Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

Kurdistan. On May 4, 2010, Abu Abdullah al-Shafi'i, Ansar al-Islam's leader, was captured by
U.S. forces in Baghdad and remains in prison. On December 15, 2011 AI announced a new
leader, Abu Hashim Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman al Ibrahim.
Mullah Krekar (aka Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad), an Iraqi citizen and the founder of Ansar al-Islam,
continued to reside in Norway on a long-term residence permit. In March 2012, a trial court
convicted Krekar of issuing threats and inciting terrorism, and sentenced him to six years in
prison. Krekar appealed, and in December an appeals court affirmed his convictions for issuing
threats and intimidating witnesses, but reversed his conviction for "inciting terrorism." The
appeals court reduced his sentence to two years and 10 months in prison.
Activities: AI has conducted attacks against a wide range of targets including Iraqi government
and security forces, and U.S. and Coalition Forces. AI has conducted numerous kidnappings,
executions, and assassinations of Iraqi citizens and politicians. The group has either claimed
responsibility or is believed to be responsible for attacks in 2011 that killed 24 and wounded 147.
Strength: Though precise numbers are unknown, AI is considered one of the largest Sunni
terrorist groups in Iraq.
Location/Area of Operation: Primarily northern Iraq, but also maintains a presence in western
and central Iraq.
Funding and External Aid: AI receives assistance from a loose network of associates in Europe
and the Middle East.
aka Jaysh al-Islam; Jaish al-Islam
ARMY OF ISLAM
Description: Designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on May 19, 2011, the Army of
Islam (AOI) is a Gaza-based terrorist organization founded in late 2005 responsible for
numerous terrorist acts against the Governments of Israel and Egypt, as well as American,
British, and New Zealander citizens. Led by Mumtaz Dughmush, AOI primarily operates in
Gaza. It subscribes to an extremist Salafist ideology together with the traditional model of armed
Palestinian resistance. AOI has previously worked with Hamas and is attempting to develop
closer al-Qa’ida contacts.
Activities: AOI’s terrorist acts include a number of rocket attacks on Israel, the 2006 kidnapping
of two journalists in Gaza (an American and a New Zealander), and the 2007 kidnapping of a
British citizen, journalist Alan Johnston, in Gaza. AOI is also responsible for early 2009 attacks
on Egyptian civilians in Cairo and Heliopolis, Egypt. In 2011, AOI was alleged to have planned
the January 1 Alexandria attack on a Coptic Christian church that killed 25 and wounded 100.
On May 7, 2011, the group released a eulogy for Usama bin Laden via its al-Nur Media
Foundation. On July 28, 2012, AOI released a statement that one of its members, Nidal al ‘Ashi,
was killed fighting in Syria.
Strength: Membership is estimated in the low hundreds.
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