A presentation of âThe Fighting Policy of Qaedat al-Jihad in the Land of Two Rivers,â recently issued by the Global Islamic Media Front, an al-Qaeda mouthpiece, and authored by Abu Abdullah Ahmad al-Omar, seeks to explain the phases and ultimate goal of the insurgency of al-Qaeda in Iraq, led by its emir, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, against Americans and the current, interim Iraqi government. According to the text, Zarqawi had formulated a strategy against the American Army following the fall of Afghanistan, nearly a year before the start of the War in Iraq, and his actions and that of his group follow a pragmatic, yet Shariâa applicable course to defeat America.
According to the author, Zarqawi fled with some companions to Kurdistan after Afghanistan fell and prepared to fight Americans before they âinvaded Iraq for more than a year,â establishing camps and warehouses, and recruiting followers from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Zarqawi is stated to have not launched the insurgency until the Iraqi Baâath regime toppled, so it will be the âclean start for Abu Musab away from the accusations of supporting the Baâath party, which was represented by Saddamâ.
The jihad in Iraq, then, entails three distinct phases, each possessing specific targets and desired ends. The first phase, to âisolate the American Army,â entails the murder of Arab translators who represent the link between the Americans and the Iraqis, and the murder of Iraqi security forces, who âbecame shields to the American Army.â As the American casualties increase over a protracted period, the author believes that they âwill find it imperative to withdraw,â regardless of alleged lies by the media. The second phase includes the targeting of Arab or foreign ambassadors, to isolate the Iraqi government and make it only recognizable on paper. According to the text, the murder of the Egyptian and Algerian diplomats was not only justified, but al-Qaeda in Iraq is absolved of blame because they âwarned all nations several timesâ to not send their ambassadors.
The third phase involves the targeting of the âinfidelâs militiaâ of the Shiâites in al-Ghadr Brigade, which the author alleges to be supported by Iran and Syria, and have also been attacking the Sunnis. The author finds that the area must be cleared from any âcompetitorâ before the American Army withdraws from Iraq, so the mujahideen may control the land and set up Sharâa courts to fight the âheretic doctrine and forbidden things.â THe mujahideen in Iraq represent the ânew generation,â training in explosives and car bombs, and âthat is what the whole world is afraid of!â |