An IS billboard in Raqqa reads, “We will be victorious despite the Global Alliance.” |
Middle East Forum Shillman/Ginsburg Fellow Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi is one of world’s leading researchers on the Islamic State (IS) group terrorizing Iraq and Syria. The overwhelming majority of his writings are too detailed and in-depth for distribution to a general audience, so instead MEF compiles bimonthly updates providing links and summaries for those who wish to follow the groundbreaking work of this prolific researcher. For more general interest writings by Jawad al-Tamimi, click here.
Articles
The Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra: A Looming Grand Jihadi Alliance?
Syria Comment (November 14)
Jawad al-Tamimi dismisses media reports that IS and Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra have formed an alliance after more than a year of intermittent conflict. Notwithstanding their cooperation by necessity in the Qalamoun region of western Syria, the rift between the two groups is “is too great to heal,” he concludes.
Dwekh Nawsha- An Assyrian Fighting Force in Iraq
Assyrian International News Agency (November 6)
Jawad al-Tamimi examines the Iraqi Assyrian Christian militia Dwekh Nawsha (“The Sacrificers”], a 200-strong force fighting to defend and reclaim Christian areas of Ninawa province invaded by IS.
State of war: The Iraqi Sunni actors taking on the Islamic State
IHS Jane’s Terrorism & Insurgency Monitor (November 2)
Jawad al-Tamimi examines a number of Iraqi Sunni insurgent groups that have come to blows with the Islamic State, such as Jaish al-Mujahideen in Anbar and Ansar al-Islam in Mosul. He concludes that it will be extraordinarily difficult for Washington to draw them into an alliance along the lines of the Awakening Councils that combated Al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2007-2008. The widespread involvement of Shia militias in fighting ISIS is “perhaps the greatest challenge” to securing their participation.
Blog Posts
The Islamic State Billboards of Raqqa (Part 2)
November 13
A short photo essay on billboards in the terror group’s capital.
Jamaat Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis’ Allegiance to the Islamic State
November 10
Jawad al-Tamimi reviews the history of Jamaat Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (JABM) and concludes that its recent pledge of allegiance to IS could mark “an important consolidation” of the Gaza-Sinai jihadist trend.
Kata’ib al-Ghadab: An Armed Wing of the Islamic Da’wah Party
November 1
In the latest installment in his profiles of Iraqi Shia militias, Jawad al-Tamimi examines Kata’ib al-Ghadab, a newly established force claiming affiliation with the Da’wah Party. Though much smaller than the well-known Iranian proxy Shia forces Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, the Badr Organization, Kata’ib Hezbollah and Saraya al-Khorasani, Kata’ib al-Ghadab has claimed responsibility for a number of operations against IS recently, mostly in Anbar province.
Translations
Jamaat Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis’ Abu Osama al-Masri: “Message to the Families of the Soldiers”
November 13
From the Sinai-Gaza jihadi group that recently pledged allegiance to IS.
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi is a Shillman-Ginsburg Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
