Who Are The Islamic Army in Iraq?

Views on BG | April 21, 2005, Thursday // 00:00

The Islamic Army in Iraq, one of the Iraqi's militant insurgent groups, has claimed responsibility for kidnapping several foreigners.

Dubbed originally Al-Jaish al-Islami fi al-Iraq, the guerilla faction has been actively organising and carrying out attacks on foreign military and civilian targets.

The group has initiated a brutally violent campaign against foreigners within Iraq, specifically anyone believed to be cooperating with the US-led coalition. It has been implicated in several gruesome beheading deaths.

The terrorist group aims to drive all US and its related coalition forces, both military and civilian, from Iraq. However, the group does not limit its attacks to just these groups; it has also murdered French journalists, Pakistani contractors, an Italian journalist, and Macedonian citizens working for a US company.

Often, the Islamic Army in Iraq will kidnap an individual or group of people and then make an overarching demand.

It captured Enzo Baldoni, an Italian journalist who also volunteered for the Red Cross in Iraq. IAI demanded that Italy withdraw all troops from Iraq or Enzo Baldoni, both an independent journalist and humanitarian volunteer, would be killed. Italy did not recall its troops and Baldoni was murdered.

This is a common tactic of the guerilla. The Islamic Army in Iraq has also attacked French civilians in retaliation for France's law regarding headscarves in schools. IAI does not limit its terrorist attacks to non-Iraqis; the group has also executed Iraqi people who join Iraq's police and military services.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Views on BG » Be a reporter: Write and send your article

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria