1st Edition
The Terrorists of Iraq Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003-2014, Second Edition
The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003-2014, Second Edition is a highly detailed and exhaustive history and analysis of terror groups that both formed the Iraq insurgency and led to the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). It places heavy emphasis on the history, organization, and personalities of the al-Qaeda in Iraq (now ISIS), the former Baathist regime loyalists, and Shiite insurgents. The book also thoroughly analyzes how Iraq became the center of the ISIS strategy to create an Islamic caliphate in the heart of the Middle East.
As terrorism activity proliferates and spreads globally, this timely second edition provides a solid understanding of how the Iraq insurgency was a born after the U.S.-led invasion, which led to the crisis of today. More specifically, the book:
- Illustrates the political, combat, and religious strategy as well as street-level tactics of the insurgents
- Reveals what American, British, and coalition soldiers endured in Iraq on the street every day for eight years, and what the Iraqi army and people now endure
- Demonstrates how the Iraqis employ very specific terrorist acts at particularly auspicious times to meet their strategic political or propaganda goals during a terror campaign
- Delineates strategies that the enemy saw as critical in forcing U.S. and coalition forces to withdraw, and the terrorist strategy that besieges the Shiite government that was left behind
- Includes three new chapters on the evolution of ISIS from al-Qaeda in Iraq (2011-2014), a revised history of al-Qaeda in Iraq (2005-2011), and updated geopolitical intelligence predictions
The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003-2014, Second Edition offers an unbiased examination of the myriad of Iraqi terror groups and the goal of expanding the Islamic State across the Middle East. The book shares knowledge that will hopefully limit the killing machine that is the Iraq insurgency and someday bring about a stable partner in the Middle East.
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction
Section I: Preparation for Insurgency
Who Is Fighting in Iraq?
The Cornerstone of Terror: The Ex-Ba’athist Loyalists
The Iraqi Resistance Movement and the Foreign Mujahideen
Introducing al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI)
Fighting Misperceptions
Endnotes
Victory through Defeat: Saddam Plans for Insurgency
Repeating a Very Bad History?
Unambiguous Indicators
The Prewar Insurgency Plan
The Iraqi War Plan: Embracing Defeat
Mogadishu on the Tigris
Treated as Liberators?
Endnotes
Crucible of the Insurgency: The Fedayeen Goes to War
First Line of Defense—The Air Defense Forces
Second Line of Defense—The Iraqi Army
Third Line of Defense—The Republican Guard
Last Line of Defense—The Paramilitary Irregulars, Terrorists, and Special Republican Guard
The Saddam Fedayeen (Firqah al-Fidayi Saddam)
Commander of the Saddam Fedayeen—Uday Hussein
The Professional Terrorists Arrive—Tawhid Wal-Jihad and al-Qaeda
The Fedayeen Become Terrorists
Invasion and S-VBIEDs—Introduction of the Suicide Car Bomb to Iraq
The Fedayeen Disperse
Endnotes
Victory from the Jaws of Defeat: Launching the Iraq Insurgency
Implementing the Insurgency
The Second "1920 Revolution"
Leading the Resistance—Lt. Gen. Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri
Godfathers of the Insurgency—The Prewar Internal Intelligence Apparatus
Commander of the Security Apparatus—Qusay Hussein
Special Security Organization—SSO (Hijaz al-Amn al-Khas)
Special Republican Guard
Operational Command of the SRG
SRG Combat Units
Iraqi Intelligence Service—IIS (al-Mukahbarat)
Director of Foreign Intelligence (M4)
Directorate of Technical Affairs (M4/4/5)
Directorate of Counterintelligence (M5)
Directorate of Clandestine Operations (M13)
Directorate of Special Operations Department (M14-SOD)
Directorate of Signals Intelligence (M17)
Directorate of Surveillance (M20)
Al Ghafiqi Project Division (M21)
Directorate of Opposition Group Activities (M40)
Directorate of General Security—DGS (Amn al-‘Amm)
Directorate of General Military Intelligence—DGMI (Mudiriyah al-Istikhbarat al-‘Askriah al-‘Ammah or Istikhbarat)
Directorate of Military Security—DMS (Amn al-Askaria)
The DMS Special Operations Unit 999
Former Regime Loyalist Insurgent Groups
Organization
National Command of the Islamic Resistance—Unified Mujahideen Command (NCIR-UMC)
NCIR-UMC Senior Command
Regional Commands
FRL Insurgent Roles and Responsibilities
Local Terror Cells/Groups (Insurgent Brigades)
Financing the Insurgency
Endnotes
The Insurgent’s Strategy
The FRL Long-Range Strategy
Military Strategy of the Insurgency
Strategic Phases of the Insurgency
Mission Accomplished: The Primary Goal of the Insurgency Was Breaking the Will of the American People
Tactical Goals
How Many Insurgents Were There?
An Enemy without Gains or Losses
Estimate of the Core Insurgency, 2003–2011
The Original Number and Experience of the Core Cadres
Doing the Math
Terrorist Brigades or Terrorist Battalions?
Size and Roles of the Insurgent Cells
FRL Cells
Iraqi Religious Extremist Cells
Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Foreign Fighters
AQI Cell Composition (2003–2011)
Insurgent Casualties
Endnotes
Section II: Knife Fight in a Phone Booth—Bringing on the Insurgency
Bringing It On
The FRLs Organize
The FRLs Destroy the Evidence
First Strikes of the After-War
Mission Accomplished
CPA Order No. 1—You’re Fired
Phase 1: The Kill Campaign
"This Is Not a Resistance Movement"
"Bring Them On"
Phase 2: The Humiliation Campaign
Enter the Islamic Extremists
The Insurgency Explodes
Phase 3: The Punishment Campaign
The Anti-Shiite Clerics Campaign
The FRL Anti-Human Intelligence Campaign
Phase 4: The Inspire Campaign
Endnotes
Insurgent Weapons and Tactics
Looting the Arsenals
The Improvised Explosive Device (IED)
Daisy Chain IEDs
Super IEDs
Explosively Formed Projectile IEDs
The WMD Program’s High Explosives
The Suicide Bomber
The Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (S-VBIED)
Poison Gas Attacks by Chemical S-VBIEDs
The Suicide Pedestrian-Borne IED (S-PBIED)
Small Arms—Rifles, Pistols, and Machine Guns
Night Observation Devices
Sniper Weapons Systems
Antitank Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs)
Mortars—Indirect Fire Weapons
Artillery and Ground-Fired Aerial Rockets
MANPADS—Man-Portable Air Defense Systems
Other Anti-Air Weapons: Heavy Machine Guns, Aerial IEDs, and Pigeon Clapping
Derelict Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs)
Endnotes
"Jihad Is the Only Way …" Iraqi Islamic Extremists—Ansar al-Islam, Ansar al-Sunnah: The Islamic Army in Iraq and Others
Ansar al-Islam ("Partisans of Islam")
AAI Organization
Military Committee
Military Operations and Tactics
Links to al-Qaeda
Ties to Iran
Operation Viking Hammer
AAI Strategy
AAI in European Terrorism
Ansar al-SunnAH and Jaysh al-Ansar al-Sunnah ("Supporters/Partisans of the Sunni/Army of the Supporters of the Sunni")
AAS Military Committee
Al-Muhajirin Wa al-Ansar
The Islamic Army in Iraq
IAI Tactics
Iraqi Resistance Brigades and Battalions, Terror Cells, and Subunits
Other Minor Iraqi Insurgent Groups
Media and Communiqués
Endnotes
Al-Qaeda and the Foreign Terrorists in Iraq
Arrival of the "Ghost"
The First Commander of AQI—Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (a.k.a. Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi, Ahmad Fadhil al-Khalayla, Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh)
AQI Strategic Organization
Al-Zarqawi vs. bin Laden: AQI’s Strategy and Goals
Al-Qaeda Strategy for the Use of Terrorism
Tactical Objectives of AQI Cells
Tactical Goals of AQI Cells
AQI In-Country Organization
AQI Command Staff and Leadership Group (C&L)—Iraq/Syria
Tactical Organization
Logistics and Safe Houses
AQI Weapons
AQI Tactics in Iraq
Direct Martyrdom Attacks
Foreign Mujahideen Groups in Iraq
Foreign Mujahideen Groups and Cells in Iraq
Transiting Syria, 2003–2011: The Expressway to the Jihad
Profile of AQI Operatives and Foreign Fighters in Iraq
Saudi Operatives
Iraqis in AQI
The European Jihadists
The Black Widows of Iraq—AQI Female Operatives
Unto Death—Married Couple Suicide Bombers
Endnotes
Section III: A New Jihad (2004–2011): Bin Laden’s Greatest Gift
Fallujah: The Crucible of the Iraq Jihad
The April 2004 Revolution
Operation Valiant Resolve and the Two-Front War
Could It Get Any Worse? The Mahdi Militia and the Shiite Uprising
Losing Anbar
The Hostage War and the Transition to Sovereignty
Black Thursday—The One-Day Salafist Mini-Jihad
Endnotes
Stepping on Mercury
November 2004—Showdown at Fallujah
Operation Phantom Fury
Resistance in Fallujah Withdraws
Shock and Awe Jihadist Style—The S-VBIED War
The Jihad Reaches Out—AQI Attacks in Jordan
Ending al-Zarqawi
Endnotes
Section IV: No Longer a Wounded Lion: AQI to ISIS (2006–2014)
Al-Qaeda’s Lonely Road to Recovery
The Metamorphosis from AQI to the Islamic State of Iraq (2006–2011)
Formation of the Real Islamic State of Iraq (ISI)
The Syria Civil War—An Opportunity for a Safe Haven and a Nation
Endnotes
Lions of God: ISIS and the Islamic Caliphate (2013–2014)
The al-Baghdadi-Zawahiri Clash
The Winter Offensive of 2013–2014: ISIS Decapitation Attack on Syrian Resistance
The Inter-al-Qaeda Civil War Starts
Operation Lion of God al-Bilawi Phase 1: The Campaign to Seize Western Iraq
ISIS Final Declaration of Independence from al-Qaeda’s Corporate Management Team
Operation Lion of God al-Bilawi Phase 2: Taking Mosul, Anbar, and Central Iraq
Mission Accomplished: ISIS Style
Breaking Bad: ISIS Finally Breaks from al-Qaeda Central
The New Islamic Caliphate
Endnotes
Internal Organization of the ISIS
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (the Levant) (ISIS/ISIL (al-Dawla al-Islamiya fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham)) and the Islamic State Caliphate (ISC)
Command and Leadership Apparatus
Leadership Organization
Caliph of the Islamic State Caliphate and Amir al-Mujahideen ("Prince of the Holy Warriors")
Deputy Amir (Naieb al-Amir al-Mujahideen)
Political/Religious Organization
State of Iraq Advisory Council (Shura al-Dawlat al-Iraq)
ISIS Military Council
Past Commanders
Military Council Members
Internal Security Apparatus (Jehaz al-Amn al-Dakili)
Manpower Pool
Women Operatives
Sex Jihad
Child Soldiers
Propaganda and Social Media as Asymmetric Weapons
Populist Warfare Tools
Doling Out Islamic Accepted Punishments (Hudud)
Finance Mechanisms
Endnotes
Welcome to the Jihadist Crescent
The Islamic Caliphate Has Already Become the Heart of al-Qaeda
ISIS May Try to Strike America Directly
Drinking Antifreeze: The Iraqi Sunni’s Mass Suicide Pact of 2014
Endnotes
Index
Biography
Malcolm W. Nance is a counterterrorism and intelligence consultant for the US Special Operations, Homeland Security, and Intelligence agencies, with more than 33 years of experience in combatting radical extremism. An honorably retired Arabic-speaking US Navy intelligence collections operator, field interrogator, and survival, evasion, resistance, and escape specialist, he spent two decades on clandestine antiterrorism and counterterrorism intelligence operations in the Middle East, North Africa, the Balkans, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa in support of the Special Operations and Intelligence Community. He is currently executive director of the Terror Asymmetrics Project on Strategy, Tactics, and Radical Ideologies (TAPSTRI), Hudson, New York, USA.
"... if you took every member of United States Congress and House of Representatives and wrote their collected wisdom on Iraq, it's unlikely they could equal the astuteness of even a single chapter of author Malcolm W. Nance in The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency 2003-2014. It's Nance's overwhelming real-world experiential knowledge of the subject, language, culture, tribal affiliations, and more which make this the overwhelming definitive book on the subject."
—Book review by Ben Rothke, Information Security Professional, writing on Slashdot.org"The second edition of The Terrorists of Iraq comes at a critical time when the world is trying to understand ISIS, its origins, and its place among multiple actors in Iraq. This book is instantly the definitive source on ISIS and Nance demonstrations the often forgotten fact that ISIS has been there all along, evolving with the shifting dynamics in the theater of battle, within the insurgency and in the region. The Terrorists of Iraq remains an essential and well-researched guide for anyone interested in understanding or addressing this horrific period in global history."
—Adam Hinds, former political advisor, United Nations Iraq
"Mandatory reading for personal survival and national security—from the battlefields to the halls of Congress."
—Jay R. Stanka, Managing Editor HUMANI Magazine and U.S. Army Special Forces veteran
"A new and updated edition of Malcolm Nance’s detailed and insightful book, The Terrorists of Iraq, Second Edition, is most welcome news. His inclusion of a new chapter on ISIS and its violent origins in the disintegrating state of Iraq and bloody drive to become a 21st century Caliphate is masterful. He knows the players, their vicious infighting, and their brutal methods like few others. To read his analysis is to understand the make-up and the real threat posed by these latest claimants to forming a Caliphate in these divided lands."
—Peter Earnst, founding Executive Director of the International Spy Museum and a 35 year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
'This book is easy to read, vivid, and offers enormous precious experience and empirical data which make it attractive to policy-makers, scholars, and students'.--Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression
