Ansar al-Islam is a fundamentalist Islamic organization headquartered in the Kurdish area of northern Iraq. The Helpers or Supporters of Submission was founded in December 2001 from the merger of Jund al-Islam (Soldiers of Islam) and an unnamed group of jihadists led by Mullah Krekar - an Islamic cleric. Jund al-Islam was itself a conglomerate, formed from smaller groups that had broken off from the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan in the mid-nineties. It had close ties to the Tawhid Islamic Front as opposed to the more recent Tawhid and Jihad in present day Iraq.
Ansar al-Islam's founding philosophy called for the establishment of an Islamic theocracy under Sharia, or strict Islamic law, in the Kurdish areas of northern Iraq. Its fundamental religious position and purpose put Submission's Helpers in direct conflict with Kurdish secular and democratic parties, such as the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
America used 25 million dollars worth of cruise missiles to attack Ansar al-Islam's mountainous sanctuary in Kurdistan/Iraq prior to the initial invasion of Iraq in March 2003. As a result, many of Submission's Supporters moved south where they have grown much larger and stronger, bolstered as they are by the United States occupation of Iraq and it providing them with a target-rich environment. Crusaders in the land of Islam have spurred a massive infusion of new members, most of whom are foreign jihadists.
The group now promotes the establishment of an Islamic state in all of Iraq. To achieve that goal, Ansar al-Islam is focused on killing American troops as well as Muslims who support the Infidels.
In a minor setback, the group's leader, Mullah Krekar who enjoyed diplomatic immunity in Norway, was finally arrested in January 2004.
Translated Meaning: Supporters, Friends, Companions of Submission
Aliases: Jund al-Islam,Islamic Movement in Kurdistan
