahhabi moral tenets and the fundamental goals may consider himself a member), it is most likely that "Al-Qaeda in Iraq" is a loose association of largely independent cells united by a common strategy and vision, rather than a unified organization with a firm internal structure.^{[citation needed]} Asia Times Online is an Internet-only publication that reports and examines geopolitical, political, economic and business issues, looking at these from an Asian perspective. ... For other uses, see Celebrity (disambiguation). ...

On June 8, 2006, Iraqi officials confirmed that Zarqawi was killed by two 500lb laser guided bombs dropped from an F-16 the previous evening.^{[citation needed]} Abu Ayyub al-Masri, an Egyptian who was trained in Al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan has taken his place.^{[citation needed]} It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Abu Hamza al-Muhajir. ...

A document found in Zarqawi's safe house indicates that the guerrilla group was trying to provoke the U.S. to attack Iran in order to reinvigorate the resistance in Iraq and to weaken American forces in Iraq.[8] "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 Iraq, 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 Mouwafak al-Rubaie said the document, shows al-Qaeda in Iraq is in "pretty bad shape." He added that "we believe that this is the beginning of the end of al-Qaeda in Iraq."^{[citation needed]} Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) is a takfeeri militant group which is playing an active role in the Iraqi insurgency. ...

On August 21, 2006, Jill Carroll, a journalist for the Christian Science Monitor, published part 6 of her story detailing her capitivity in Iraq. In it, she describes how one of her captors, who identified himself as Abdullah Rashid and leader of the Mujahideen Shura Council in Iraq, conveyed to her that "The Americans were constantly saying that the mujahideen in Iraq were led by foreigners... So, the Iraqi insurgents went to Zarqawi and insisted that an Iraqi be put in charge." She continued by stating: "But as I saw in coming weeks, Zarqawi remained he insurgents' hero, and the most influential member of their council, whatever Nour/Rashid's position... At various times, I heard my captors discussing changes in their plans because of directives from the council and Zarqawi."[9] Jill Carroll appeared in a video released by the terrorist group, Brigades of Vengeance Jill Carroll (born 1977) is an American journalist who was kidnapped and ultimately released in Iraq. ... The Christian Science Monitor (CSM) is an international newspaper published daily, Monday through Friday. ...

Schism between foreign fighters and Iraqi Resistance

Large-scale terrorist attacks against civilians carried out by foreign fighters, as well as the interpretation of Islam that they attempt to impose on the local population in areas under their control, have increasingly turned Iraqis against them, in some cases breaking out into open fighting between different groups in the insurgency [10] [11] [12]. There are signs that local Islamist insurgent groups have also increasingly caused the population to turn against them [13] [14] [15] [16]

Opinions differ on how broad this schism is. Terrorism expert Jessica Stern warned that "in the run-up to the war, most Iraqis viewed the foreign volunteers who were rushing in to fight against America as troublemakers, and Saddam Hussein's forces reportedly killed many of them."[17] This opinion contradicts Iraqi scholar Mustapha Alani, who says that these foreigners are increasingly welcomed by the public, especially in the former Ba'athist strongholds north of Baghdad.^{[citation needed]}

While some have noted an alliance of convenience that existed between the foreign fighters and the native Sunni resistance, there are signs that the foreign militants, especially those who follow Zarqawi, are increasingly unpopular among the native resistance. In the run-up to the December 2005 elections, Sunni fighters were warning al Qaeda members and foreign fighters not to attack polling stations. One former Ba'athist told Reuters, "Sunnis should vote to make political gains. We have sent leaflets telling al Qaeda that they will face us if they attack voters." And a Sunni resistance leader specifically commented on Zarqawi: "Zarqawi is an American, Israeli and Iranian agent who is trying to keep our country unstable so that the Sunnis will keep facing occupation."[18]

By early 2006, the split between the Sunni groups and the Zarqawi-led foreign fighters had grown dramatically, and Sunni forces began targeting al Qaeda forces for assassination. One senior intelligence official told the Telegraph that Zarqawi had fled to Iran as a result of the attacks.[19] In response to al Qaeda killings in Iraq, Sunni insurgents in al-Anbar province led by former Ba'athist intelligence officer Ahmed Ftaikhan formed an anti-al-Qaeda militia called the Anbar Revolutionaries. All of the militia's core members have relatives who have been killed by al-Qaeda in Iraq, and they have sought to prevent foreign jihadis from entering the country. The group "claims to have killed 20 foreign fighters and 33 Iraqi sympathizers."[20]. The schism became all the more apparent in when a tape claiming to be from the Mujahedeen Shura Council urged Osama Bin Laden to replace Al Qaida in Iraq's current head with an Iraqi national. The Mujahedeen Shura Council, however, issued a statement shortly afterwards denying the authenticity of this tape.

