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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Ansar Al-Sunnah Army Gains Clout in Iraq |
| 2004-12-26 |
| The Ansar al-Sunnah Army has emerged from its roots as a little known militant group operating in northern Iraq to become the country's deadliest terror network, capable of carrying out spectacular strikes like last week's suicide bombing at a U.S. base and virtually eclipsing al-Qaida's cell in the war-torn nation. Unlike al-Qaida, Ansar al-Sunnah is believed to be made up mainly of Iraqis, and its apparent strategy of targeting only Americans and those viewed as collaborating with them — Iraqi security forces and Kurds — may have increased its support, in contrast to other groups that have hit more clearly Iraqi civilian targets. Nearly five months after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003, Ansar al-Sunnah's first statement surfaced on the Internet, pronouncing itself "a group of jihadists, scholars, and political and military experts" dedicated to creating an Islamic state in Iraq. The statement was signed by the group's "emir," or leader, the previously unknown Abu Abdullah al-Hassan Ibn Mahmoud. But who exactly is behind Ansar al-Sunnah and how it was formed remains a mystery. Some experts believe the group splintered from Ansar al-Islam, an al-Qaida-linked group established in September 2001. Ansar al-Islam was founded by Mullah Krekar, who has been living as a refugee in Norway since 1991. The group vowed to set up a conservative Islamic state in northern Iraq, and its members have trained in Afghanistan and provided safe haven to al-Qaida members fleeing the U.S. invasion there. The offshoot group may have changed its name to Ansar al-Sunnah — Arabic for "supporters of the sunnah," of the traditions of Prophet Muhammad — as an attempt to appeal to Iraq's minority Sunni Arabs, experts suggest. There is nothing to corroborate this theory except that the group mainly operates in northern Iraq where Ansar al-Islam is based. Mohammed Salah, a Cairo-based expert on Islamic militancy, said research indicates that the Ansar al-Sunnah Army was established by a mix of various Sunni Muslim anti-occupation factions that came together after the end of the war. They chose the name Ansar al-Sunnah (loosely translated as "supporters of the traditions of Prophet Muhammad") to distinguish the Sunni group from Shiite militias, Salah said. The group now seems to include nationalists and other secular people opposed to the U.S. presence in Iraq who are not typical religious fundamentalists or extremists but who "chose the cover of Islam as a propaganda that sells well." The group seeks an Islamic government and Islamic law in Iraq, stressing its opposition to democracy, which it says replaces God's rightful rule with that of man. "We believe democracy is an atheist call that idolizes human beings," says a manifesto detailing Ansar al-Sunnah's ideology. The group's Web site, which also has a Kurdish page, features videos of aspiring suicide bombers and footage of attacks and beheadings. Statements on the site dismiss Iraqi politicians as "American puppets and agents" and condemns "collaborators" in the U.S.-trained Iraqi army and police. Among its targets have been Kurds, with the group claiming to be behind the kidnapping and beheading of several Kurdish politicians. The Kurdish parties of northern Iraq are archrivals of Krekar's Ansar al-Islam. On its Web site, Ansar al-Sunnah also denounces the upcoming elections, calling on Muslims to shun the ballot boxes as "centers of atheism" and adding: "We warn everyone that the Mujahedeen will be attacking polling stations." In November, Ansar al-Sunnah said it collaborated in two attacks with other radical organizations — al-Qaida in Iraq, led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and the Islamic Army in Iraq. However, similar announcements have not been repeated since. Still, it remains unclear whether Ansar al-Sunnah is linked to Osama bin Laden's network, or whether it is actually competing with it. While al-Zarqawi's Tawhid and Jihad group in October declared allegiance to bin Laden, changing its name to al-Qaida in Iraq, no such announcement was made by Ansar al-Sunnah. Singapore-based terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna said Zarqawi's group allied itself to al-Qaida because it seems to be expanding its recruitment efforts to the entire Middle East and Europe as opposed to Ansar al-Sunnah's "exclusive Iraqi focus." While Ansar al-Sunnah's targets have mainly been coalition troops, Kurds and "collaborators" with the coalition, al-Qaida's operations included attacks that killed many Iraqi civilians, he said. "Ansar al-Sunnah Army seems more organized and it's generated more support than al-Qaida in Iraq ... al-Qaida's attacks have often alienated significant support," Gunaratna said. With or without al-Qaida, it looks like Ansar al-Sunnah is here to stay. "I think Ansar al-Sunnah will, as an organization, last longer and will enjoy a broader base of support than al-Qaida in Iraq," Gunaratna said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 mhw: the Maoists, were voluntarily protected by the population during the war against the Japanese and then the war against the Nationalists Actually, the Chinese Communists (Mao wasn't the leader at the time) had their own secret police who executed "traitors" to the people. The Communist-loving Western media were assigned press minders who saw to it that they saw only the positive facets of Communist rule. By the contrast, the Nationalists let the Western press go wherever they wanted to. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-12-26 10:57:35 PM |
| #8 Huh. I didn't realize I sounded different, Shipman...you could be right about being carefree, we are on vacation after all (and I managed to get all the vacation/Xmas (husband is one of those inactive Catholics)/end of term stuff done before we left!!!). It could also have something to do with the fact that I'm not familiar with husband's laptop, and can't do all those kewl highlighting/italic/boldface thinkgies that add so very much character to my posts (while you expert types smile gently at my excitement about the whole thing). Happy Boxing Day to you and all Rantburgundians! |
| Posted by: Gleaper Thomomble7223 2004-12-26 8:00:30 PM |
| #7 Turn the Kurds loose on them and get it over. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-12-26 5:33:52 PM |
| #6 Is it me or does Trailing Wife sound different away from home? Probably feeling carefree. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-12-26 5:32:38 PM |
| #5 Keep in mind that this report directly contradicts previous reports indicating that Ansar al-Sunnah is comprised of foreign terrorists. |
| Posted by: Capt America 2004-12-26 4:07:09 PM |
| #4 Unlike al-Qaida, Ansar al-Sunnah is believed to be made up mainly of Iraqis, and its apparent strategy of targeting only Americans and those viewed as collaborating with them — Iraqi security forces and Kurds — may have increased its support, in contrast to other groups that have hit more clearly Iraqi civilian targets. In light of the mess hall attack, I advocate shifting gears and killing all members of Ansar al-Sunnah post haste. The group seeks an Islamic government and Islamic law in Iraq, stressing its opposition to democracy, which it says replaces God’s rightful rule with that of man. "We believe democracy is an atheist call that idolizes human beings," says a manifesto detailing Ansar al-Sunnah’s ideology. Any sane Iraqi needs to realize that only one splinter of their diverse country will benefit from such anti-democratic policy. Someone needs to point out quite clearly how only democracy alone will give voice to all of Iraq's people. Anything less will be nothing more than another totalitarian regime like Saddam's. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-12-26 3:58:57 PM |
| #3 Individualism or nationalism, that is the question. |
| Posted by: Capt America 2004-12-26 1:38:17 PM |
| #2 gleaper good point - the Maoists, were voluntarily protected by the population during the war against the Japanese and then the war against the Nationalists - the Ansar al Sunnah are involuntarily protected by the population because of intimidation |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-12-26 1:10:31 PM |
| #1 The article has some useful information, but the writer is spinning it hard. The ability to perpetrate dramatic booms does not equal the ability to sway the populace, especially when the elections are so close. Nor does it equal staying power: wasn't it Mao who said something about the Revolutionary swimming in the sea of an approving populace? That certainly does not appear to be the case in Iraq anymore. |
| Posted by: Gleaper Thomomble7223 2004-12-26 12:59:37 PM |