Mujahideen Shura Council (Iraq)
The Mujahideen Shura Council (Arabic: مجلس شورى المجاهدين في العراق, romanized: Majlis Shura al-Mujahideen fi al-Iraq, abbr. MSC), was an umbrella organization of at least six Sunni Islamist[5] insurgent groups[6] taking part in the Iraqi insurgency against U.S.-led Coalition and Iraqi forces. The groups included in the MSC were: Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn[7][8][9][10] (more commonly known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq),[6][7][8][11] Jaish al-Ta'ifa al-Mansurah, Katbiyan Ansar Al-Tawhid wal Sunnah, Saraya al-Jihad Group, al-Ghuraba Brigades, and al-Ahwal Brigades.[12][13][14] In mid-October 2006, a statement was released, stating that the Mujahideen Shura Council had been disbanded, and was replaced by the Islamic State of Iraq.
Mujahideen Shura Council
Abdullah Ibn Rashid al-Baghdadi (5 January 2006 – 16 April 2006)[1]
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi †
(16 April 2006 – 7 June 2006)
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi[2] (7 June 2006 – 15 October 2006)
15 January 2006 – 15 October 2006
On 15 January 2006, in a statement posted to the jihadist website Hanin Net, 'al-Qaeda in Iraq' spokesman Abu Maysarah al-Iraqi announced the formation of the "Mujahideen Consultative Council" ("Majlis Shura al-Mujahideen fi al-Iraq"). It was formed to resist efforts by the American and Iraqi authorities to win over Sunni supporters of the insurgency. The stated purpose of the council was "Managing the struggle in the battle of confrontation to ward off the invading kafir (infidels) and their apostate stooges. ... Uniting the word of the mujahideen and closing their ranks...[and] determining a clear position toward developments and incidents so that people can see things clearly and the truth will not be confused with falsehood."
Under the banner of Mujahideen Shura Council, AQI formed a coalition with seven other insurgent groups opposed to the forces of the U.S.-led coalition.[15][16] The groups in the Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC) included:
AQI continued to claim responsibility for attacks through the new council.[6] Other sources called the council Mujahideen Shura Council in Iraq or Mujaheddin Consultative Council.[20] Around 25 April 2006, a videotape of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was released bearing the organization's logo.
Structure[edit]
Little is known about the organizational structure of the Council, in large part due to the shadowy nature of the organization itself. Al-Qaeda in Iraq was the most powerful and visible group in the MSC. Because of the multiple leaders the Shura Council had, there seems to have been no disruption in the Shura Council's ability to carry out attacks, with more than 1,600 Iraqi civilians died in the month after Zarqawi's death, the largest number killed in a month to that date.[21] Elements of the Shura Council's organization from the top to the bottom remain fluid due both to the nature of its aims and methods as well as its loose confederation. It was speculated that the group was dominated by al Qaeda in Iraq and that Zarqawi's death dealt a severe blow to the unity of the Council.[20] Aside from the murky workings of the Shura Council's leadership it is known that the Council has rather smooth operations when it comes to propaganda, the Council's propaganda czar, Murasel, regularly posted updates, criticisms, and praises for the Council's own acts of violence on a semi-daily basis at blogspot.com.