Free Preview of Members-Only Content

In a 42-minute audio message, Iraq’s top jihadist leader called Dec. 4 for a fresh bombing campaign against Iraqi security forces. The jihadists are getting quite desperate over seeing their sphere of operations shrink in Iraq.

The top jihadist leader in Iraq called Dec. 4 for a fresh bombing campaign against Iraqi security forces. In a 42-minute audio message, which surfaced on the Internet, Islamic State of Iraq leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi said every soldier in his group must explode at least three bombs by the end of January. He further said the attacks should target the “unbelievers who wear uniforms and all those who fight alongside the occupiers.” Al-Baghdadi announced the formation of a special unit, the al-Siddique Brigade, which is tasked with attacking Sunni tribal militia aligned with the U.S. military against the jihadists.

The message comes on the heels of significant — perhaps devastating — jihadist losses and a serious decline in their operational capability in recent months. Therefore, it suggests the jihadists not only are on the defensive, but also are getting quite desperate over seeing their sphere of operations shrink in Iraq. The Iraqi node of al Qaeda and its local allies, including the Islamic State of Iraq, know their future in Iraq is limited for four reasons: there is a Shiite majority in the country; the sectarian strife the jihadists triggered remains within acceptable levels; Sunnis have turned against them en masse; and a U.S.-Iranian understanding is making progress. Therefore, while stirring the Iraq pot as much as possible, they also must be working on an exit strategy, which entails relocating to other countries.