What started out as a small organization of hardcore battle hardened Afghan-Arab veterans of the Soviet-Afghan war, called the Al-Qaeda or Base, ended up being a sophisticated International Cartel of Terrorist Networks. A network that sponsors promotes and encourages a worldwide expansion of an ultra-orthodox form of Islam and openly spoke of and condoning any and all attacks against anyone and everyone who opposed their way of life. The former Saudi Construction Contractor, Usama Bin Laden, is the founder and financial sponsor of this advanced terrorist network.

Sadly, Usama Bin Laden’s hand has reached the mountains of Kurdistan. Jund Al-Islam, or the Soldiers of Islam, is an armed offshoot of ultra-fanatic remnants of the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan’s spring fall-out. Members of this newly formed organization have taken control of territories extending across the Hawraman Mountain stretches of Twela-u-Biyara, in the district of Halabja.

In their September 8, 2001, Jund Al-Islam decreed to the citizens of Hawraman, the following laws:

(1) The Holy Sited of the Sheikh of Biyara, Shiekh Osman-i-Biyara has been closed to the public and no one is allowed to visit this Holy site to deter polytheism.

(2) When call for prayers are made all shops must close and shop owners must then head towards the Mosque.

(3) All females must wear the traditional A’ba (a black sheet that covers them from head to ankle).

(4) To deter Atheism, pictures of deceased relatives and living friends and families are no longer allowed in both public and private.

(5) Industrial goods that are brought into Jund Al-Islam territories that contain pictures of females must be removed before brought in.

(6) Music and musical instruments are outlawed both in public and private.

(7) Satellite receivers are also outlawed.

The head of this shady organization is Abu Abdullah Shafa’i, a Kurd from the regional capital of Hewler. This organization, much like other Al-Qaeda sponsored terrorist organization, calls their leader, Al Amir, or The Prince. And according to their members, Jund Al-Islam views Usama Bin Laden as a Holy figure sent to battle the infidels and lead a worldwide Jihad or Holy War.

The Amir of Jund Al-Islam as mentioned is a local Kurd, he is assisted both logistically and financially by a personal aid and representative of Usama Bin Laden, A Syrian Arab who has spend at least 6 years on the ground with Bin Laden in Afghanistan.

Sources in Sulemani, Iraqi-Kurdistan have conveyed to KurdishMedia.com, on conditions of anonymity, that Jund Al-Islam is expecting a lump sum of $600,000 USD from Usama Bin Laden to expedite their efforts to spread Jund Al-Islam’s influence in the region.

Un-named sources in the Kurdistan region have also confirmed the arrival of three other Arab-Afghans (Arab-Afghans are the Arab veterans of the Afghan-Soviet war). These Non-Kurd members of Jund Al-Islam are specialists in terror. Two are explosive experts, and the last, a renowned assassin.

In addition to these three experts in terror, Usama Bin Laden has sent an additional four Afghan-Arabs to coordinate and advise Jund Al-Islam’s ground activities. These advisors are kept away from the public in Hawraman and only interact with the Amir and the Non-Kurds of Jund Al-Islam.

This comes amid of news on the planned assassinations of top-level Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and Kurdistan Democratic Party members. Security officials in the city of Slemani intercepted plans of their assassinations. Official(s) of the Kurdistan Regional Government confirmed to KurdishMedia on Wednesday, September 12, 2001, that such threats were ‘very real’ and actions are being taken to safeguard the safety of the targeted officials.

Jund Al-Islam’s first newsletter also gave hint of what is to come, if this organization is to hedge its way through secular Iraqi-Kurdistan. Jund Al-Islam states the following:

“Your brothers and colleagues for many years are busy with preparing themselves for Jihad (Holy War) in this area both monetarily and morally. We have achieved this task by opening training camps, Islamic education camps, and the preparation of necessary weapons and for this Holy purpose. After the people realize the area needs protection and the preservation of Islam, we must make a tough and holy stand against the blasphemous secularist political, social and cultural institutions. They seeking to conquer and exploit the Muslims of Kurdistan, thus the dirty Jews and Christians seek the destruction of Islam in Kurdistan.”

Eyewitness in the region have stated that Jund Al-Islam is on the move, and their black bannered new model Toyota Land Cruisers are moving about in vicinities close to the highlands overlooking the city of Halabja on Mount Shenirwe.

What started out as a small group of 12 lightly armed men have now turned into a trained army of 500 strong fanatics, divided into 6 Katibas (Division) with links to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Jund Al-Islam is occupying strategic mountaintops in a move to thwart any possible action against them. Hills and valleys across Hawraman are now military basins armed with Russian made Doshka anti-air and antipersonnel machineguns, Jeep mounted 109mm guns and 120mm canons, Russian Sniper rifles, BKC heavy machineguns and various sizes of mortars.

Bearded teen-agers are said to be competing to take posts that are to be in the direct line of fire, their Imam, have stated in their Friday Khutba, that, “Those young men who are martyred at the hands of the infidels and enemies of Islam, shall be taken up to the gates of Heaven by two angels sent down by Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, within ten minutes of their martyrdom and defense of Islam.”

Moreover, Jund Al-Islam has also stated publicly in their first newsletter that they are ready to face any party, individual or organization economically and militarily, and called upon, “All self-respecting Muslims throughout Kurdistan to embrace Jund Al-Islam, and battle the infidels that want to corrupt and destroy Islam and Islam’s way of life.”

The real aim of Jund Al-Islam is to spread instability and paralyze the Kurdish experiment with self-rule and democracy. Not only does the creation of Jund Al-Islam and similar splinters groups of fanatical Islam pose a threat to Kurdistan specifically but to the world at large.

Non-Kurdish combatants are on ground in the vast mountains of Kurdistan poised to assassinate, murder and maim both the civilians of Kurdistan and specifically target the high archy of the political powers that be in Iraqi-Kurdistan.

These fanatics not only hinder industrial and economical progression, moreover, they want to regress society back to the Middle Ages.

In the wake of the American tragedy, I think Kurds throughout Kurdistan should now focus on how to prevent similar terrorist attacks in our cities and villages. It is the duties of Kurdish officials from both the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party to establish a mutual and coherent channel of communication to combat these enemies of peace.

It is commendable, to see Mr. Hoshyar Zibari, a personal aid and confidant of Kurdistan Democratic Party President, Mr. Massoud Barzani, visiting Mr. Jalal Talabani, Secretary General of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. To convey the personal support of his political party, yet this is only a start, but needs to be followed up by genuine coordination and cooperation between the two main powers in the region to establish an effective mechanism to confront and defuse Jund Al-Islam and their retrogressive goals in Kurdistan.

These powers united can also neutralize the potency of regional intervention and assistance to Jund Al-Islam and similar groups.

It is time for the Kurdish leadership to unite resources and institute a logical set of interests that shall delineate, in detail Kurdish National Security. Much like the Kurdish saying goes, “Chapla ba dastyk ley nadreyt! (One can’t clap with one hand)”

The Kurdish leadership must unite and fight terror.