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Hamas of Iraq

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This article is about the group based in Iraq. For the Palestinian group, see Hamas.

Hamas of Iraq
حماس العراق
Foundation2007
Dates of operation18 March 2007 – 18 December 2011; still existed until 9 December 2017
Dissolved2017
Active regionsCentral Iraq
IdeologySunni Islam
Iraqi nationalism
Part ofPolitical Council for the Iraqi Resistance
Allies Islamic Army in Iraq
 United States (claimed by Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq)[1]
OpponentsIraq Iraqi Armed Forces
 United States
Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Islamic State of Iraq
Battles and warsIraqi insurgency (2003–2011) War in Iraq (2013-2017)
Designated as a terrorist group by Iraq[2]

Hamas of Iraq (Arabic: حماس العراق, romanized: Ḥamās al-'Irāq) was a Sunni militia group based in Iraq, which split from the 1920 Revolution Brigades on 18 March 2007.[3] The group claims to have released videos of its attack on US troops.[4] The 1920 Revolution Brigades insists that Hamas in Iraq was involved in assisting US troops in their recent Diyala operations against Al-Qaeda in Iraq.[5][6] Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has feared the US-armed 'concerned local citizens' are an armed Sunni opposition in the making, and has argued that such groups should be under the command of the Iraqi Army or police.[7] On October 11, 2007, the militia group joined a political council that embraced armed insurgency against American forces.[8]

Political program

Hamas in Iraq released a political program in April 2007 with some of the following provisions:[9]

  • "The movement believes in armed jihad as a means for expelling the occupier, and calls on public opinion and agencies and international institutions to respect this right... of all peoples to resist occupation, and to distinguish between that and armed crimes which target innocent civilians."
  • "We believe in a necessary link between military efforts and political action as two mutually supportive instruments for achieving the goals of resistance for liberation and salvation and preventing the fundamentalist movements from harvesting the fruits of the resistance."
  • "We confirm the necessity of continuing the killing until the exit of the last soldier from the occupying armies, and to not negotiate with the enemy except with an agreement of the factions of the jihad and the Iraqi resistance; and under the appropriate circumstances and conditions."

In July 2007, The Guardian reported that the group participated with other insurgent groups in an alliance called the Political Council for the Iraqi Resistance, which includes a range of Islamist and nationalist-leaning groups which was formed to negotiate with the Americans in anticipation of an early US withdrawal. Main planks of the joint political program included "a commitment to free Iraq from foreign troops, rejection of cooperation with parties involved in political institutions set up under the occupation and a declaration that decisions and agreements made by the US occupation and Iraqi government are null and void."[10]

Operations in Diyala in August 2007

The 1920 Revolution Brigades insists that Hamas in Iraq was involved in assisting US troops in their recent Diyala operations against Al-Qaeda in Iraq in August 2007.[5][6] The insistences occurred when The Washington Post reported in a telephone interview with Lt. Col. Joseph Davidson, executive officer of the 2nd Infantry Division, U.S. forces were now "partnering with Sunni insurgents from the 1920 Revolution Brigades, which includes former members of ousted president Saddam Hussein's disbanded army."[11] The 1920 Revolution Brigades replied that: "We say to … the occupation and to your followers and agents that you made a very big lie" in linking us with the Diyala anti-Al-Qaeda campaign.[12] The group maintains that the US military spokesman should have referred to "Iraqi Hamas", which consisted of Brigades before the operations.[5][6]

Post-2007

On 16 June 2015, Hamas in Iraq, with the help of the Iraqi Armed Forces, liberated a city from the jihadist group of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ "عصائب أهل الحق: أمريكا سلحت فصائل إرهابية متورطة بدماء العراقيين" [Asaib Ahl al-Haq: America has armed terrorist factions involved in the blood of Iraqis]. www.rudawarabia.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  2. ^ "نص الاعترافات الخطيرة لأعضاء الشبكة الارهابية والتي تدين الهاشمي و العيساوي". 20 December 2011.
  3. ^ "Iraqi Jihad Group Establishes New Political Framework called 'Hamas-Iraq'". Middle East Media Research Institute. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  4. ^ "Twentieth Revolution Brigades and Hamas of Iraq Individually Claim Downing American Helicopters in Baghdad, Video of Bombing Troop Transporter". SITE Institute. 10 April 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
  5. ^ a b c "Iraqi Resistance Report for events of Sunday, 26 August 2007". Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  6. ^ a b c "1920 Revolution Brigade memo denying involvement in Diyala Operations". 26 August 2007. Archived from the original on 28 August 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  7. ^ "US buys 'concerned citizens' in Iraq, but at what price?". AFP. 16 October 2007. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008.
  8. ^ "Iraq insurgent groups form one council". Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Abu Aardvark: Iraq insurgency developments". Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  10. ^ Milne, Seumas (19 July 2007). "Insurgents form political front to plan for US pullout". the Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  11. ^ Anderson, John Ward; Dehima, Salih (20 June 2007). "Offensive Targets Al-Qaeda In Iraq". The Washington Post. p. 1. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  12. ^ "Offensives elsewhere, but Baghdad remains deadliest for U.S. troops". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2014.

Denial of working with coalition forces

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