On July 19 2007 seven domestic resistance groups informed journalists in Damascus that they were forming a united front independent of Al-Qaeda. [21] For other uses, see Damascus (disambiguation). ...

Non-violent groups

Apart from the armed insurgents, there are important non-violent groups that resist the foreign occupation through other means. The National Foundation Congress set up by Sheikh Jawad al-Khalisi includes a broad range of religious, ethnic, and political currents united by their opposition to the occupation. Although it does not reject armed resistance, which it regards as any nation's right, it favors non-violent politics and criticizes the formation of militias. It opposed institutions designed to implement American plans, such as the former Iyad Allawi government and the U.S.-organized national conference designed as the antecedent to a parliament.^[33] Although the CPA enforced a 1987 law banning unions in public enterprises, trade unions such as the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) and Iraq's Union of the Unemployed have also mounted effective anti-occupation opposition.^[34] Nonviolence (or non-violence) is a set of assumptions about morality, power and conflict that leads its proponents to reject the use of violence in efforts to attain social or political goals. ... Allawi at a ceremony for the transfer of governmental authority to the Iraqi Interim Government. ... The Seal of the CPA in Iraq The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) was established as a transitional government following the invasion of Iraq by the United States, United Kingdom and the other members of the multinational coalition which was formed to oust the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003. ... A trade union or labor union is an organization of workers. ... The Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) is the largest union federation in Iraq. ...

Trade unions, however, have themselves been subject to attacks from the insurgents. Hadi Saleh of the IFTU was assassinated under circumstances that pointed to a Ba'athist insurgent group on 3 January 2005. No trades unions support the armed Insurgents.^[35] Hadi Saleh (1949 - January 4, 2005) was an Iraqi trade unionist and was International Secretary of the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Another union federation, the General Union of Oil Employees (GUOE) opposes the occupation and calls for immediate withdrawal but was neutral on participation in the election. Whereas the GUOE wants all foreign troops out immediately, both the IFTU and the Workers Councils' call for replacement of U.S. and British forces with neutral forces from the UN, the Arab League and other nations as a transition.^[36] Many unions see the war as having two dimensions: military and economic. The GUOE has won strikes against both the Governing Council for pay raises and against Halliburton over the use of foreign workers. ^{[citation needed]} Founded in October of 2005 from unions that had begun organizing after the invasion, the Federation of Oil Unions of Iraq is the largest independent union consortium in Iraq, fully opposes the Occupation, and represents militant class war unionism in the occupied country with tens of thousands of members. ... The Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq (FWCUI) is the second largest union federation in Iraq. ... Halliburton Energy Services (NYSE: HAL) is a multinational corporation with operations in over 120 countries. ...

Tactics

Main article: Tactics of the Iraqi Resistance

Insurgent tactics vary widely, as well as the targets. Jihadist elements favor the use of car bombs, kidnappings, hostage-taking, shootings and other types of attacks to target Iraqi collaborators and U.S. forces with little regard for civilian casualties. Other groups claim to target their attacks on U.S. forces and avoid the targeting of civilians. The tactics of the Iraqi insurgency vary widely, as well as the targets. ...

Iraq public opinion

This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (September 2007)

A series of several polls have been conducted to ascertain the position of the Iraqi public further on Al Qaeda in Iraq and the U.S. presence. Some polls have found the following: Image File history File links Emblem-important. ...

