SUB Hamburg A 2015/ Second Edition THE TERRORISTS OF IRAQ. Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency Malcolm W.

Transcription

1 SUB Hamburg A 2015/ 1171 Second Edition THE TERRORISTS OF IRAQ Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency Malcolm W. Nance (c* c CRC Press Taylor & Francis Croup Boca Raton London New York CRC Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Croup, an informa business

2 Contents Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction xvii xxiii xxv SECTION I PREPARATION FOR INSURGENCY Chapter 1 Who Is Fighting in Iraq? 3 The Cornerstone of Terror: The Ex-Ba'athist Loyalists 6 The Iraqi Resistance Movement and the Foreign Mujahideen 9 Introducing al-qaeda in Iraq (AQI) 10 Fighting Misperceptions 12 Endnotes 15 Chapter 2 Victory through Defeat: Saddam Plans for Insurgency 17 Repeating a Very Bad History? 17 Unambiguous Indicators 19 The Prewar Insurgency Plan 20 The Iraqi War Plan: Embracing Defeat 22 Mogadishu on the Tigris 25 Treated as Liberators? 25 Endnotes 29 Chapter 3 Crucible of the Insurgency: The Fedayeen Goes to War 31 First Line of Defense The Air Defense Forces 32 vii

3 viii Contents Second Line of Defense The Iraqi Army 33 Third Line of Defense The Republican Guard 35 Last Line of Defense The Paramilitary Irregulars, Terrorists, and Special Republican Guard 35 The Saddam Fedayeen (Firqah al-fidayi Saddam) 38 Commander-of the Saddam Fedayeen Uday Hussein 40 The Professional Terrorists Arrive Tawhid Wal-Jihad and al-qaeda 44 The Fedayeen Become Terrorists 46 Invasion and S-VBIEDs Introduction of the Suicide Car Bomb to Iraq 48 The Fedayeen Disperse 51 Endnotes. 53 Chapter 4 Victory from the Jaws of Defeat: Launching the Iraq Insurgency 57 Implementing the Insurgency 57 The Second "1920 Revolution" 58 Leading the Resistance Lt. Gen. Izzat Ibrahim al-douri 61 Godfathers of the Insurgency The Prewar Internal Intelligence Apparatus 63 Commander of the Security Apparatus Qusay Hussein 64 Special Security Organization SSO (Hijaz al-amn al-khas) 65 Special Republican Guard 67 Operational Command of the SRG 68 SRG Combat Units 69 Iraqi Intelligence Service IIS (al-mukahbarat) 69 Director of Foreign Intelligence (M4) 70 Directorate of Technical Affairs (M4/4/5) 71 Directorate of Counterintelligence (M5) 71 Directorate of Clandestine Operations (M13) 72 Directorate of Special Operations Department (M14-SOD) 72 Directorate of Signals Intelligence (M17) 73 Directorate of Surveillance (M20) 74 Al Ghafiqi Project Division (M21) 74

4 Contents ix Directorate of Opposition Group Activities (M40) 75 Directorate of General Security DGS (Amn al-'amm) 76 Directorate of General Military Intelligence DGMI (Mudiriyah al-lstikhbarat al-'askriah al-'ammah or Istikhbarat) 76 Directorate of Military Security DMS (Amn al-askaria) 77 The DMS Special Operations Unit Former Regime Loyalist Insurgent Groups 79 Organization 83 National Command of the Islamic Resistance Unified Mujahideen Command (NCIR-UMC) 84 NCIR-UMC Senior Command 84 Regional Commands 84 FRL Insurgent Roles and Responsibilities 85 Local Terror Cells/Groups (Insurgent Brigades) 85 Financing the Insurgency 87 Endnotes 88 Chapter 5 The Insurgent's Strategy 91 The FRL Long-Range Strategy 94 Military Strategy of the Insurgency 95 Strategic Phases of the Insurgency 95 Mission Accomplished: The Primary Goal of the Insurgency Was Breaking the Will of the American People 98 Tactical Goals 100 How Many Insurgents Were There? 102 An Enemy without Gains or Losses 102 Estimate of the Core Insurgency, The Original Number and Experience of the Core Cadres 105 Doing the Math 107 Terrorist Brigades or Terrorist Battalions? 107 Size and Roles of the Insurgent Cells 108 FRL Cells 109 Iraqi Religious Extremist Cells 113

