Draft:Abu Omar al-Baghdadi
| Abu Omar al-Baghdadi | |
|---|---|
| File:AbuOmarBaghdadi.jpg | |
| name | Abu Omar al-Baghdadi |
| Personal details | |
| religion | Islam |
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, born Abdullah Rashid Saleh al-Baghdadi, was the leader of the terrorist group known as the "Islamic State of Iraq".
Birth and upbringing
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi was born in 1947 in the city of Baghdad, belonging to the Hashimite tribe of Iraq. He lost his father at the age of eight, and his mother assumed responsibility for his upbringing.
In 1987, he migrated to Afghanistan, and in 1991, he returned to Iraq to participate in operations under the command of al-Qaeda[1].
Military activities
Al-Baghdadi became acquainted with Wahhabi ideologies at the age of eleven and officially joined radical Wahhabi groups in Iraq in 1985, later emerging as one of the prominent figures of these groups in Iraq. In 1987, influenced by the ideas of "Osama bin Laden", the leader of al-Qaeda organization, he traveled to Afghanistan, where he received three years of military training and studied warfare tactics alongside Taliban forces. Upon his return to Iraq, he was immediately arrested by Ba'athist forces, and it was subsequently announced that he had been executed for attempting to overthrow the Ba'ath regime. While everyone believed him to be forgotten, al-Baghdadi reemerged during the battles between al-Qaeda and American forces in the city of Fallujah, where he was recognized as the commander of the Fallujah battles, bringing his name back into prominence.
Leadership of the Islamic State Party
In recent years, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi became one of the most recognized figures of al-Qaeda in Iraq and was appointed as the leader of the radical and terrorist group known as the "Islamic State of Iraq".
Relations with Iran
He consistently regarded the Islamic Republic of Iran as an enemy of Iraq. In one of his audio recordings, he gave leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran two months to sever their ties with Shia communities in Iraq, warning that otherwise they would face a "severe war".
Arrest
In the Iranian year 1388 (2009 CE), Major General "Qasim Atta", commander of military operations in Baghdad, announced the arrest of "Abu Omar al-Baghdadi", the number-one figure of al-Qaeda in Iraq. He stated that the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq had been captured in the "al-Rusafa" district during a raid conducted by police and intelligence forces[2].
Confirmation of death
Identifying the true identity of al-Baghdadi since his selection as the leader of the Islamic Emirate of Iraq remained a mystery for Iraqi and American authorities. From that time until his confirmed death (and even before), al-Baghdadi was reported killed or captured multiple times, only for it to be revealed each time that the deceased or detained individual was someone else. His death was finally confirmed in 2010 by al-Qaeda in Iraq[3].
See also