Here is the August 1, 2009 MNF-I update on the Insurgency.
Sunni Terrorist Organizations
A) al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI)
B) 1920 Revolution Brigades.
C) Naqshbandia
D) Ansar al-Sunna
Shia Terrorist Organizations
E) Jaysh al_mahdi
F) Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq
G) Kata’ib Hizballah
This is a direction cut and paste with just the descriptions removed. I will post my favorite summary though.
D) Ansar al-Sunna
The Ansar al-Sunna Sharia Council, which members were formerly part of Ansar al-Sunna, is a militant salafi group in Iraq. The group is based in northern and central Iraq, and includes Kurdish and Sunni Arab as well as foreign fighters. The original group was founded in September 2003 as an umbrella organization for guerrillas, with former members of Ansar al-Islam a Kurdish Islamic organization based in the mountains near Halabja in northeastern Iraq before the U.S-led invasion, at its core. This date coincides with the first released message from the group stating their existence. Their goal is to expel U.S. occupation forces from Iraq. Ansar al-Sunna Sharia Council is thought to have links with other Islamic organizations operating in Iraq. In October 2004 Ansar al-Sunna released a video beheading of a Turkish truck driver on its website. The kidnappers on the video identified themselves as members of al-Tawhid wal-Jihad. Initially, both the United States and the Iraqi interim governments reportedly linked Ansar al-Sunna to al-Qaeda. However a letter intercepted by the American military in January 2007 exposes violent conflict between the two groups. In July 2007 representatives of the Ansar al-Sunna Sharia Council were instrumental in forming an alliance of Sunni militant groups to prepare for the withdrawal of American and allied forces. The new alliance is composed of seven groupings explicitly excluding al-Qaeda and the Baath-party. This delimitation reveals a growing split between al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sunna Sharia Council over tactics, alleged attacks on Iraqi civilians being a main point of difference. that is fighting the U.S.-led occupation and the elected government led by Nouri al-Maliki.
There is so much wrong with this, I don't know where to start. I will keep it simple. The Ansar al Sunna Sharia Council and State Department designated terrorist organization Ansar al Islam are two separate groups. Their ongoing feud can be seen on militant websites and on U.S. websites that monitor and translate such postings. Here is one example courtesy of the NEFA Foundation.
I am sure there are those within MNF-I that know this basic fact that is almost 3 years old now. Tragically, this is another example of how conventional forces mismanage an unconventional war. If they cannot internally coordinate to get the names of the "enemy" correct, how could they possibly coordinate to pacify a population and neutralize any threat?
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