5 X Contents Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Foreign Fighters 113 AQI Cell Composition ( ) 114 Insurgent Casualties 115 Endnotes 117 SECTION II KNIFE FIGHT IN A PHONE BOOTH- BRINGING ON THE INSURGENCY Chapter 6 Bringing It On 123 The FRLs Organize 123 The FRLs Destroy the Evidence 124 First Strikes of the After-War 125 Mission Accomplished 126 CPA Order No. 1 You're Fired 127 Phase 1: The Kill Campaign 129 "This Is Not a Resistance Movement" 131 "Bring Them On" 133 Phase 2: The Humiliation Campaign 134 Enter the Islamic Extremists 138 The Insurgency Explodes 139 Phase 3: The Punishment Campaign 140 The Anti-Shiite Clerics Campaign 142 The FRL Anti-Human Intelligence Campaign 143 Phase 4: The Inspire Campaign 144 Endnotes 146 Chapter 7 Insurgent Weapons and Tactics 147 Looting the Arsenals 147 The Improvised Explosive Device (IED) 149 Daisy Chain leds 151 Super leds 151 Explosively Formed Projectile leds 151 The WMD Program's High Explosives 153 The Suicide Bomber 155

6 Contents xi The Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (S-VBIED) 157 Poison Gas Attacks by Chemical S-VBIEDs 158 The Suicide Pedestrian-Borne IED (S-PBIED) 160 Small Arms Rifles, Pistols, and Machine Guns 160 Night Observation Devices 161 Sniper Weapons Systems 161 Antitank Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs) 163 Mortars Indirect Fire Weapons 163 Artillery and Ground-Fired Aerial Rockets 164 MANPADS Man-Portable Air Defense Systems 165 Other Anti-Air Weapons: Heavy Machine Guns, Aerial leds, and Pigeon Clapping 169 Derelict Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) 170 Endnotes 171 Chapter 8 "Jihad Is the Only Way..." Iraqi Islamic Extremists Ansar al-islam, Ansar al-sunnah: The Islamic Army in Iraq and Others 173 "Ansar al-lslam ("Partisans of Islam") 176 AAI Organization 179 Military Committee 180 Military Operations and Tactics 180 Links to al-qaeda Ties to Iran 184 Operation Viking Hammer 185 AAI Strategy 187 AAI in European Terrorism 187 Ansar al-sunnah and Jaysh al-ansar al-sunnah ("Supporters/Partisans of the Sunni/Army of the Supporters of the Sunni") 189 AAS Military Committee 190 Al-Muhajirin Wa al-ansar 191 The Islamic Army in Iraq 193 IAI Tactics 195

7 xii Contents Iraqi Resistance Brigades and Battalions, Terror Cells, and Subunits 196 Other Minor Iraqi Insurgent Groups 197 Media and Communiques 200 Endnotes 201 Chapter 9 Al-Qaeda and the Foreign Terrorists in Iraq 205 Arrival of the "Ghost" 206 The First Commander of AQI Abu Musab al-zarqawi (aka Abu Mus'ab al-zarqawi, Ahmad Fadhil al-khalayla, Ahmad Fadeel al-nazal al-khalayleh) 207 AQI Strategic Organization 212 Al-Zarqawi vs. bin Laden: AQI's Strategy and Goals 214 Al-Qaeda Strategy for the Use of Terrorism 216 Tactical Objectives of AQI Cells 218 Tactical Goals of AQI Cells 220 AQI In-Country Organization 221 AQI Command Staff and Leadership Group (C&L) _ Iraq/Syria 222 Tactical Organization 225 Logistics and Safe Houses 225 AQI Weapons 226 AQI Tactics in Iraq 228 Direct Martyrdom Attacks 228 Foreign Mujahideen Groups in Iraq 231 Foreign Mujahideen Groups and Cells in Iraq 231 Transiting Syria, : The EXPRESSway to the Jihad 236 Profile of AQI Operatives and Foreign Fighters in Iraq 237 Saudi Operatives 237 Iraqis in AQI 238 The European Jihadists 238 The Black Widows of Iraq AQI Female Operatives 239 Unto Death Married Couple Suicide Bombers 239 Endnotes 240

