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This article is about the group called "Al-Qaeda in Iraq". For the alleged earlier involvement of al-Qaeda in Iraq, see Saddam Hussein And Al-Qaeda . Al-Qaeda in Iraq (, ''Al-Qaa`idatu fii bilaadi r-raafidayn'', '''al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia ''') is the Mujahideen network of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi , a Jordan ian-born Mujahid believed operating against United States -led coalition forces in Iraq . It is the Iraqi branch of Al-Qaeda. Before September, 2004 the group was called Jama'at al- Tawhid wal- Jihad (, '''Monotheism and Holy War Movement''') The group's name, which is usually abbreviated as JTJ, purposely contrasts the strict Monotheism of Islam with what it sees as the Polytheism of the Christian Trinity . The name change is significant as it uses the archaic name of Iraq used in the Islamic Caliphate era. ORIGINS JTJ was started by Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi , a Jordanian and veteran of the Soviet-Afghan War , during the 1980s at an Islamic militant training camp near Herat in Afghanistan . Zarqawi started the network originally with a focus on overthrowing the Jordanian Government , which he considered to be un-Islamic and made up of "hypocrites". Zarqawi comes from a school of militant Sunni Islamist and Wahhabi thought, which advocates a return to the laws and practices of the Muslim community immediately following the death of the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th Century . After spending five years in a Jordanian prison, for attempting to overthrow the government, Zarqawi later left the country. JTJ likely had loose affiliation with Al-Qaeda , but is a separate organization that is to a degree competitive. Eventually, Zarqawi developed a large number of contacts and affiliates in several countries. His network may have been involved in the late 1999 plot to bomb the Millennium celebrations in the US and Jordan. Following the US-led Invasion Of Afghanistan , it is believed that Zarqawi moved westward into Iraq , where he may have received medical treatment in Baghdad for an injured leg. It is believed that he developed extensive ties in Iraq with Ansar Al-Islam , a Kurdish Islamist militant group that was based in the extreme northeast of the country, but there is no evidence that deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein or the Iraqi government was involved in harboring Zarqawi or Ansar al-Islam. Following the U.S-led Invasion Of Iraq , JTJ was developed as a terrorist network composed of foreign fighters, remnants of Ansar al-Islam, and indigenous Sunni extremists to resist the coalition occupation forces and their Iraqi allies. The group's spiritual advisor is Abu Anas Al-Shami . GOALS The goals of Zarqawi's network have shifted considerably over the years. Originally with a localized goal of overthrowing the Jordanian government, the organization gradually became more globalized and, following the fall of Baghdad to American forces, Iraq clearly became the main focus. The stated goals of JTJ are to force a withdrawal of U.S-led forces from Iraq, topple the Iraqi interim government and assassinate collaborators with the " Occupation ," marginalize the Shiite Muslim population and defeat its militias, and to subsequently establish a pure Islamic state. Presumably, if and when those goals are achieved, the global jihad would continue to establish a pan-Islamic state and remove Western influence from the Muslim world. TACTICS JTJ differs from other Iraqi Insurgent groups considerably in its tactics. Rather than just using conventional weapons and guerilla tactics, it has relied heavily on using terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings, mostly with vehicles, targeting a wide variety of groups but most especially Iraqi security forces and those facilitating the occupation. U.S and coalition forces, the United Nations , foreign civilians, Humanitarian organizations, Shiite and Kurdish political and religious figures, Iraqi police and security forces, and Iraqi interim officials have also been targeted. Zarqawi's militants have been known to use a wide variety of other tactics, however, including targeted Assassinations , Kidnapping s and Beheading s, the planting of improvised explosive devices, mortar attacks, and in beginning in a late June offensive urban guerilla-style attacks using Rocket-propelled Grenade s and small arms. For months, it appeared as though two separate wars were being conducted in Iraq. One was a militant campaign, largely conducted by foreign Jihad is, of high-profile suicide bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings. The other was a guerilla war being conducted by Nationalist s, indigenous Sunni Islamists, and disenfranchised former Ba'ath Party members against American troops. Recently, as Zarqawi's network has taken root and grown in Iraq and as the insurgents have become more radicalized and religiously motivated, the distinction between the two has reduced. The June 24 offensive, which combined guerrilla, and conventional tactics and in which a number of groups operating under the Zarqawi umbrella participated, was the clearest indication of this shift. Militants in this group also have been known to operate with other insurgents in Samarra , where they openly patrolled, enforcing Sharia law and distributing audiotapes of the Qur'an before a U.S-led offensive on the city in the beginning of October. LIST OF ATTACKS The following is a list of some of the most notable attacks believed to have been perpetrated by Zarqawi's network:
U.S CAMPAIGN AGAINST ZARQAWI'S FORCES The American effort against Zarqawi's network remained largely stagnant due to a lack of credible intelligence. Protecting "soft targets" against bombings conducted by an elusive force is a nearly impossible task. In late June, U.S. forces began a campaign of missile strikes against suspected JTJ safehouses in Fallujah , a stronghold of insurgents and radical clerics and the supposed focus of Zarqawi's terrorist network. In April 2004 , U.S. Marines invaded Fallujah killing several hundred militiamen and civilian residents of the city before withdrawing. Between June 18 and June 25 , over 60 people were killed in three separate air raids conducted by the U.S military in Fallujah. Civilians and officials in Fallujah charged that civilian targets were hit. Zarqawi himself was said to have narrowly escaped the June 25 th attack, although there have been conflicting reports as to whether he is within Fallujah. Iraqi civilians, militiamen, policemen, and members of the Iraqi and U.S. military have suffered several hundred deaths and injuries in subsequent months during an escalating series of duels between anti-coalition terrorists employing car bombs and U.S. forces employing airstrikes. The Euphrates River region between Baghdad and Ramadi is the focus of the search for Zarqawi and his followers. On October 15, 2004, the U.S. State Department announced its designation of JTJ as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 . Press release . SEE ALSO REFERENCES
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