Islamic Terror Orgs: Ansar Al Islam (Iraq)

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• published: 06 Apr 2012
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Ansar Al Islam was a Sunni Islamic group in Iraq which got influx from Afghani Islamists after the US Invasion of Afghanistan. Occupying the northeast corner of Iraq, the group was targeted by Special Forces just prior to the start of the Iraq war. This Islamic terrorist group was used as a pretext for invasion of Iraq, even though the Sadaam-led legitimate government of Iraq and the group were enemies. The general consensus of experts, as well as the conclusion of the intelligence community and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, is that Saddam was infiltrating the group because he was hostile to it and aimed to destroy it. But the Bush Administration claimed a connection, with Colin Powell in February 2003, making it sound (in his speech to the UN Security Council) as if Baghdad were actually supporting, rather than infiltrating, the group. "Baghdad has an agent in the most senior levels of the radical organization, Ansar al-Islam, that controls this corner of Iraq. In 2000 this agent offered Al Qaida safe haven in the region. After we swept Al Qaida from Afghanistan, some of its members accepted this safe haven." While Al Qaeda provided material support to Ansar al-Islam, which was located in the northeast corner of Iraw, the Iraqi government was conducting operations to infiltrate and destroy Ansar al-Islam. However, after Powell left office, said evidence presented to him for the speech (that tried to implicate Bahgdad) was questionable. He told Barbara Walters in an interview that he considered the speech a "blot" on his record and that he feels "terrible" about assertions that he made in the speech that turned out to be false. When asked specifically about a Saddam/al-Qaeda connection, Powell responded, "I have never seen a connection. ... I can't think otherwise because I'd never seen evidence to suggest there was one." Ansar Al Islam was kicked out of Iraq in a joint effort betweeen the Kurdish Forces and US Special Forces (Covert US 'Special Activities Division' Paramilitary teams) just preceding the start of the Iraq war. Most members have disbanded and joined other Islamic groups, including Ansar al-Sunnah, some of whom remain in that region, and some of whom operate from other countries. Kurdish forces have since been the target of suicide bombing attacks. Ansar Al Islam leader, Krekar, is now living openly and freely in Oslo, Norway, and has managed to evade or be exhonerated of all terrorism charges.