8 Contents xiii SECTION III A NEW JIHAD ( ): BIN LADEN'S GREATEST GIFT Chapter 10 Fallujah: The Crucible of the Iraq Jihad 245 The April 2004 Revolution 247 Operation Valiant Resolve and the Two-Front War 249 Could It Get Any Worse? The Mahdi Militia and the Shiite Uprising 253 Losing Anbar 257 The Hostage War and the Transition to Sovereignty 258 Black Thursday The One-Day Salafist Mini-Jihad 260 Endnotes 262 Chapter 11 Stepping on Mercury 265 November 2004 Showdown at Fallujah 265 Operation Phantom Fury 266 Resistance in Fallujah Withdraws 270 Shock and Awe Jihadist Style The S-VBIED War The Jihad'Reaches Out AQI Attacks in Jordan 276 Ending al-zarqawi 277 Endnotes 278 SECTION IV NO LONGER A WOUNDED LION: AQI TO ISIS ( ) Chapter 12 Al-Qaeda's Lonely Road to Recovery 283 The Metamorphosis from AQI to the Islamic State of Iraq ( ) 283 Formation of the Real Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) 290 The Syria Civil War An Opportunity for a Safe Haven and a Nation 294 Endnotes 296 Chapter 13 Lions of God: ISIS and the Islamic Caliphate ( ) 297 The al-baghdadi-zawahiri Clash 297 The Winter Offensive of : ISIS Decapitation Attack on Syrian Resistance 298

9 xiv Contents The Inter-al-Qaeda Civil War Starts 301 Operation Lion of God al-bilawi Phase 1: The Campaign to Seize Western Iraq 302 ISIS Final Declaration of Independence from al-qaeda's Corporate Management Team 304 Operation Lion of God al-bilawi Phase 2: Taking Mosul, Anbar, and Central Iraq Mission Accomplished: ISIS Style 311 Breaking Bad: ISIS Finally Breaks from al-qaeda Central 311 The New Islamic Caliphate 312 Endnotes 313 Chapter 14 Internal Organization of the ISIS 317 Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (the Levant) (ISIS/ISIL (al-dawla al-lslamiya fi al-lraq wa al-sham)) and the Islamic State Caliphate (ISC) 317 Command and Leadership Apparatus 317 Leadership Organization 319 Caliph of the Islamic State Caliphate and Amir al-mujahideen ("Prince of the Holy Warriors") 319 Deputy Amir (Naieb al-amir al-mujahideen) 320 Political/Religious Organization 320 State of Iraq Advisory Council (Shura al-dawlat al-lraq) 320 ISIS Military Council Past Commanders 321 Military Council Members 321 Internal Security Apparatus (Jehaz al-amn al-dakili) 322 Manpower Pool 322 Women Operatives 324 Sex Jihad 325 Child Soldiers 326 Propaganda and Social Media as Asymmetric Weapons 328' Populist Warfare Tools 330 Doling Out Islamic Accepted Punishments (Hudud) 332 Finance Mechanisms 334

10 Contents xv Endnotes 335 Chapter 15 Welcome to the Jihadist Crescent 337 The Islamic Caliphate Has Already Become the Heart ^ of al-qaeda 337 ISIS May Try to Strike America Directly 339 Drinking Antifreeze: The Iraqi Sunni's Mass Suicide Pact of Endnotes 346 Index 347 /