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Iraqi
resistance is still raging
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By
Samir Haddad & Mazen Ghazi, IOL Correspondents
BAGHDAD,
September 14 (IslamOnline.net) – As several foreigners from
different nationalities have been taken hostage in Iraq, the picture
remains blurry as to the identity of the various groups operating in
Iraq and their own agenda and ways to realize them.
After
the US forces thrust into Baghdad on April 9, many Iraqis from
different walks of life grouped in small separate cells for resistance
against what is widely-seen among ordinary people here as unjustified
occupation of the oil-rich country.
As
time moves on and no weapons of mass destruction – the main
justification for invading the country and using massive firepower
that left thousands of civilians dead – made such small groups
appealing to many others.
They
have sought to close ranks under some bigger umbrellas, all sharing
one main goal; ejecting occupation forces out of the country.
With
a mixed Islamic-nationalist orientation, the Iraqi fighters also
agreed to attack police forces and civil servants working with the
occupation forces.
Such
groups have broken down Iraqis into two categories; one against
occupation and the other is dealing – or "collaborating",
to put it in their own way – with the new occupiers.
On
political parties, their stances over occupation rather affect their
ranking on the hit list of these groups.
Their
offices and members could be a target if their agenda does not include
ending all military presence in Iraq.
Numerous
Groups
More
than one year and a half of occupation, resistance groups could be now
divided into Sunni and Shiite ones.
For
Sunni ones, they mainly include the National Iraqi Islamic Resistance
group, known as 1920 Revolution Brigades, which first appeared on June
2003.
Its
main goal is: "Liberating all Iraqi land from foreign occupation
and building an independent Iraqi state on an Islamic basis."
Its
fighters mainly target US occupation forces in western Baghdad, mainly
in Abu Ghraib – where the notorious prison in which American
soldiers stand accused of abusing Iraqi detainees lies – and in
Fallujah – where the US occupation forces are launching continued
massive incursions.
Fractions
of the group had claimed responsibility for downing a US helicopter in
Abu Ghraib in August 1, and also forcing a Chinook down near Fallujah
on August 8.
Nationalists
& Islamists
Nationalists
and Islamists also joined forces after the fall of Baghdad in April
2003 for establishing the National Front for the Liberation of Iraq,
in a fresh effort to drive occupation forces out.
Although
their activities are less effective than the Brigades, they are
launching attacks mainly in Arbil and Kirkuk in the north, Fallujah
and Tikrit in central Iraq and Basra and Babel in the south and Diyala
to the east.
The
third group is called the Islamic Front for the Iraqi Resistance, a
coalition of smaller resistance groups. It first declared its presence
on May 30.
Its
agenda is based on one main edict calling for killing the occupiers.
The
group’s armed wing has claimed responsibility for dozens of attacks
against occupation forces, including shelling the headquarters of
occupation forces and almost daily shelling of Mosul airport.
Al-Rantissi
Brigades faction of the Front had claimed sniping American soldiers
and shelling another airport in Diyala with mortars.
Smaller
Groups
Adopting
limited operations against the American soldiers, smaller groups
surfaced since the occupation of the country, some of which later
disappeared – much to indicate a chaotic scene in the post-war Iraq.
Al-Tahrir
(Liberation) Faction first appeared in June, 2003, warning foreign
countries against keeping forces in Iraq and vowed attacks against
others if they followed suit.
The
Hamza action also joined resistance in October 2003, mainly for asking
the release of Gamal Nidal from a US military detention.
Uprising
and Holy Struggle is another group of Sunni fighters, who claimed in a
videotape sent to the Iranian TV on July 7 responsibility for a number
of operations against occupation forces.
"Saddam
and the Americans is two faces of one coin," the group said in
the tape.
Anti-American
sentiments are growing among ordinary Iraqis, complaining about
indiscriminate shootings and massive house-to-house raids by US
occupation soldiers.
Baathist
Factions
Factions
of the former Baathist party or the Saddam regime also launched
attacks against occupation forces.
Al-Awdah
(Return) faction, which groups members of the former Security Service
in Iraq, focuses its attacks in northern Iraq, including Samara and
Tikrit.
The
Saddam Fidayeen, formed by the ousted Iraqi leader before the March
2003 invasion, is also another group of the Baathist trail.
But
reports say the Fidayeen quit their loyalty to Saddam, joining other
Islamic-nationalist groups for resistance.
Shiite
Resistance
Moving
to Shiite groups, anti-US firebrand Muqtada Al-Sadr formed the only
militia after the occupation of the country in July 2003.
In
a short period, the Shiite leader won over 10,000-15,000 people to
rally behind him in fierce clashes with occupation forces in the Sadr
City slum of Baghdad and the holy Shiite city of Najaf.
The
clashes broke out after US-allied Iraqi government closed Sadr’s
Hawza newspaper in March 2004 and issued an arrest warrant for him on
claims of killing a rival Shiite scholar.
Najaf
has seen fierce clashes between Sadr’s Mehdi Army militia and
occupation forces for some three weeks in August – something which
observers said imbued the militia with armed resistance against
occupation forces.
In
October 2003, Imam Ali Brigades first appeared as another Shiite group
warning to kill soldiers from any country sending troops to Iraq. It
even threatened to take operations to these countries.
Twelve
Nepalese who are being held hostage in Iraq were shown on video
footage on an Islamist website, with one of them reading a statement
saying they had been misled into working there by "American
lies".
The
Brigades has vowed to kill Iraqis working with the US-led occupation
forces, and vowed to launch attacks against American soldiers in
Karbala and Najaf.
Kidnapping
Foreigners
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Kidnapping
foreigners in Iraq is also increasing
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Along
with resistance groups against occupation, a number of armed groups
have carried out kidnapping and killing foreigners as a way of
"terrorizing the enemy" and exercising political pressures
for their own goals.
They
boast that the threats have much more effective pressures to bear on
these countries.
In
July 13, The Philippines withdrew its troops from Iraq to save a
national truck driver held hostage by an armed group.
"In
response to your request, the Philippines ... will withdraw its
humanitarian forces as soon as possible," the Philippine deputy
foreign minister Rafael Seguis had to declare to save the driver.
An
American and a
South Korean were also killed by like-minded groups.
The
groups include Asadullah Brigades (Lion of God Brigades), which had
said in a statement that any foreigners entering into Iraq are deemed
combatants and should be killed.
"Any
foreigners working here should be killed or abducted," said the
Brigades.
Islamic
Anger Brigades had abducted 15 Lebanese nationals before killing one
of them in June 2004 and releasing the 14 others.
Islamic
Response Movement had abducted the US Marine Ali Hassoun on June 19
before his release.
Abu
Musaab Al-Zarqawy, Al-Tawheed wal Jihad and the Islamic Army in Iraq
were also blamed for kidnappings in the country.
Islam
does
not permit any measure that causes harm or humiliation to any
human being, let alone killing him/her in cold blood or slaying them
like a sheep for everyone to see.
