The Iraqi jihad group Kataib Thawrat Al-Ishrin – one of the Sunni organizations that have not joined the Al-Qaeda-founded Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) – recently split, for unclear reasons, into two factions called Faylaq Al-Jihad Al-Islami and Faylaq Al-Fath Al-Islami. The latter group has announced the establishment of a new political framework called "The Iraqi Resistance Movement – Hamas-Iraq," presumably in response to Al-Qaeda's establishment of the ISI.
The following are details:
The Breakup of Kataib Thawrat Al-Ishrin
On March 18, 2007, Islamist websites posted a communiqué by Kataib Thawrat Al-Ishrin announcing that on March 9, 2007, the organization split into two factions. The following are excerpts:
"The leadership of Kataib Thawrat Al-Ishrin convened to discuss the organization's situation, and after intensive debate and consultation the following decisions were taken:
"A total separation will be made between the two bodies whose establishment had been decided upon, [namely] Faylaq Al-Jihad Al-Islami and Faylaq Al-Fath Al-Islami. The two groups have decided that neither would use the name 'Kataib Thawrat Al-Ishrin' on its own, [but would use this name] along with the name of the faction, [i.e. call themselves 'Kataib Thawrat Al-Ishrin – Faylaq Al-Jihad Al-Islami' and 'Kataib Thawrat Al-Ishrin – Faylaq Al-Fath Al-Islami,' respectively]... Issues of common [interest related to] the name of the [original] organization, its motto, its flag and [changing] the name of its existing website will be handled in accordance with this agreement. The old archive will be used only with the old name and password, and each faction may use it...
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