22 armed Iraqi groups opposed to the foreign presence in Iraq apparently released a statement claiming the formation of a common front, according to a statement published on the al-Basrah.net website.
The statement referred to a "founding conference" in "one of the liberated districts of Baghdad," likely an area beyond the control of the central government or Coalition forces, at which the 22 organizations formed the "High Command for Jihad and Liberation," to be presided over by 'Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, the highest-ranking former regime official still at large, and the former vice-chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council. The statement also names several other officers.
The 22 organizations that took part in the founding of the organization are listed as follows:
- The Army of the Men of the Naqshbandiyah Order (Jaysh Rijal al-Tariqa al-Naqshabandiya).
- The Army of the Prophet’s Companions (Jaysh al-Sahaba).
- The Army of the Murabiteen (Jaysh al-Murabitin).
- The Army of al-Hamzah (Jaysh al-Hamza).
- The Army of the Message (Jaysh al-Risala).
- The Army of Ibn al-Walid (Jaysh Ibn al-Walid).
- The United Command of the Mujahideen (Iraq) (al-Qiyada al-Muwahida lil-Mujahidin (al-'Iraq)).
- The Liberation Brigades (Kata’ib al-Tahrir).
- The Army of al-Mustafa (Jaysh al-Mustafa).
- The Army of the Liberation of Iraq (Jaysh Tahrir al-'Iraq).
- Squadrons of the Martyrs (Saraya al-Shuhada’).
- The Army of the Sabireen (Jaysh al-Sabirin).
- The Brigades of the Jihad in the Land of the Two Rivers (Kata’ib al-Jihad 'ala ‘Ard al-Rafidayn).
- The Army of the Knight for the Liberation of the Self-Rule Area (Jaysh al-Faris li-Tahrir al-Mintaqa al-Hukm al-Dhati).
- Squadrons of the Jihad in al-Basrah (Saraya al-Jihad fi al-Basra).
- Jihadist Squadrons of al-Fallujah (Saraya al-Falluja al-Jihadiya).
- The Patriotic Popular Front for the Liberation of Iraq (al-Jabha al-Sha'biya al-Wataniya li-Tahrir al-'Iraq).
- The Squadrons of the Husayni Revolution of at-Taff (Saraya Thawrat al-Taff al-Hussayniya).
- Squadrons of the Liberation of the South (Saraya Tahrir al-Janoub).
- Army of Haneen (Jaysh Hanin)
- Squadrons of Diyala for Jihad and Liberation (Saraya Diyala lil-Jihad wa al-Tahrir).
- The Squadrons of Glory for the Liberation of Iraq (Saraya al-Majd li-Tahrir al-'Iraq).
The statement does not mention insurgent groups who did not apparently participate in the formation of the "High Command," including those groups associated with the "Jihad and Reform Front," such as the Ansar al-Sunna or the Islamic Army of Iraq, among others, nor those associated with the "Jihad and Transformation Front," such as the 1920s Revolution Brigades, among others.
An extract from the English translation of the statement's text, as published on albasrah.net appears below:
The Congress resolved to unite all the Resistance groups that were in attendance at the meeting, which agreed that its aim was the total liberation of the entirety of Iraq, however long that might take. The congress also decided that membership in the unified Resistance front would be open to other armed Resistance groups or fighters wishing to join. The Congress also resolved to create a Supreme Command of the Jihad and Liberation struggle and it elected Iraqi President ‘Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri the Supreme Commander of the Jihad and Liberation. Also elected at the meeting were a first deputy supreme commander and a deputy for military affairs.
The Supreme Command of the Jihad then convened its own meeting at which a General Staff was created under the command of the Supreme Commander of the Jihad. Lieutenant General ‘Amir Muhammad Amin was named Deputy Supreme Commander for Military affairs. Also created at the meeting were a religious consultation body headed by Shaykh ‘Ali ‘Abdallah al-‘Ubaydi. A national security board was also chosen to be headed by General Khalid Sulayman Khalaf. A board for administrative and financial affairs was created under the command of Lieutenant General Muhammad Salig ‘Alwan and a board for information and mobilization was named under the command of General Salah ad-Din Ahmad. Dr. Kan‘an Amin was named official spokesman for the Jihad and Liberation Command.
The Supreme Command declared that the Jihad and Liberation command upheld “sacred principles” that could not be violated and stated that no party was authorized to enter into negotiations with the American enemy except on the basis of those principles. The Command stated that the jihad would continue and escalate until the American enemy recognized it and fled from Iraq.
The Command stated that for any negotiations to take place, the Americans must:
- Officially recognize the patriotic Resistance and all the patriotic, Arab nationalist, and Islamist Resistance organizations in all their armed and civil organizations as the sole legitimate representative of Iraq and its great people.
- Officially announce an unconditional withdrawal from Iraq – whether that be immediate or in short stages.
- Halt raids, pursuits, killings, destruction, sabotage, dispossessions, and expulsions and withdraw the occupation troops from all population centers.
- Free all prisoners and detainees without exception and compensate them for their losses.
- Return to service the Iraqi Army and national security forces, which were declared dissolved by the Americans during their invasion in 2003. They are to be restored in keeping with the rules and traditions that were in force before the American invasion and they must also be compensated for their losses.
- Pledge to compensate Iraq for all the material and moral losses and injuries caused the country by the occupation.
- Cancel all laws, decrees, and other pieces of legislation issued after the occupation.
- Hold direct talks with the Resistance on implementing a program to fulfill the principles adhered to by the Supreme Command if the Americans want to have save face. Otherwise the Americans will simply have to leave in defeat.
In addition the Command said that meetings must be held on the re-establishment of a government, adding that one-man rule was being done away with and replaced with system based on Islamic democratic principles as distinct from the imperialist democracy that is notorious for its practice of self-serving double standards.



