Narrative
Narrative of the Organization's History
Narrative of the Organization's History
Leadership, Name Changes, Size Estimates, Resources, Geographic Locations
Ideology, Aims, Political Activities, Targets, and Tactics
First Attacks, Largest Attacks, Notable Attacks
Foreign Designations and Listings, Community Relations, Relations with Other Groups, State Sponsors and External Influences
Mapping relationships with other militant groups over time in regional maps
The SSU was a primarily militant group and does not appear to have taken part in large-scale political activities until after joining Jund al-Islam. However, in 1998, Hawleri created a political activist group called the Central Islamic Faction (CIF). The group was led by Hawleri and a Turkoman named Abu Khubayi Barachak, who was later imprisoned by the KDP on terrorism charges. The CIF’s activities were largely undocumented and thus its purpose and connection to the SSU remain unclear.[14]
Very little is known about the SSU’s targets or tactics. However, it was widely known that the group possessed a large arsenal of heavy weaponry.[15]
Disclaimer: These are some selected major attacks in the militant organization's history. It is not a comprehensive listing but captures some of the most famous attacks or turning points during the campaign.
Although the SSU is known to have violently opposed the KDP and PUK, there is no documentation of any specific attacks conducted by the group.[16]
The SSU was never designated as a foreign terrorist organization; however, Ansar al-Islam was listed by the U.S. as a terrorist group in 2004.[17]
The SSU split from the IMK in 1998 because it objected to the IMK’s cooperation with the largely secular KRG. In 2001, the SSU merged with the al-Tawhid Islamic Front and Kurdish Hamas to form Jund al-Islam, which became the largest founding member of Ansar al-Islam later that year.[18]
The SSU was deeply opposed to the secular PUK and KDP and violently clashed with these groups between 1998 and 2001.[19]
The SSU operated almost exclusively within Iraq and it is unclear if was in contact with any groups or governments outside of the country. Many of its members, however, were veterans of the Afghan Mujahedeen of the 1980s, and thus had received training Afghanistan.[20]
[1] Rubin, Michael. "The Islamist Threat in Iraqi Kurdistan." Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, December 2001. 7 August 2012.
[2] Rubin, Michael. "The Islamist Threat in Iraqi Kurdistan." Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, December 2001. 7 August 2012.
[3] “Ansar al-Islam." Janes Terrorism Monitor, 17 October 2010.
[4] Rubin, Michael. "The Islamist Threat in Iraqi Kurdistan." Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, December 2001. 7 August 2012.
[5] Romano, David. "An Outline of Kurdish Islamist Groups in Iraq." The Jamestown Foundation, September 2007 p.10. Web. 15 October 2010.
[6] Rubin, Michael. "The Islamist Threat in Iraqi Kurdistan." Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, December 2001. 7 August 2012.
[7] "Ansar al-Islam in Iraqi Kurdistan." Human Rights Watch, Date unknown. Web. 18 October 2010.
[8] "Muslim Extremist Caught." LexisNexis Academic, The Daily Telegraph, 16 October 2003.
[9] "Ansar al-Islam in Iraqi Kurdistan." Human Rights Watch, Date unknown. Web. 18 October 2010.
[10] Rubin, Michael. "The Islamist Threat in Iraqi Kurdistan." Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, December 2001. 7 August 2012.
[11] Rubin, Michael. "The Islamist Threat in Iraqi Kurdistan." Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, December 2001. 7 August 2012.
[12] Romano, David. "An Outline of Kurdish Islamist Groups in Iraq." The Jamestown Foundation, September 2007 p.10. Web. 15 October 2010; “Kitaab al-Haqiqa.” Information Bureau of Ansar al-Islam, p.4, (trans. Ansar al-Mujahideen English Forum). Web. 18 October 2010.
[13] “Kitaab al-Haqiqa.” Information Bureau of Ansar al-Islam, p.4, (trans. Ansar al-Mujahideen English Forum). Web. 18 October 2010.
[14] Rubin, Michael. "The Islamist Threat in Iraqi Kurdistan." Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, December 2001. 7 August 2012.
[15] Rubin, Michael. "The Islamist Threat in Iraqi Kurdistan." Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, December 2001. 7 August 2012.
[16] Romano, David. "An Outline of Kurdish Islamist Groups in Iraq." The Jamestown Foundation, September 2007 p.10. Web. 15 October 2010; Rubin, Michael. "The Islamist Threat in Iraqi Kurdistan." Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, December 2001. 7 August 2012.
[17] US Department of State. “Foreign Terrorist Organizations: Bureau of Counterterrorism.” US Department of State. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
[18] Romano, David. "An Outline of Kurdish Islamist Groups in Iraq." The Jamestown Foundation, September 2007 p.10. Web. 15 October 2010.
[19] Rubin, Michael. "The Islamist Threat in Iraqi Kurdistan." Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, December 2001. 7 August 2012.
[20] "Ansar al-Islam." Jane’s Terrorism Monitor, 17 October 2010.