• Polls suggest the majority of Iraqis disapprove of the presence of Coalition forces.[22]
• A majority of both Sunnis and Shi'as want an end to the U.S. presence as soon as possible, although Sunnis are opposed to the occupation by somewhat greater margins.^[37]

Polls conducted in June 2005 suggest continued anti-occupation sentiment. According to the Boston Globe (10 June 2005): "a recent internal poll conducted for the U.S.-led Coalition found that nearly 85 percent of the population supported the terrorist attacks, making accurate intelligence difficult to obtain. Only 15 percent of those polled said they strongly supported the U.S.-led coalition."^[38] A later 2005 poll by British intelligence said that 45% of Iraqis support attacks against Coalition forces, rising to 65% in some areas, and that 82% are "strongly opposed" to the presence of foreign troops.^[39] Demands for U.S. withdrawal have also been signed on by one third of Iraq's Parliament.^[40] These results are consistent with a January 2006 poll that found an overall 47% approval for attacks on US-led forces. That figure climbed to 88% among Sunnis. Attacks on Iraqi security forces and civilians, however, were approved of by only 7% and 12% of respondents respectively. 87% favored a U.S. withdrawal, but only 23% believe the U.S. would actually withdraw if asked. 80% believed the U.S. plans permanent bases in Iraq.[23] is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

A September 2006 poll of both Sunnis and Shias found that 71% of Iraqis wanted the U.S. to leave within a year, with 65% favoring an immediate pullout and 77% voicing suspicion that the U.S. wanted to keep permanent bases in Iraq.[24] 61% approved of attacks on U.S. forces.[25] A later poll from March 2007 suggests the precentage of Iraqis who approve of attacks on Coalition forces has dropped to 51%.

U.S. and British forces tend to suffer fewer casualties in the Shia and Kurdish areas outside the "Sunni triangle." Many, however, especially in the Shia community, although supportive of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, are very unhappy with the occupation.^{[citation needed]} Farther north in the Kurdish areas, there is some pro-U.S. sentiment and a strong opposition to the insurgency.^{[citation needed]}

Support for the insurgency is less strong in the Shi'a areas of the country than in the Sunni areas since the Shi'as, like the Kurds, did not dominate the ruling factions of the old regime. Shi'as have also been influenced by a moderate clerical establishment under Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani that has advocated a political solution. However, Muqtada al-Sadr has drawn support from a portion of the Shi'a community, mainly young and unemployed men in urban areas. Sadr's support varies region by region; while likely not drawing considerable support in Najaf (a stronghold of the clerical establishment which was occupied by Sadr's militia and has been the scene of some of the heaviest fighting), some polls have indicated Sadr's support among the Shi'as of Baghdad may be as high as 50%.^{[citation needed]} However, this support did not translate into direct electoral winnings for Sadr supporters during the January 2005 elections.

Spontaneous peaceful protests against the occupation have appeared in Shi'a areas.^{[citation needed]} The Shi'a intellectuals and the upper classes, as well as the inhabitants of rural regions in the south and followers of more moderate clerics such as al-Sistani, tend to cooperate with the Coalition and the Iraqi interim government and eschew militant protest.^{[citation needed]} Sistani's political pressure is largely credited with enabling the elections of January 2005.^{[citation needed]}

The Shi'a and Kurdish populations of Iraq have had long histories of strained relations with past Iraqi regimes, which have long been dominated by the Sunni. Their favored status in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion is also a factor attributed to the fewer instances of attacks against Coalition forces in Shi'a and Kurdish regions of the country.^{[citation needed]} This is in contrast to the more radical al-Sadr, who draws his support from the lower classes and much of the Shia urban population. Both united, however, on the United Iraqi Alliance ticket that brought in the largest share of the votes in the January 2005 elections.^{[citation needed]}

Scope and size of the Insurgency

The most intense Sunni resistance activity takes place in the cities and countryside along the Euphrates River from the Syrian border town of al-Qaim through Ramadi and Fallujah to Baghdad, as well as along the Tigris river from Baghdad north to Tikrit. Heavy guerilla activity also takes place around the cities of Mosul and Tal Afar in the north, as well as the "Triangle of Death" south of Baghdad, which includes the "-iya" cities of Iskandariya, Mahmudiya, Latifiya, and Yusufiya. Lesser activity takes place in several other areas of the country. The insurgents are believed to maintain a key supply line stretching from Syria through al-Qaim and along the Euphrates to Baghdad and central Iraq, the Iraqi equivalent of the Ho Chi Minh trail. A second "ratline" (the U.S. term) runs from the Syrian border through Tal Afar to Mosul. This article or section needs to be updated. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the city of Fallujah in Iraq. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Looking north along the Tigris towards Saddams Presidential palace in April 2003 Tikrit (تكريت, Tikrīt also transliterated as Takrit or Tekrit) is a town in Iraq, located 140 km northwest of Baghdad on the Tigris river (at 34. ... 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. ... During the 2003-present occupation of Iraq, the name Triangle of Death was given by U.S. and allied forces to a region south of Baghdad which saw major combat activity during the last months of 2004. ... oooo lalala The Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) to the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia. ...

Provincial control of Iraq as of January 2007      Coalition control      Sunni Resistance control      Shiite militia influence      Contested provinces

Although estimates of the total number of Iraqi guerrillas varies by group and fluctuates under changing political climate, the latest assessments put the present number at between 20,000 and 25,000 hardcore fighters (but could be up to 100,000) along with numerous supporters and facilitators throughout the Sunni Arab community.^{[citation needed]} At various points U.S. forces provided estimates on the number of fighters in specific regions. A few are provided here (although these numbers almost certainly have fluctuated): Image File history File links Iraqcontrol. ... Image File history File links Iraqcontrol. ...

• Fallujah (mid-2004): 2000-5000 (in a November 2004 operation, the Fallujah insurgency has been destroyed or dispersed, but has staged a comeback, albeit not to former strength, in the course of 2005) ^{[citation needed]}
• Samarra (December 2003): 2000 ^{[citation needed]}
• Baquba (June 2004): 1000 ^{[citation needed]}
• Baghdad (December 2003): 1000 (this number may have increased by a significant amount)^{[citation needed]}

Guerilla forces operate in many of the cities and towns of al-Anbar province, due to mostly ineffective Iraqi security forces in this area.^{[citation needed]} There is extensive guerilla activity in Ramadi, the capital of the province, as well as al-Qaim, the first stop on an insurgent movement route between Iraq and Syria. In 2006, reports suggested that the Anbar capital Ramadi had largely fallen under insurgent control along with most of the Anbar region, as a result the US is sending an extra 3,500 marines to reestablish control of the region. [26] [27] In the early part of 2007 the insurgency suffered serious setbacks in Ramadi. With the help of the Anbar Salvation Council, incidents fell from an average of 30 attacks per day in December 2006 to an average of fewer than four in April 2007.[28] 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. ... Baquba (بعقوبه; also transliterated as Baqubah and Baqouba) is the capital of Iraqs Diyala province. ... Al Anbar (Arabic: ) is a province in the nation of Iraq. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Located nearly 400km northwest of Baghdad near the Syrian border, al-Qaim was reportedly the site of Iraqs refined Uranium Ore production from 1984 through 1990; it was completely destroyed during a 1991 US bombing campaign during the Gulf War. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Anbar Salvation Council is a collection of tribal militias in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, formed by former Baathists and nationalists to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq and other associated terrorist groups. ...

Baghdad is still one of the most contested regions of the country, even after the 2007 troop surge more than two thirds of Baghdad is under the control of various Sunni insurgent groups and the Shiite Mahdi Army.^[41] Combatants are waging intense guerrilla warfare against the US Army and some Sunni neighborhoods such as Adhamiya are largely under insurgent control. Suicide attacks and car bombs are near daily occurrences in Baghdad. The road from Baghdad to the city airport is the most dangerous in the country, if not the world. Iraqi security and police forces had also been significantly built up in the capital and, despite being constantly targeted, had enjoyed some successes such as the pacification of Haifa Street, which however subsequently saw a massive surge of insurgent activity.[29] and after the failed Coalition Operation Together Forward fell under Sunni insurgent control. Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Haifa Street (or Hayfa Street) is a street that is two miles long in Baghdad, Iraq. ... Combatants United States Army New Iraqi Army Mujahideen Shura Council Mahdi Army Commanders Gen. ...

As time passed the insurgent grasp on Mosul has strengthened and by mid-2007 insurgents had control of virtually all the city with the exception of the few Coalition bases scattered throughout the city and their immediate surroundings. [30]

Recent intelligence suggests that the base of foreign paramilitary operations has moved from Anbar to the religiously- and ethnically-mixed Diyala province. By July 2007 Diyala had fallen under almost total Insurgent control, and had become the Headquarters for the Sunni dominated Islamic State of Iraq which has issued a proclamation declaring the regional capital Baqubah its capital. Diyala (Arabic: ديالى) is one of the constituent governorates of the nation of Iraq. ... Motto لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله(Arabic) Lā ilāhā illā-llāhu; muhammadun rasÅ«lu-llāhi(transliteration) There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (the Shahadah) Capital (and largest city) Baghdad Official languages Arabic Government Caliphate  -  AmÄ«r al-MuminÄ«n Commander of the...

In response to a law allowing for the partitioning of Iraq into autonomous regions, members of the Mutayibeen Coalition (Khalf al-Mutayibeen^{[verification needed]}), one of Iraq's largest Sunni insurgent groups, allegedly claimed the creation of an Islamic state encompassing parts of 6 of Iraq's 18 provinces on October 15[31]. Yet another show of defiance came on October 18 when Sunni resistance brazenly paraded in Ramadi. Similar parades were held two days later in several towns across western Iraq, two of which occurred within two miles of US military bases. Motto لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله(Arabic) Lā ilāhā illā-llāhu; muhammadun rasūlu-llāhi(transliteration) There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (the Shahadah) The Islamic State of Iraq is an Islamist umbrella organization or empirical state of Iraqi insurgent groups established on...

By October 2006, small radicalized militias had seemed to overshadow the larger and more organized Sunni groups which had composed the insurgency previously[32]. As disagreements emerged in pre-existing resistance groups for reason ranging from the rift in the Sunni forces between foreign and Iraqi fighters, competition between Mahdi Army and Badr Brigade, and anger over various decisions such as Muqtada al Sadr's agreement to join the political process, dozens of resistance groups sprung up across the country, though particularly in Baghdad where the US army has listed 23 active militias. Residents have described the capital as being a patchwork of militia run fiefs.^{[citation needed]} As a result of the insurgency’s splintering nature, many established leaders seemed to lose influence.^{[citation needed]} This was particularly illustrated on October 19, when members of the Mahdi army briefly seized control of Amarah. The attack, while demonstrating the influence of the Madhi army, is believed to have originated as a result of contention between local units of the Madhi army and the allegedly Badr brigade run security forces, and the timing suggested that neither Al Sadr nor his top commanders had known or orchestrated the offensive[33].

Effect of attacks and casualties

Main article: Casualties of the conflict in Iraq since 2003

Further information: List of Resistance killed in Iraq

Resistance forces reportedly launch hundreds of attacks each month against U.S. forces. Resistance groups overtime have moved to more sophisticated methods such as shaped charges, which concentrate bomb attacks, and infrared lasers, which cannot be easily jammed. These attacks contribute to the rate of civilian casualties which in turn further the country's insecurity and limited supply of electricity, water and oil.^[42] Casualties of the conflicts in Iraq since 2003 (beginning with the 2003 invasion of Iraq and continuing with the ensuing 2003 occupation of Iraq coalition presence as well as the activities of the various armed groups operating in the country) have come in many forms, and the accuracy of the... Sectioned HEAT round with the inner shaped charge visible A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosives energy. ... Far infrared laser (FIR laser, terahertz laser) is a laser with output wavelength in far infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum, between 30-1000 µm (10 THz-300 GHz). ...

As of January 29, 2007, 3080 U.S. soldiers, 130 British soldiers and 123 soldiers from other nations have died in Iraq. 22,834 U.S. soldiers had been wounded.^[43] With this, over 8000 American soldiers have deserted since the beginning of the conflict in Iraq, as reported by The Pentagon.^[44] Servicemen report desertion as being connected to the war with Iraq, though The Pentagon suggests the rate of desertion is below normal peace-time levels.^{[citation needed]} is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... This article is about the United States military building. ...

Since Coalition forces do not usually release death counts, it is difficult to determine the exact number of Iraqi Resistance killed by United States Forces. News sources have reported estimates based on known intelligence and figures. A Washington Post Op-Ed article on November 22, 2005, estimated the number of Resistance killed in action in Iraq at between 45,000 and 50,000. ... An Op-Ed is a piece of writing expressing an opinion. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Iraqi Coalition counter-insurgency operations

Main article: Coalition military operations of the Iraq War

Over 500 counter-insurgency operations have been undertaken by the US-led Coalition or the Iraqi government. These include Operation Option North and Operation Bayonet Lightning in Kirkuk, Operation Desert Thrust, Operation Abilene and Operation All American Tiger throughout Iraq, Operation Iron Hammer in Baghdad and Operation Ivy Blizzard in Samarra - all in 2003; Operation Market Sweep, Operation Vigilant Resolve and Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah in 2004; Operation Matador in Ambar, Operation Squeeze Play and Operation Lightning in Baghdad, Operation New Market near Haditha, Operation Spear in Karabillah and the Battle of Tal Afar - all in 2005; Operation Swarmer in Samarra and Operation Together Forward in Baghdad in 2006; and Operation Law and Orderin Baghdad, Operation Arrowhead Ripper in Baqouba and Operation Phantom Strike throughout Iraq - all in 2007. // This is a list of Military operations of the Multinational Force Iraq in chronological order. ... Counter-insurgency is the combating of insurgency, by the government (or allies) of the territory in which the insurgency takes place. ... Operation Bayonet Lightning Conflict 2003 Invasion of Iraq Date December 2, 2003 Area of Operation Al Hawija, Iraq Objective Capture suspected anti-coalition forces and weapons caches Primary Units Involved US Army, 173rd Airborne Bde. ... 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. ... During the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, Operation Desert Thrust was the name given by the First Brigade 1st Infantry Division to their operations in Iraq beginning on their arrival in October 2003. ... Operation Abilene Conflict 2003 Invasion of Iraq Date December 8, 2003 Area of Operation Al Anbar Province, Iraq Objective Capture or eliminate anti-coalition forces Primary Units Involved US Army, 1st Infantry Div. ... Operation Iron Hammer Conflict 2003 Invasion of Iraq Date November 12 - November 18, 2003 Area of Operation Baghdad, Iraq Objective Capture or destroy anti-coalition forces Destroy suspected anti-coalition bases of operation in Baghdad Primary Units Involved US Army, 1st Armored Division Casualties Unknown Operation Iron Hammer was a... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... Operation Ivy Blizzard, occurred on December 17, 2003, during the 2003 invasion of Iraq was a counterinsurgent sweep of the Iraqi town of Samarra (part of the Sunni Triangle). ... 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. ... See also: 2003, Iraq, Iraq disarmament crisis, Invasion of Iraq, Occupation of Iraq Events January January 30 - Facing worldwide criticism and against the wishes of the majorities of their own electorates, leaders of Britain, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Denmark, and the Czech Republic release a statement, the letter of the... Part of the weapons cache captured in Market Sweep During the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, or Iraq War, Operation Market Sweep involved troops from the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division, and their successful raid into the downtown Fallujah arms market on January 13, 2004. ... Combatants United States Iraqi insurgents Commanders James T. Conway Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Strength 1,200[1] 3,000 - 6,000 Casualties 83 KIA , WIA 90+ (U.S) [1] 615 military and civilian KIA Operation Vigilant Resolve, sometimes referred to as the First Battle of/for Fallujah was an abortive... Combatants United States Iraqi Security Forces Iraqi insurgents Tawhid wal Jihad Commanders Maj. ... This article is about the city of Fallujah in Iraq. ... See also: 2004, Iraq, Occupation of Iraq, 2005 in Iraq // Events January January 10 - Protests in the city of Amarah because of an unemployment crisis. ... Combatants United States Marine Corps Iraqi insurgents Commanders Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Strength 1,000 unknown Casualties 9 KIA,40 WIA [1] 125+ military and civilian killed The Battle of Al Qaim (code-named Operation Matador) was a military offensive conducted by the United States Marine Corps, against insurgent positions... Ambar - War of the Elementals, is a text-based and free Massively Multiplayer Online Strategy Game that has been around for many years. ... During the American-led occupation of Iraq, Operation Squeeze Play was a combined US/Iraqi sweep of the western suburbs of Baghdad launched on 22 May, 2005. ... During the American-led occupation of Iraq, Operation Lightning was a major combined Iraqi/American counterinsurgency cordon-and-search operation announced on 26 May, 2005. ... After the handover of sovereignty, Operation New Market was a sweep of an area near Haditha in western Iraq conducted by one thousand coalition and Iraqi Security Forces. ... This article is about the city. ... A U.S. led operation in Iraq, announced in June 2005. ... Combatants United States Army New Iraqi Army Iraqi insurgents Strength Iraqi Forces:5,000 US forces:3,500 unknown Casualties USA:4 KIA, 52 WIA Iraq:15 KIA, 36 WIA 163 KIA, 295 captured[1] The Battle of Tal Afar was a military offensive conducted by the United States Army... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Combatants US-led coalition, New Iraqi Army Al Qaeda in Iraq, Iraqi insurgents Strength More than 50 aircraft 200 Vehicles and 1,500 troops Unknown Casualties None Operation Swarmer was a joint U.S-Iraqi air assault offensive targeting insurgents in Salahuddin province, near the central city of Samarra, Iraq. ... Combatants United States Army New Iraqi Army Mujahideen Shura Council Mahdi Army Commanders Gen. ... This article needs to be updated. ... Combatants United States Army New Iraqi Army Iraqi insurgency Commanders Abboud Qanbar David Petraeus unknown Strength 90,000[1] unknown Casualties 314 KIA, 960+ WIA (US)[2] 507 killed (Iraqi Security Forces) 1 killed (Poland) 4 foreign mercenaries KIA[3] 7 foreign contractors KIA[4] Total:833 KIA 1,057... Combatants United States New Iraqi Army Iraqi Insurgency Al-Qaeda in Iraq Islamic State of Iraq Strength Approximately 10,000 Unknown Casualties 6 killed, 12 wounded (U.S.); 7 killed, 15 wounded (Iraqi Army)[1][2][3]; 2 killed (U.S.-allied Iraqi militia); 3 killed (Iraqi police) 129+ killed... Baquba (بعقوبه; also transliterated as Baqubah and Baqouba) is the capital of Iraqs Diyala province. ... Combatants United States Army New Iraqi Army Iraqi insurgency Commanders Abboud Qanbar David Petraeus unknown Strength 16000+ unknown Operation Phantom Strike was a major offensive launched by the Multi-National Corps -Iraq on August 13 in a crackdown to disrupt Al-Quada in Iraq and Shia extremist operations in Iraq. ... January 1 Hundreds of Saddam Hussein supporters protest the ousted Iraqi dictators December 30, 2006, execution and vow revenge. ...

See also

United States Marine Corps Portal

Iraq War Portal

Iraq Portal

• United States occupation of Fallujah
• Casualties of the conflict in Iraq since 2003
• Post-invasion Iraq, 2003–2006
• 2004 in Iraq
• 2005 in Iraq
• 2006 in Iraq
• 2007 in Iraq
• Al Qaeda in Iraq
• Consolation payment
• Civil war in Iraq
• Juba (sniper)
• Hillbilly armor
• Zarqawi PSYOP program
• Challenge Project
• Operation Phantom Fury

Image File history File links USMC_logo. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iraq. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iraq. ... The US occupation of Fallujah began in April 2003, one month following the beginning of the invasion. ... Casualties of the conflicts in Iraq since 2003 (beginning with the 2003 invasion of Iraq and continuing with the ensuing 2003 occupation of Iraq coalition presence as well as the activities of the various armed groups operating in the country) have come in many forms, and the accuracy of the... Main article: Iraq War Combatants New Iraqi Army Kurdish Army Coalition: United States United Kingdom Australia Poland Other Coalition forces Baath Party Loyalists Mahdi Army al-Qaeda in Iraq Other Insurgent groups Commanders Nouri al-Maliki Massoud Barzani George W. Bush Tommy Franks Ricardo Sanchez George Casey David Petraeus Tony... Jamaat al-Tawhid wal Jihad members with Shosei Koda and with the banner in the background Jamaat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Arabic: , Monotheism and Holy War Movement) is the Islamist terrorist network of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian-born Islamist terrorist believed operating against United States-led... Consolation payments is payment given to relatives of civilians who have died accidentally. ... 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... Juba (جوبا) is the nom de guerre of an alleged sniper involved in the Iraqi insurgency featured in several videos of Iraqi insurgents in action. ... Hillbilly armor is improvised armour for humvees made by attaching scrap metal. ... Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Combatants United States Iraqi Security Forces Iraqi insurgents Tawhid wal Jihad Commanders Maj. ...

References

Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... Main Building - The Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence, Whitehall, Westminster, London Tri-service badge of the UK armed forces The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and the headquarters of the UK military. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. ... The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli newspaper in the English language. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Fox News Channels slogan is We Report, You Decide The Fox News Channel is a U.S. cable and satellite news channel. ... is the 172nd day of the year (173rd 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. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th 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. ... Democracy Now! logo. ... A leftist British journalist of minor note, known principally for his anti-American views. ... is the 197th day of the year (198th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd 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. ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th 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. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External articles

