Al-Qaida in Iraq Claims Martyrs from Egypt, Jordan
Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued a new edition in its "Distinguished Martyrs" series, on this occasion profiling an Egyptian and two Palestinians from Jordan who were killed together during a battle with U.S. military forces in Iraq.  Separately, Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction in Iraq has released a video of a recent suicide truck bomb attack in Baghdad that it has labeled "The Battle of Shaykh Omar Abdel Rahman."  Rahman--the spiritual leader of the Egyptian Al-Gama`at al-Islamiyya terrorist organization--is currently being held in a U.S. prison for his role in a 1993 conspiracy to launch a wave of attacks targeting New York landmarks, including the World Trade Center.

- Click to view Al-Qaida's "Distinguished Martyrs" #8
- Click to view "Battle of Shaykh Omar Abdel Rahman"

Mujahideen Army Calls Fighters to Attack Denmark
The Mujahideen Army in Iraq--a prominent Sunni insurgent group--has released a new communique threatening to attack Denmark and Norway over a series of recent cartoons ridiculing the Prophet Mohammed.  The statement "call[s] upon all our brigades in the Mujahideen Army to attack whatever they possibly can in these two countries specifically, and in other countries who repeat what they have done… Let us make our own efforts on top of Allah’s expected revenge—and hopefully, Allah will choose us to be among those who seek revenge for Mohammed in his name.”

See also:
- CTBLOG: "Denmark: The Next Terrorist Target?"
- CTBLOG: "We Want Blood on the Streets of England"

New "Martyr" Biographies from Zarqawi in Iraq
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida's faction--now a leading force within the so-called Iraqi "Mujahideen Shura Council"--has released several new biographies of fallen Al-Qaida members killed during past clashes with U.S. and Iraqi government forces, including: Al-Hazbar al-Nahdi (Saudi Arabia), Abu Abdullah al-Turki (Turkey), Abu Khaled al-Suri (a Palestinian from Syria), and the infamous commander Omar Hadid (a.k.a. Abu Khattab from Fallujah).  Separately, a video excerpt is now available for download of a song performed by members of Zarqawi's Al-Baraa bin Malik Martyrdom Brigade during an Al-Qaida production named in honor of Omar Hadid.

- Al-Qaida's "Distinguished Martyr": Al-Hazbar al-Nahdi
- Al-Qaida's "Distinguished Martyr": Abu Abdullah al-Turki
- Al-Qaida's "Distinguished Martyr": Abu Khaled al-Suri
- Al-Qaida's "Distinguished Martyr": Omar Hussein Hadid
- Video excerpt from "The Battle of Omar Hadid"

Chart: Major Sunni Militant Groups in Iraq
A new analytical chart is available for download from Globalterroralert.com titled, "Major Sunni Militant Groups in Iraq: March 2006." The document helps decipher the complex web of groups at the heart of the Sunni insurgency in Iraq and the larger role played by Al-Qaida and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The groups featured in this chart include Zarqawi's Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC), the Iraqi Factions of Jihad, the Fatihin Army, the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI), the Rashideen Army, the Mujahideen Army, the Ansar al-Sunnah Army, the 1920 Revolution Brigades, the Iraqi Islamic Resistance Front (JAAMI), and more.

New "Martyr" Biographies from Zarqawi in Iraq
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida's faction--now a leading force within the so-called Iraqi "Mujahideen Shura Council" (MSC)--has released several new biographies of fallen Al-Qaida members killed during past clashes with U.S. and Iraqi government forces, including: Abu Fares al-Ansari (a former Iraqi intelligence officer), Julaybib al-Muhajir (from Saudi Arabia), Abu Baseer al-Emirati (from the United Arab Emirates), Abu al-Hurr al-Ansari (a native Iraqi recruit), and Abu Turab al-Najdi (from Saudi Arabia).

- Al-Qaida's Distinguished Martyr: Abu Fares al-Ansari
- Al-Qaida's Distinguished Martyr: Julaybib al-Muhajir
- Al-Qaida's Distinguished Martyr: Abu Baseer al-Emirati
- Al-Qaida's Distinguished Martyr: Abu Hurr and Abu Turab
- March 2006 video clips from the MSC in Iraq  (video)

Notes on the New Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Video
In the last few weeks, the sudden silence from Al-Qaida in Iraq gave rise to a wave of wild speculation over the whereabouts and condition of most wanted Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Comments from the son of Dr. Abdullah Azzam in Jordan--along with other similar rumors--caused some to doubt whether Zarqawi was still in charge. Today, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi issued his response to those skeptics, in the form of his first ever videotaped message carried to the world via the Internet. Aside from the content of Zarqawi's speech, there were a number of other important aspects to this video...

- Click to view more @ The Counterterrorism Blog
- Click to excerpts of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi video  (video)

See also: - Footnotes on the New Zarqawi Video
- A New Strategy for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq

Sunni Insurgents Deny Clashes with Zarqawi
The Al-Fatihin Army--a breakaway faction of the prominent insurgent group known as the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI)--has issued a new statement denying that there has been any recent friction between Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida movement and other Sunni insurgents in Iraq. According to the communiqué released by Al-Fatihin Army commanders, "We remain steadfast alongside our brothers from Al-Qaida’s Committee in Mesopotamia and all the other groups fighting the crusaders and their allies." It should be noted that the Al-Fatihin Army remains outside of Zarqawi's official jihadist alliance in Iraq known as the "Mujahideen Shura Council."

The Story of Al-Qaida's First Training Camp in Iraq
In April 2006, credible representatives of mujahideen fighting in Iraq released a 2-hour audiotape recorded by an individual identifying himself as “Abu Mohammed al-Salmani.” The purpose of the audiotape was to document the early history of Al-Qaida’s movement in Iraq now headed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Alongside the audiotape, the same sources also distributed copies of journalist Essam Diraz’s noted work narrating the early days of Al-Qaida at the Al-Massada camp in Afghanistan during the 1980s. According to the mujahideen, the lessons contained in Diraz’s book greatly “helped the brothers in establishing their own first camp” in Rawa, Iraq.

New Reports of Foreign Fighters Killed in Iraq
Over the past two months, despite a tightening of security on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border, reports continue to stream out of Iraq and neighboring regions concerning foreign fighters recently killed in clashes between Al-Qaida and U.S. forces.  Among those reports:

- Palestinian Asbat al-Ansar members killed in Iraq
- Biography of suicide bomber Abu Muaz al-Janoobi
- Biography of suicide bomber Abu Uthman al-Yemeni
- Biography of Al-Qaida operative Abu Hamza al-Shami
- Biography of Al-Qaida recruit Abu Hamza al-Sudani
- Biography of Al-Qaida operative Abu Bakr al-Qasimi

  See also: - Suicide bombing by Abu Shaheed al-Lubnani

More Stories of Fallen Al-Qaida Militants in Iraq
A new video recording is now available for download from the NEFA Foundation website documenting the phenomenon of foreign fighters in Iraq and gauging their impact within the ongoing insurgency.  Additionally, new reports have continued to flood radical Internet chatrooms concerning the identities and biographies of fallen Al-Qaida combatants in Iraq, most of them foreign nationals.  Among those chronicled in these latest reports:

- Abu Dujanah al-Qahtani (from Saudi Arabia)
- Abu Hummam al-Urdani (from Jordan)
- Abu Radwan al-Urdani (a.k.a. Raed al-Banna) (from Jordan)
- Abu Usama al-Ansari (from Iraq)
- Abu Asil al-Jazairi (from Algeria)
- Abu Ibrahim al-Tunisi (from Tunisia)

Video: "The Role of Foreign Fighters in the Iraqi Jihad" 

The Rise and Fall of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Over the last four days, responses have poured in from across the global jihadist community lamenting the death of most wanted Al-Qaida leader in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a U.S. airstrike near the Iraqi city of Baqubah.  The responses have included:

- Al-Qaida communiqué acknowledging death of Zarqawi
- Communiqué from the editors of Sada al-Jihad Magazine
- Communiqué from the notorious Al-Hesbah Internet Forum
- IAI claim for IED attack on Iraqis cheering Zarqawi's demise
- Communiqué from the GSPC in Algeria
- Video of Al-Qaida Deputy Commander Ayman al-Zawahiri
- Communiqué from MSC commander Abdullah al-Baghdadi
- Communiqué from the Ansar al-Sunnah Army
- Communiqué from Taliban Commander Mullah Umar
- Communiqué from the Mujahideen Army of Iraq
- Communiqué from the Al-Rashideen Army in Iraq
- Communiqué from the Al-Fatihin Army in Iraq
- Communiqué from the Jihad Factions of Iraq
- Communiqué from Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia

See also: - Oct 2005 letter from Abu Abdelrahman to Zarqawi
CTBLOG: "Al-Qaida Names Official Successor to Zarqawi"
CTBLOG: "The First Revenge Battle in Zarqawi's Name"
Chart: (NYTIMES) - "A Many-Headed Insurgency"
Chart: "Major Sunni Militant Groups in Iraq: March 2006"
Chart: "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Network in Iraq: Oct. 2005"
Video: April 2006 video of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Video: "The Role of Foreign Fighters in the Iraqi Jihad" 

Chart: Remaining Al-Qaida Commanders in Iraq
Care of the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation and Globalterroralert, a new analytical chart is available for download highlighting remaining Al-Qaida leadership figures thought active in Iraq following the death last week of Al-Qaida's former top leader in the region, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

See also: - Mar. 2005 letter from Abu Abdelrahman al-Iraqi
- Oct. 2005 letter from Abu Abdelrahman to Zarqawi
- Oct. 2005 statement from military chief Abu Usaid al-Iraqi
- Sep. 2005 message from Abu Hamza al-Baghdadi al-Iraqi
- Aug. 2005 Haditha operations by Abu Abdullah al-Shamri
- July 2004 Zarqawi statement about Abu Maysarah al-Iraqi
[CTBLOG]: "Al-Qaida Names Official Successor to Zarqawi"
[CTBLOG]: "Dissension over Al-Qaida's New Chief in Iraq"
[NEWSWEEK]: "Iraq: Zarqawi's Successor"
Chart: "Major Sunni Militant Groups in Iraq: March 2006"
Chart: "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Network in Iraq: Oct. 2005"

Al-Qaida Suffers Further Casualties in Iraq
In the wake of several high-profile attacks by Al-Qaida operatives on U.S. military helicopters in central Iraq in April and May, supporters of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's movement have announced the "martyrdom" of numerous members of Al-Qaida's Aeisha Brigade (which specializes in anti-aircraft missions) near the Iraqi town of Al-Yusifiyah.  Separately, Palestinian Al-Qaida supporters have announced the "martyrdom" of Abu Jaffar al-Maqdisi, a former senior aide to Zarqawi from the Ain el-Hilweh Refugee Camp in south Lebanon who allegedly was one of the masked militants featured alongside Zarqawi in a video released in April 2006.

- Martyrdom will of Abu Jaffar al-Maqdisi (South Lebanon)
- Abu Usama al-Tunisi (Tunisian leader of Aeisha Brigade)
- Abu Rabieh al-Ghamdi (Saudi member of Aeisha Brigade)
- Biography of two Qatari members of Aeisha Brigade

See also: - Palestinian Asbat al-Ansar members killed in Iraq
Video: April 2006 video of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Video: "The Role of Foreign Fighters in the Iraqi Jihad" 
[CTBLOG]: "Iraqi Insurgents Announce Death of Leader"

See also:
[CTBLOG]: "Al-Qaida Names Official Successor to Zarqawi"
[CTBLOG]: "Dissension over Al-Qaida's New Chief in Iraq"
[NEWSWEEK]: "Iraq: Zarqawi's Successor"

Saudi Arabian Prison Escapees Killed in Iraq
Less than one week ago, reports began to filter in that two wanted Saudi Arabian terror suspects -- Abdelaziz al-Massud and Abdelaziz al-Falaj -- had been killed in clashes with security forces in neighboring Iraq. A video posted today on the Internet and marked with the logo of Iraq's Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC) appears to confirm these reports. The recording--which was not officially released by the MSC through its usual channels--features close-up footage of the corpses of the two men and pays homage to them as "martyrs." Al-Massud and al-Falaj were among a group of at least eight terrorist suspects who managed to escape from a Saudi prison in Riyadh last July. Al-Massud had already attempted to travel to Iraq on at least one prior occasion in 2006 in order to join Al-Qaida, but was intercepted before he could cross the border by Saudi security forces.

"State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq: 2006"
A new report is now available for download from Globalterroralert.com titled "State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq: 2006."  The report details the evolving structure of Iraq's Sunni-led insurgency and includes a chart laying out the various relationships between these groups.  The insurgent organizations profiled include Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq", the Ansar al-Sunnah Army, the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI), the Mujahideen Army, the Al-Fatihin Army, and Jund al-Sahaba.

