Jeish Muhammad (; JM) is an
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 ...
i
militant
The English word ''militant'' is both an adjective and a noun, and it is generally used to mean vigorously active, combative and/or aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in "militant reformers". It comes from the 15th century Lat ...
group that is both politically and religiously motivated. The politically motivated faction within JM is primarily made up of former
Ba'athist
Ba'athism, also spelled Baathism, is an Arab nationalist ideology which advocates the establishment of a unified Arab state through the rule of a Ba'athist vanguard party operating under a revolutionary socialist framework. The ideology ...
members mainly from the Sunni region. Many who enjoyed special status during the leadership of
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
were from
Tikrit
Tikrit ( ) is a city in Iraq, located northwest of Baghdad and southeast of Mosul on the Tigris River. It is the administrative center of the Saladin Governorate. In 2012, it had a population of approximately 160,000.
Originally created as a f ...
, which is in turn within an area of Iraq where the Arab population is mostly Sunni. People who generally hold the ex-vice-president,
Izzat Ibrahim ad-Douri
Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri (; 1 July 1942 – 26 October 2020) was an Iraqi politician, military officer and field marshal. He served as Vice Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council until the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States ...
, in exceptionally high esteem were members of the security, intelligence and police forces from the previous government.
Jaysh Muhammad was initially believed to consist of fighters who had infiltrated
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 ...
from
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
and other Arab countries. Later it was reported by the
Iraq Survey Group
The Iraq Survey Group (ISG) was a fact-finding mission sent by the multinational force in Iraq to discover the extent of Saddam Husseins' Weapons of Mass Destruction program that had been the main ostensible reason for the invasion in 2003. Its ...
, that membership appears to be primarily of Iraqi citizens, former regime officers. This was supported by their ability to use a pre-war information network and supply infrastructure. The JM was responsible for sophisticated attacks on
Coalition forces
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 according to the Bonn Agreement, which outlined t ...
during early 2004, assisted by former intelligence and security officers.
Attacks
On August 19, 2003, a masked man claiming to speak for the Islamic Jihad Brigades of Muhammad's Army, Abdallah Bin-Iyad Brigade, took responsibility for the a bombing at the
UN compound in Baghdad through an audiotape provided to Lebanon's
LBC satellite television. A group calling itself the Armed Vanguards of the Second Muhammad Army claimed responsibility for the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, The claim took the form of a typewritten, Arabic statement shown on the
Al-Arabiya station on August 21, 2003.
On January 31, 2004, men with their faces covered circulated a declaration in
Fallujah
Fallujah ( ) is a city in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq. Situated on the Euphrates, Euphrates River, it is located roughly to the west of the capital city of Baghdad and from the neighboring city of Ramadi. The city is located in the region ...
outlining their plan for taking control of Iraqi cities after the US occupation forces withdraw. The declaration was signed by 12 organizations and groups including: The Iraqi Islamic Patriotic Resistance (al-Muqawamah al-Wataniyah al-Islamiyah al-'Iraqiyah), the Salafi Movement for Propagation and Jihad (al-Harakah as-Salafiyah li-d-Da'wah wa-l-Jihad), the al-Qari'ah Organization (Tanzim al-Qari'ah), the Army of Partisans of the Sunnah (Jeish Ansar as-Sunnah), and the Army of Muhammad.
An anonymous interview with a member of Jaysh Muhammad from
Ba'qubah
Baqubah (; BGN: Ba‘qūbah; also spelled Baquba and Baqouba) is the capital of Iraq's Diyala Governorate. The city is located some to the northeast of Baghdad, on the Diyala River. In 2003 it had an estimated population of some 280,000 people. ...
gave to the
Institute for War and Peace Reporting
The Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) is an independent nonprofit organization that trains and provide publishing opportunities for professional and citizen journalists. IWPR is registered in the UK as a charity (charity reg. no: 1027201, ...
was published on May 14, 2004. The insurgent stated that the majority of Jaysh Muhammad combatants are farmer workers who joined the
Salafi
The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a fundamentalist revival movement within Sunni Islam, originating in the late 19th century and influential in the Islamic world to this day. The name "''Salafiyya''" is a self-designation, claiming a retu ...
st
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 ...
movement to drive the coalition from Iraq. He said there were only a few foreign fighters in the group and that they had "lived with us
efore the warand did not come from abroad after the war." He denied that the group, which he described as not Wahhabi, is linked to
Al-Qaeda
, image = Flag of Jihad.svg
, caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions
, founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden
, leaders = {{Plainlist,
* Osama bin Lad ...
. He also claimed that the group received no funding from abroad, but that it is funded "from honorable and good people in this country." He said that Jaysh Muhammad opposed the
Iraqi Governing Council
The Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) was the provisional government of Iraq from 13 July 2003 to 1 June 2004. It was established by and served under the United States-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). The IGC consisted of various Iraqi ...
because it was not elected, and since so many of the Council members were exiles. "They do not understand Iraqis' suffering and Arab traditions.
hey
Hey, HEY, or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the ...
were distorted by the Western life they lived," he said. He also claimed that his group is affiliated with an Islamic political party, but declined to identify which party, only to say that it is not the
Iraqi Islamic Party
The Iraqi Islamic Party is the largest Sunni Islamist political party in Iraq as well as the most prominent member of the Iraqi Accord Front political coalition. It was part of the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and is part of th ...
. While he denied the group targeted Iraq police officers, he condoned the kidnapping of foreigners, saying that "kidnapping is an obligation." He also said: "There is no real
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
. It is an organization completely controlled by the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and its resolutions always serve U.S. interests."
In November 2004 during
Operation Phantom Fury
The Second Battle of Fallujah, initially codenamed Operation Phantom Fury, Operation al-Fajr (, ) was an American-led offensive of the Iraq War that began on 7 November 2004 and lasted about six weeks.
A joint military effort of the United ...
, the U.S. staged a large scale assault on Fallujah and captured Moayad Ahmed Yasseen, the leader of Jaysh Muhammad. Yasseen while under detention of the Coalition soldiers confessed to seeking aid from the Iranian government and having contacts with Iranian intelligence officers. Yasseen was a former colonel in Saddam Hussein's army. Yaseen went on to state Iranian officials provided money, weapons "and as far as I know even car bombs" for the group. He said among the officials they met in Iran was its supreme leader
Ali Khamenei
Ali Hosseini Khamenei (; born 19 April 1939) is an Iranian cleric and politician who has served as the second supreme leader of Iran since 1989. He previously served as the third President of Iran, president from 1981 to 1989. Khamenei's tenure ...
. He further stated he received permission from
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
, before his capture, to seek money and weapons from the Syrian government, he did not state if that request was granted.
Stratfor
Strategic Forecasting Inc., commonly known as Stratfor, is an American strategic intelligence publishing company founded in 1996. Stratfor's business model is to provide individual and enterprise subscriptions to Stratfor Worldview, its online p ...
however reported that no evidence has been produced to date that Hussein oversaw strategic decision-making for, or provided money to, any guerrilla force. Furthermore, Jeish Muhammad in a statement to Basra Network denied that Yassen was ever a commanding general in the group, as was claimed in the media.
Composition
It is rumored that Jaysh Muhammad is the military wing of the
Arab Socialist Ba'th Party (ASBP). The group is said to have been founded in 2003 by a group of insurgents in
Diyala during a meeting between representatives from the towns of
Ramadi
Ramadi ( ''Ar-Ramādī''; also formerly rendered as ''Rumadiyah'' or ''Rumadiya'') is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad and west of Fallujah. It is the capital and largest city of Al Anbar Governorate which shares borders with Syri ...
, Fallujah,
Samarra
Samarra (, ') is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The modern city of Samarra was founded in 836 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim as a new administrative capital and mi ...
and Baquba.
Known brigades of Jaysh Muhammad:
#
Al-husayn Brigade
#
Al-Abbas Brigade
#
Islamic Jihad Brigade
#
Abdallah Bin-Jahsh Bin-Rikab al-Asadi Brigade
#
Walid Bin al-Mughirah Brigade
#
Umar al-Faruq Brigade
#
Al-Mahdi al-Muntazir
See also
*
al-Abud Network
The al-Abud Network is a former insurgent group who was operating within Iraq during the Iraq War. First reported in the "Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the DCI on Iraq's WMD", the group is alleged to have attempted to acquire chemi ...
*
Iraq War
The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
*
Second Battle of Fallujah
The Second Battle of Fallujah, initially codenamed Operation Phantom Fury, Operation al-Fajr (, ) was an American-led offensive of the Iraq War that began on 7 November 2004 and lasted about six weeks.
A joint military effort of the United ...
*
Fedayeen Saddam
Fedayeen Saddam () was an Iraqi paramilitary militia Fedayeen organization loyal to the Ba'athist regime of Saddam Hussein. The group's name means "Saddam's Men of Sacrifice". At its peak, they had 30,000 to 40,000 members. The Fedayeen operate ...
References
External links
Global Security - Jaysh Muhammad
{{Ba'ath Party
2003 establishments in Iraq
Arab nationalist militant groups
Ba'ath Party paramilitary organizations
Ba'athist organizations
Factions in the Iraq War
Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)
Organizations designated as terrorist by Iraq
Rebel groups in Iraq
Sunni Islamist groups