al-Qaeda in Iraq

E24951

Sunni Islamist group militant organization terrorist organization

Al-Qaeda in Iraq was a Sunni Islamist militant organization that emerged after the 2003 U.S. invasion, becoming one of the most violent insurgent groups in the country and a precursor to the Islamic State (ISIS).

Aliases (7)

Al-Qaeda in Iraq ×3
Islamic State of Iraq (precursor to ISIS) ×1
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ×1
Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad ×1
Mujahideen Shura Council in Fallujah ×1
Mujahideen Shura Council in Iraq ×1
al-Qaida in Mesopotamia ×1

Statements (51)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	Sunni Islamist group → militant organization → terrorist organization →
activeIn	Iraq War →
allianceWith	al-Qaeda →
alsoKnownAs	Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn → al-Qaida in Mesopotamia → al-Qaida in the Land of the Two Rivers →
countryOfOperation	Iraq →
dateFounded	2004 →
designation	Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States → terrorist organization by Australia → terrorist organization by Canada → terrorist organization by New Zealand → terrorist organization by Russia → terrorist organization by Turkey → terrorist organization by the European Union → terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates → terrorist organization by the United Kingdom → terrorist organization by the United Nations →
emergedAfter	2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq →
foundedBy	Abu Musab al-Zarqawi →
goal	establish an Islamic state in Iraq → expel U.S. and coalition forces from Iraq → overthrow Iraqi government →
ideology	Salafi jihadism →
inspired	later formation of ISIS →
leader	Abu Ayyub al-Masri → Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi → Abu Musab al-Zarqawi →
notableFor	attacks on Shia civilians → attacks on coalition forces → kidnappings and beheadings → sectarian attacks → suicide bombings →
opposedGroup	Iraqi government → Shia militias → U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq →
partOf	Iraqi insurgency →
pledgedAllegianceTo	al-Qaeda →
predecessor	Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad →
religion	Sunni Islam →
status	defunct →
successor	ISIS → Islamic State of Iraq → Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant →
tactics	assassinations → hostage-taking → improvised explosive devices → suicide car bombings →
transformedInto	Islamic State of Iraq →

Referenced by (14)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
First Battle of Fallujah → Iraq War → Iraq War ("Islamic State of Iraq (precursor to ISIS)") → Operation al-Fajr → Operation al-Fajr ("Mujahideen Shura Council in Iraq") → Second Battle of Fallujah ("Al-Qaeda in Iraq") → Second Battle of Fallujah ("Mujahideen Shura Council in Fallujah") →	belligerent
al-Qaeda in Iraq ("al-Qaida in Mesopotamia") →	alsoKnownAs
Fallujah ("Al-Qaeda in Iraq") →	combatant
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ("Al-Qaeda in Iraq") →	hasPredecessor
Iraqi Interim Government forces →	opposed
Operation Phantom Fury →	opposedBy
al-Qaeda in Iraq ("Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad") →	predecessor
Global War on Terrorism ("Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant") →	primaryAdversary