See also: - Chart: "Remaining Al-Qaida Leadership Figures in Iraq"
- Chart: "Major Sunni Militant Groups in Iraq: March 2006"
[CTBLOG]: "Al-Qaida Responds to Baker-Hamilton Report"
[NEW YORK TIMES]: "The Ever-Mutating Iraq Insurgency"

Little Sympathy for Saddam Among Insurgents
Only one prominent Sunni insurgent organization--the Iraqi Islamic Resistance Front (JAAMI)--has issued any statement acknowledging or responding to the recent execution of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. In a statement published on January 4, JAAMI declared that Hussein had "brought what happened... upon himself... Blessed and glorious Allah will execute justice upon him." The statement further accused Iran and the United States of conspiring to use the media to erroneously "lump Saddam and the Sunnis together." JAAMI did not deny Saddam's guilt, but instead demanded, "Why doesn’t the American administration take similar measures, or at least some of the same measures, with respect to the crimes that have been committed in Iraq since the occupation began and continue to be committed each day? Who is responsible for the massacres committed by the militias every day?"

Insurgents Claim Chemical Attack on U.S. Base
On Tuesday, January 9, the Iraqi Islamic Resistance Front (a.k.a. JAAMI) issued a video recording purportedly depicting a rocket attack on a U.S. base in Samarra using a warhead containing a homemade chemical weapon. The U.S. military has no reports of any injuries or deaths relating to the deployment of such a weapon, and thus far, it is unclear whether the substance was actually toxic or not. JAAMI is a prominent Sunni insurgent group in Iraq that is thought to be more nationalist in its orientation than other competing Sunni groups such as Al-Qaida and the Ansar al-Sunnah Army.

Renewed Friction Between Sunni Insurgents
A new communiqué issued by Sunni insurgents in Iraq appears to indicate continuing rifts between moderates and extremists concerning participation in the political process with the Iraqi government. On January 10, the Iraqi Islamic Resistance Front (a.k.a. JAAMI) blasted purported allegations from the Al-Qaida-led "Islamic State of Iraq" accusing JAAMI of abandoning its mujahideen partners and, instead, working with the reviled Iraqi Islamic Party on political negotiations with the U.S.-backed Iraqi government. In its statement, JAAMI insisted that its fighters have always been opposed to the "political process" and eagerly seek to unite with other insurgents (such as Al-Qaida's "Islamic State") to confront the "American-Iranian agenda."

New "Martyr" Stories From Al-Qaida's Network in Iraq
Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" and its supporters have distributed a new series of biographies detailing the lives of prominent fighters who have been killed while fighting U.S. and Iraqi government forces over the past three years.  The stories include the history of two young mujahideen recruits from Sudan, one of whom was a member of Al-Qaida's feared Al-Baraa bin Malik suicide brigade and likewise a former online subscriber to the notorious Muntada al-Ansar Internet forum.  Another eulogy describes the life and death of an unusual Yemeni mujahideen commander who was slain during the siege of Fallujah in 2004, and who was previously featured in a widely-watched interview with Lebanese satellite television channel LBC.

- Click to view biography of Sudanese nationals Hassan Abdel Rahman and Sadiq al-Jilani
- Click to view biography of Yemeni national Abu al-Mardiyah al-Yemeni

Video:
- Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" claims downing of U.S. Apache near Taji  (Feb. 2 2007)
- Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" claims downing of U.S. Chinook near Karma (Feb. 7, 2007)

See also: - [CTBLOG]: "Al-Qaida in Iraq Officially Denies Capture of Top Commander"

New Video: Al-Qaida's "Convoy of Martyrs" in Iraq
The propaganda video "Convoy of Martyrs" that was produced by Al-Qaida's "Mujahideen Shura Council" (the precursor to the current "Islamic State of Iraq") in late 2006 has finally been publicly released. The video includes interviews with many foreign jihadists fighting for Al-Qaida in Iraq--mostly of Saudi and Syrian origin. In a recorded plea to his family, one young man from the Arabian Peninsula, Abu Nasser al-Janoobi, admonishes his brother, "I beg you to depart for the land of honor and manhood. Don't just sit there and stay behind, and don't listen to anyone who tries to stop you. Just go and kill the Americans. Just kill them and don't leave any survivors." Another Saudi national, Abul-Abbas al-Jeddawi, shows off an explosives-packed suicide car bomb and explains jubilantly, "At the end [of the wire], you can see the button which I will press on my way to paradise."