General

• "The Iraqi Insurgent Movement" Christopher Alexander, Charles Kyle and William McCallister, Nov. 14, 2003
• "The Sunni Insurgency in Iraq" by Dr. Ahmed S. Hashim, Center for Naval Warfare Studies - August 15, 2003
• Insurgent Iraq: Links to full-text online articles and reports about the Iraqi Insurgency. Compiled by Project on Defense Alternatives, March 2006. Updated 22 August 2006.
  • "400 Days and Out: A Strategy for Solving the Iraq Impasse". Carl Conetta, Project on Defense Alternatives, 19 July 2005.
• Frontline: The InsurgencyPBS Frontline Feb. 21, 2006
• "Iraqi Insurgent Groups". GlobalSecurity.org, 2005.
• "Electronic Propaganda in Iraq". wadinet.de (PDF)
• "Iraq's Insurgents: Who's Who". Washington Post, 19 March 2006.
• multimedia article by Australian Journalist Paul McGeogh of the Sydney Morning Herald
• "Who Are the Insurgents? Sunni Arab Rebels in Iraq" United States Institute of Peace Special Report, April 2005
• Robert R. Tomes, Relearning Counterinsurgency Warfare, Parameters Spring 2004

Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... FRONTLINE is a public affairs television program of varying length produced at WGBH in Boston, Massachusetts, and distributed through the Public Broadcasting Service network in the United States. ... PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ...

Books

• Hashim, Ahmed S. Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency in Iraq. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 0801444527.
• Chehab, Zaki. Iraq Ablaze: Inside the Insurgency. I B Tauris & Co Ltd. ISBN 1845111109.
• Enders, David. Baghdad Bulletin: Dispatches on the American Occupation University of Michigan Press (April 4, 2005) ISBN 0-472-11469-7
• Rogers, Paul. Iraq and the War on Terror: Twelve Months of Insurgency. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-84511-205-9.

I.B. Tauris is a publishing house based in London and specializing in non-fiction. ... I.B. Tauris is a publishing house based in London and specializing in non-fiction. ...

News articles

• "An Inventory of Iraqi Resistance Groups." Al-Zawra (Baghdad). September 19, 2004.
• Biedermann, Ferry. "Portrait of an Iraqi Rebel." Salon. August 16, 2003, via globalpolicy.
• "Crushing Iraq's insurgency may take up to 10 years." Middle East Online (UK). August 23, 2004.
• "In Western Iraq, Fundamentalists Hold U.S. at Bay." New York Times. August 29, 2004.
• "Najaf assault turns allies against US." Reuters. August 13, 2004.
• "Families return to devastated Falluja." Al-Jazeera. May 1, 2004.
• "Falluja breathes easy." Al-Jazeera. May 1, 2004.
• "U.S. War Crimes: Torture of Iraqi Prisoners Exposed." Tehran Times. May 1, 2004.
• "NYT: Shia uprising may not be confined to al-Sadr followers." New York Times. April 8, 2004. Registration-free copies at Contra Costa Times and Smirking Chimp.
• Fisk, Robert. "Iraq on the brink of anarchy." The Independent (Fallujah). April 6, 2004.
• "Diplomats stunned by abduction wave, Workers held in bid to force companies to leave." Detroit Free Press. July 27, 2004.
• "Al-Sadr's star fades among Iraqis." Mail & Guardian. August 30, 2004.
• "Saddam's Baath Party is back in business." Knight Ridder Newspapers. September 7, 2004.
• "Why the insurgency won't go away." Boston Review. October, 2004.
• "Secrets of Terror", Interview with Ryan Mauro, the author of the book Death to America: The Unreported Battle of Iraq ISBN 1-4137-7473-3

is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For people named Robert Fiske, see Robert Fiske (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 242nd day of the year (243rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Supportive of the Resistance

• Fight Back! July 2007 - U.S. anti-war activist on speaking tour, tells of meeting with Iraqi resistance
• Fight Back! March 2007 - Voices of the Iraqi Resistance: Leaders of the Iraqi National Resistance Speak at an International Solidarity Conference
• Iraqi Resistance Reports from albasrah.net.
• With the Resistance of Baathist Iraq!.
• Soldz, Stephen. "Iraq Occupation and Resistance Report."
• "Iraqi resistance hailed in Brazil" Al-Jazeera. August 24, 2004.
• Iraqi Resistance News and Discussion from Mirror of the World Foundation.

is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Profiles of insurgent groups

• Global Security: Saddam's Martyrs "Men of Sacrifice" Fedayeen Saddam
• BBC: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
• Global Security: Jaish Ansar al-Sunna