Publication

15 Feb 2006

This report reviews the discourse regarding the organized armed opposition in Iraq between mid-2003 and January 2006. The report identifies four major insurgent groups that are less divided between nationalist and foreign jihadi fighters than previously assumed. The report also distinguishes three phases in the evolution of the insurgents' discourse. Competition between groups generated bloody and controversial deeds, which in turn initiated internal debate, and ushered in the apparent consensus on critical issues. After analyzing their political, communication, and military strategies, the report concludes that a more confident, better-organized, information-savvy insurgency susceptible to Sunni Arab opinion has gradually emerged.

Download Arabic (PDF, 36 pages, 1.0 MB)
English (PDF, 36 pages, 669 KB)
Author International Crisis Group
Series Crisis Group Middle East Reports
Issue 50
Publisher International Crisis Group (ICG)
Copyright © 2006 International Crisis Group (Crisis Group)
JavaScript has been disabled in your browser