New "Martyr" Biographies from Al-Qaida in Iraq
Al-Qaida's Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) has released several new "Distinguished Martyr" biographies profiling noteworthy foreign fighters who have been killed waging a jihad against U.S. and Iraqi government forces.  The "martyrs" include Abu Turab al-Liby (from Libya), one of the founders of Al-Qaida's anti-aircraft brigade in Iraq; Abu Tariq al-Tunisi (from Tunisia), a suicide bomber who entered Iraq through Syria; and, Aqil al-Masri (from Egypt), one of the founders of Al-Qaida's Media Wing in Iraq.  Separately, Al-Qaida supporters have announced the death of Saudi national Turki Bin Abdelaziz al-Mani, who was killed in early March 2007 during a clash with U.S. military forces in the western Anbar province of Iraq.  Al-Mani is the brother of Khaled al-Mani (a.k.a. Khallad al-Najdi), a senior Saudi Al-Qaida commander in Iraq who was himself killed in January 2006.

- "Distinguished Martyr #28": Abu Turab al-Liby (Libya)
- "Distinguished Martyr #29": Abu Tariq al-Tunisi (Tunisia)
- "Distinguished Martyr #30": Aqil al-Masri (Egypt)
- Martyrdom of Saudi national Turki Bin Abdelaziz al-Mani in Iraq

A Rift Between the Islamic Army of Iraq and Al-Qaida
On April 5, the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI) issued a new statement responding to recent accusations made by Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" and its leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. In the communiqué, the IAI vigorously denied these charges (including its would-be links to the Iraqi Baath party) and instead countered with its own set of allegations against Al-Qaida--including that Al-Qaida is responsible for killing more than 30 IAI fighters in needless fratricidal violence, and that Al-Qaida was behind the assassination of 1920 Revolution Brigades leader Harith Tahir al-Dari. The IAI went on to appeal directly to Al-Qaida leader Usama Bin Laden to intervene in the situation and "correct the path" of Al-Qaida's forces in Iraq. While it is possible that Al-Qaida may be losing appeal among Sunni insurgents, it is more likely that this new letter may signal a major split within the IAI itself, dividing the group into corresponding Sunni nationalist and pro-Al-Qaida sub-factions.

See also: - [CTBLOG]: "More Cracks Emerging in Al-Qaida's 'Islamic State of Iraq'"

IAI Issues Stinging New Attack on Al-Qaida in Iraq
On June 4, the dominant Sunni insurgent faction known as the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI) issued a new audio recording from a spokesman for the group, Dr. Ali al-Nuaimi.  In his speech, al-Nuaimi accused Al-Qaida of killing at least 40 members of the IAI in recent weeks, including unarmed individuals hiding inside Sunni mosques in Baghdad. He further charged Al-Qaida with responsibility in various other criminal actions, including kidnappings, robberies, and the enforcement of arbitrary rules on other insurgent groups. Al-Nuaimi offered unprecedented and striking detail regarding the recent reported battles between Al-Qaida and the IAI in various Sunni neighborhoods in Baghdad.

See also:
- [CTBLOG]: "The IAI Steps Up (and Backs Down) in its Confrontation with Al-Qaida"

New Report: State of the Sunni Insurgency - August 2007
A new report is available for download from the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation website, titled "State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq." This 31-page document is intended to offer readers a clearer understanding of the changing dynamics behind the Sunni insurgency in Iraq, based primarily upon a critical analysis of open source intelligence and propaganda material published by insurgents themselves, and also by the U.S. and Iraqi governments. It follows up on a previous inaugural version released through Globalterroralert.com in December 2006. The report is divided into five sub-sections, as follows: "The Rise of Al-Qaida’s 'Islamic State of Iraq' (ISI)"; "Conflict Over Al-Qaida’s Expansion; "Emergence of the Reformation and Jihad Front (RJF)"; "Hot and Cold War Between the ISI and RJF"; and, "Conclusions."

Internal and External Threats to the Jihad Media War
Several Sunni insurgent factions fighting in Iraq have recently released official communiqués addressing brewing conflicts over the jihad media war--including divisions that exist within the mujahideen community itself.  On August 29, the Mujahideen Army  issued a statement accusing their "dear brothers" from the Al-Furqan Foundation--the official media wing of Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq"--of distributing a video of a military operation that had already been claimed months earlier by the Mujahideen Army.  In due course, the ISI's Al-Furqan Foundation issued a response acknowledging, "the operation had indeed been executed by one of the central brigades of the Mujahideen Army... However, following the establishment of the ISI, this particular brigade pledged its allegiance to Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi and, therefore, their media archives became the rightful property of the Al-Furqan Media Foundation."  The ISI has also sparked controversy with the recent release of an audio recording by its leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, including accusations that several major Sunni insurgent organizations are now working in conjunction with U.S. forces.   One of the groups singled out by al-Baghdadi--the Iraqi Islamic Resistance Front (JAAMI)--has issued its own letter firmly denying these allegations and demanding that "the gossiping cease from all those who posted harsh words on the Al-Hesbah web forum."  Separately, Asaeb al-Iraq al-Jihadiya ("the Iraqi Jihad Union") has announced the expulsion of several prominent activists within its organization for unauthorized contacts with unspecified "outsiders."  Finally, the ISI's Al-Furqan Foundation has released a statement condemning a series of recent electronic attacks by "crusaders" on notorious jihad web forums--including the Al-Hesbah network.

- 7/29/07: Asaeb al-Iraq al-Jihadiya Declares Expulsions of Dissidents for Unauthorized Contacts
- 8/29/07: Mujahideen Army Statement to ISI's Al-Furqan Foundation
- 9/3/07: Al-Furqan Foundation Response to Statement from the Mujahideen Army
- 9/13/07: Al-Furqan Foundation Statement Regarding Recent Attacks on Jihad Websites
- 9/16/07: Iraqi Islamic Resistance Front (JAAMI) Response to Speech by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi

Al-Qaida Continues Attacks on Fellow Sunni Militants
Over the past two weeks, Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq" has continued to escalate its campaign of public accusations blasting fellow Sunni insurgents for "deviating" from the path of legitimate jihad and working directly with U.S. military forces in Iraq. The latest target of Al-Qaida's wrath has been the 1920 Revolution Brigades, a prominent Muslim Brotherhood-linked militant group which has issued a frantic flurry of recent statements denying any role in aiding American "occupiers." Yet, according to a statement released by Al-Qaida's Islamic State on September 22, the actual state of affairs is quite a different story: “The 1920 Revolution Brigades were part of the original resistance against the crusaders... Subsequently, the 1920 Revolution Brigades split into two wings: one was ‘Hamas in Iraq’ under the leadership of Mohammed Ayyash al-Kubaisi... who formed the Association of Muslim Scholars which aimed to mislead the general public and to legitimatize the actions and principles [of Hamas in Iraq]. The second wing kept its original name and is still known as the 1920 Revolution Brigades... Militias that were part of Hamas in Iraq in the Diyala region worked side-by-side with crusader forces and helped them spy on the mujahideen... In contrast, the 1920 Revolution Brigades decided to adopt a more conniving role by publicly denying their assistance to American forces but simultaneously acting in the same manner as their sister brigades from Hamas in Iraq. The 1920 Revolution Brigades established their own militias that fought alongside American forces in the areas of Abu Ghraib, Radwaniyya, and southern Baghdad."

Insurgents Accuse Al-Qaida of Fanaticism and Murder
A breakaway Sunni insurgent faction from the 1920 Revolution Brigades known as "Hamas in Iraq" has issued a formal response to recent allegations by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the leader of Al-Qaida's "Islamic State of Iraq." In an official communiqué dated October 2, Iraqi Hamas accused Al-Qaida of inflicting "great suffering" on ordinary Iraqi Sunnis: "every day they witnessed heads or headless bodies lying in their streets. Each one of these victims had been accused of a so-called ‘crime’ prohibited by Al-Qaida fatwahs... then [Al-Qaida] attacked Ameriyyat [al-Fallujah] with a car bomb packed with chlorine gas canisters, and they even laid siege to the area to prevent food and fuel from getting to people. Finally, they killed several men at the local market and smashed their heads against boxes of food... We [have] witnessed dozens of beheaded bodies and none of them were Americans. Rather, they were all local people from the area—people who, at one point, had supported the Al-Qaida network until they themselves had become disposable." In fact, according to Hamas in Iraq--as a result of the various crimes Al-Qaida has committed against innocent Muslim civilians--"the Al-Qaida network has actually made people here think that the occupation forces are merciful and humane by comparison."