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The 1920 Revolution Brigades () was a
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
militant and insurgent group in
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
, formed by former members of the disbanded Saddam-era Iraqi military, following the 2003 American invasion of Iraq. The group had used improvised explosive devices, and armed attacks against U.S.-led Coalition forces and comprises the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement. The group was named in reference to the Iraqi revolt of 1920.


Allegiances

A U.S. military spokesman states that the group is now aligned with U.S. forces, while the Brigades denied this in a posting on its web site: in linking the group with the Diyala anti-al Qaeda campaign. The group maintains that the " Iraqi Hamas" organization, which consisted of members who left the Brigades before the Diyala operation, were the ones involved in the operation. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has feared such U.S.-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.


Activities

The 1920 Revolution Brigades describes its aim as to establish a liberated and independent Iraqi state on an Islamic basis. It has been active in the Sunni area west of Baghdad, in the regions of Abu Ghraib, Khan Dari and Fallujah and in the governorates of Nineveh, Diyala and al-Anbar. The name of the group () refers to the Iraqi revolt of 1920 against the British, drawing an implicit parallel between the nationalist movement against Britain with the Iraqi guerrillas fighting against coalition forces in the 21st century. They are the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement. The logo of the group is a map of Iraq, with a
Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
on top of it, and the verse . In the middle there is a mirrored symbol of an AK-47, with an Iraqi flag attached to it. Between the gun and the flag, a small print says "Islamic Resistance movement", and below, a larger print reads "Brigades of the 20th Revolution."


History

The Brigade first emerged in a 16 July statement in which it claimed that U.S. forces were sustaining higher casualties than were being reported. Since then, it resurfaced periodically, including in graffiti in such insurgent strongholds as Fallujah. This group appears to concentrate on guerilla activity, rather than terrorism, and is sensitive to the opinions of the established Sunni Muslim clergy in Iraq (in contrast to groups such as Jama't al-Tawhid wal-Jihad). High-profile operations include the kidnapping of American citizen Dean Sadek in November 2004 and the bombing of the al-Arabiya television network headquarters in Baghdad in October 2005. It has also shot down several American helicopters in the Fallujah region. Little is known about the group's leadership. On 2 January 2005, the Ministry of Defence (Iraq) reported that Iraqi security forces arrested Hatim al-Zawba'i, whom they identified as a commander of the 1920 Revolution Brigades. In a statement issued on 13 February 2006, the group vowed to "carry on jihad until the liberation and victory or ntil they aremartyred.
In 2014, after the rise of the
Islamic State The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...
in Iraq, the brigades of the 1920 revolution They clarified that they are not allies of the
Islamic State The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...
, but that if the Iranian intervention in Iraq killed
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
civilians, they would respond with attacks.


Organization split

In March 2007 some of its members broke off from the 1920 Revolution Brigades to form Hamas of Iraq. In a statement issued on 18 March 2007, the 1920 Revolution Brigades stated that it had dissolved into two new brigades, ''Islamic Conquest'' and ''Islamic Jihad''. Islamic Conquest became Hamas of Iraq and is the name chosen for its military wing. Islamic Jihad took over the name Twentieth Revolution Brigades, promising to uphold its jihadi inheritance.


Relationships with others

The 1920 Revolution Brigades has used bombings, kidnappings, and armed attacks against U.S. forces but does not target non-Muslims or Shiites, staying out of the sectarian war. As a result, it has developed a growing rift with The Jihad Base Organization in Mesopotamia, which has used suicide bombings to often target Shiite civilians which they regard as infidels. The 1920 Revolution Brigade turned down an offer to pledge allegiance to an insurgent coalition group, the Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC), established by the Jihad Base Organization in Mesopotamia. On 27 March 2007, the leader of the 1920 Revolution Brigade, Harith Dhahir Khamis al-Dari (nephew of the most prominent Sunni Iraqi cleric, Haith al-Dari) was killed in an ISI ambush. Intermittent gun battles have taken place between fighters of the 1920 Revolution Brigades and the Islamic State in Iraq, and rumors have circulated of negotiations between members of the group and the Iraqi government and U.S. forces. Although the group has used bombings, kidnappings, and armed attacks against U.S. forces, on 20 June 2007, ''The Washington Post'' reported that, per telephone interview with Lt. Col. Joseph Davidson, executive officer of the 2nd Infantry Division, U.S. forces were now The group has since replied that: in linking us with the Diyala anti-al-Qaeda campaign. The group maintains that the organization to which the US military spokesman referred had become the " Iraqi Hamas" organization, which consisted of members who left before the Diyala operation and were no longer associated with the 1920 Brigades. In October 2007, ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' reported that the 1920 Revolution Brigades would not join an alliance of six other Iraqi insurgent groups. The six groups listed a 14-point political program, including a call for continued action against US forces and a declaration that all laws passed by the Iraq government were null and void. A spokesman for the brigades said it did not join because it did not want to fight with those Sunni tribal groups working with the US against al-Qaeda. The spokesman also denied an ''Economist'' report that the 1920 Revolution Brigades was working with Americans, and insisted the group was still attacking Americans.


See also

* List of armed groups in the Iraqi Civil War * Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)


References


External links


October 2007: Statement from the 1920 Revolution Brigades

Anti-US Iraqi Resistance Regrouping

Official Website
{{Militant Islamism Arab militant groups Factions in the Iraq War Islamist insurgent groups Paramilitary organizations based in Iraq Organizations established in 2003 Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) Islamic organizations based in Iraq Terrorism in Iraq 2003 establishments in Iraq Resistance movements Organizations affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood