Al-Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq relies on funding from Syria, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, according to confessions allegedly made by its reputed leader, Omar al-Baghdadi following his arrest last month, the Iraqi military said on Monday. "Confessions made by Ahmed Abid Khameess al-Majmaee, known as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, are part of Iraqi judiciary's investigations," General Qassim Atta told journalists at a media conference in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.| "I was called al-Baghdadi to satisfy Sunnis, and al-Husseini to satisfy the rest of Iraq," he explained. |
External funding came from some associations based in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria as well as some people who bring money to Iraq, he claimed. Some funding also came from salaries embezzled from Iraqi employees, he stated. "There are also internal sources derived from theft, or stolen from the salaries of employees," he said.
The Islamic State of Iraq, formed in October 2006, consists of seven armed groups, including the AQI, all of which were commanded by al-Baghdadi. He claimed he received instructions from a handler in Iraq, the Voice of Iraq news agency reported. The AQI, the Islamic State of Iraq and the dissolved Baath Party, "all have the same funding sources and conduct combined operations," al-Baghdadi said.