Draft:Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
| Abu Musab al-Zarqawi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| name | Ahmad Fadhil al-Khalayleh |
| Personal details | |
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, born Ahmad Fadhil al-Khalayleh, founded a group named Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad in 1990 and led it until his death in June 2006[1].
Birth
Ahmad Fadhil al-Khalayleh, known by the kunya Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was born on December 20, 1966, in the city of "Zarqa," the second-largest city in Jordan, located 25 kilometers northeast of "Amman." He was born in the city's poorest neighborhood, known as "Ma'sum." There is disagreement regarding his background. Some believe he had no particular family lineage and was the son of a poor Palestinian family residing in Jordan.
Salafi Ideology
The first mention of al-Zarqawi was in connection with a failed attack on the Radisson Blu Hotel in Amman, the capital of Jordan. However, others argue that the emergence of Al-Qaeda in Iraq can be attributed to the extremism of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. After his father's death, he was expelled from high school at the age of seventeen and experienced a life marked by violence, drug abuse, and alcoholism. In the mid-1980s, he was imprisoned for drug possession and sexual assault but was released a few months later due to a general amnesty granted by the Jordanian government. While in prison, he became acquainted with jihadist Salafists. After his release, he left Jordan to participate in jihad in Afghanistan. However, in an interview conducted by Abu al-Iman al-Baghdadi with al-Zarqawi and published by the Al-Furqan Institute, affiliated with ISIS, al-Zarqawi described his introduction to Al-Qaeda as follows:
During my visits with friends at the mosque, I learned about the jihad in Afghanistan through news shared by friends. Some CDs belonging to Abdullah Azzam, as well as copies of Al-Jihad magazine and several video films depicting battle scenes, were sent to us. These materials had a significant impact on my entry into the jihadist arena and doubled my motivation to go to Afghanistan[2].
Entry into Al-Qaeda
By the beginning of 2003, al-Zarqawi was in Iraq, leading fierce attacks against Iraqi and American targets. The group under his command became known as "Al-Qaeda in Iraq." Ultimately, he was killed in a coordinated operation by American forces in 2006. Afterward, terrorists who are currently the leaders of "ISIS" continued al-Zarqawi's path.
Influence on ISIS
Al-Zarqawi is regarded by many as the spiritual father of ISIS. Michael Flynn stated: "Al-Zarqawi's dream of creating ISIS has been realized. When I look at the situation today, I see al-Zarqawi in all the unrest and conflicts. He is the spiritual father of ISIS."
General Stanley McChrystal, a prominent commander during the United States war in Iraq, also said: "Al-Zarqawi created something more than a small terrorist organization... He initiated a movement. He convinced people that the emergence of 'ISIS' was possible."
Al-Zarqawi in Comparison with Bin Laden
The mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 attacks opposed al-Zarqawi's strategy of attacking other Muslims. McChrystal also stated regarding al-Zarqawi: "The objective he pursued was to create a religious war between Sunnis and Shias."
Today, ISIS employs this same method by targeting Muslims who do not adhere to the group's specific interpretation of Islam. Amanda Rogers, a researcher at the University of Georgia in the United States, stated: "What ISIS does today is an expanded version of al-Zarqawi's actions. This group attacks Muslims before anyone else... ISIS's strategy follows the same principles adhered to by al-Zarqawi."
Impact on the Iraq War
According to General McChrystal, al-Zarqawi unexpectedly demonstrated that the United States could lose the war in Iraq. In 2004, American generals witnessed a major transformation in the war, particularly in Fallujah, as they were no longer facing only soldiers loyal to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, but also foreign fighters supporting al-Zarqawi.
The First Battle of Fallujah began as a military response to the killing of four American contractors who were hung from a bridge, executed, and mutilated. At a time when war planners paused operations to reinforce their ranks, 27 American soldiers were killed. When coalition forces returned to the front lines seven months later, they experienced their toughest battle since the Vietnam War.
Currently, Fallujah, which had served as an Al-Qaeda base for dispatching suicide terrorists to Baghdad, became the first Iraqi city to fall under ISIS control in 2014.
Zarqawi's Strategy of Beheading Prisoners
Zarqawi shocked the world with kidnapping operations and beheadings. He disseminated videos of his brutal actions on the internet, emphasizing that he and his group bore responsibility for these acts. These actions began with the abduction and murder of Nicholas Berg, an American contractor, in May 2004. ISIS continued this brutal method, to the extent that Mohammed Emwazi, known as "Jihadi John," a British citizen who concealed his face behind a mask and served as the English-speaking spokesperson for ISIS, also released videos depicting the beheading of hostages, some of whom had traveled to the Middle East to provide humanitarian aid.
U.S. Policy in Elevating Zarqawi to Global Prominence
Prior to 2003, Zarqawi was not widely known. However, when former U.S. Secretary of State "Colin Powell" sought to garner international support for the Iraq War, he emphasized several times during his speech at the United Nations that Zarqawi constituted the primary link between Osama bin Laden and the regime of Saddam Hussein.
The validity of this connection was later questioned. "Sam Faddis," a retired operations officer of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), stated in this regard: "We found no evidence indicating that Zarqawi operated in Baghdad on behalf of Saddam or had any connection with him"[3].
Death
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed by U.S. forces on June 7, 2006, approximately 8 kilometers north of the city of Baqubah, located north of Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.