1st leader of the Islamic State of Iraq

Not to be confused with the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

For other uses, see Baghdadi (disambiguation).

Abu Omar al-Qurashi al-Baghdadi

أَبُو عُمَرَ ٱلْقُرَشِيُّ ٱلْبَغْدَادِيُّ

Mugshot of a man believed to be Abu Omar al-Baghdadi

1st Emir of the Islamic State of Iraq
In office
15 October 2006 – 18 April 2010
Succeeded by| Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Personal details
Born|

Hamid Dawud Mohamed Khalil al-Zawi
حَمِيدُ دَاوُدَ مُحَمَّدُ خَلِيلِ ٱلزَّاوِيِّ

1959
Al-Zawiyah, Al-Anbar Governorate, Iraq
Died| 18 April 2010(2010-04-18) (aged 50–51)
Tikrit, Saladin Governorate, Iraq
Cause of death| Airstrike
Religion| Sunni Islam
Military career
Allegiance|  Baathist Iraq (until late 1980s or early 1990s)

Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (2003–2004)
Al-Qaeda (2004–2010)

* Al-Qaeda in Iraq
(2004–2006)
* Mujahideen Shura Council (January 2006–October 2006)
* Islamic State of Iraq (2006–2010)

Service/branch| Iraqi Police (–late 1980s/early 1990s)
ISI (2006–2010)
Rank| Police officer (–late 1980s/early 1990s)
Emir of the Islamic State of Iraq

Hamid Dawud Mohamed Khalil al-Zawi (Arabic: حَمِيدُ دَاوُدَ مُحَمَّدُ خَلِيلِ ٱلزَّاوِيِّ, romanized: Ḥamīd Dāwud Muḥammad Ḵalīl az-Zāwī; 1959 – 18 April 2010), known as Abu Hamza al-Baghdadi and Abu Omar al-Qurashi al-Baghdadi[1][2] (/ˈɑːbuː ˈoʊmɑːr ɑːl bɑːɡˈdɑːdi/ (listen) AH-boo OH-mar ahl bahg-DAHD-ee), was the leader of the militant groups Mujahideen Shura Council,[2][3][4] and its successor, the Islamic State of Iraq, which fought against US forces and their Iraqi allies in the Iraq War.

## Contents

* 1 Biography
* 2 Controversy over identity
* 3 Reports of arrest or death
* 4 Death
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links

## Biography[edit]

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Abu Omar was born Hamid Dawud Muhammad Khalil al-Zawi in 1959 in the village of Al-Zawiyah, close to Haditha in Al-Anbar Governorate. He descended from the Qurayshi Al-Arajiyah. He graduated from the Police Academy in Baghdad and served as a police officer in Haditha. In 1993, he was dismissed from the police for Salafist ideology. After leaving the police, he worked at an electronics repair shop and served as the imam of the al-Asaf mosque.[5][6][7]

Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States, he formed his own small insurgent group and took part in the Iraqi insurgency.[5]

At some point, he was arrested after US forces searched his house on suspicion he was harboring foreign Arab fighters. He was transported to Al Asad Airbase and his computer was searched.

He pledged allegiance to Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad after meeting Abu Muhammad al-Lubnani and Abu Anas al-Shami. At this stage Abu Omar went by the kunya 'Abu Mahmud'.

One famous incident regarding Abu Omar is when he was traveling from Haditha to Baghdad by car with his family. Ahead of him was a militant escort vehicle that was exploring the road to check if there were American checkpoints. After the escort vehicle had pulled away, there was a checkpoint that stood in the road and forced him to enter the city of Hit for inspection. He was asked by one of the guards to show his identification card and he presented his Al-Arajiah notables identification card. The soldier was surprised and thought that Abu Omar was a Shiite. He said to him, "Sayyid how could you come to such a place, as these areas are filled with terrorists, and if they know about you, they will kill you." He told him there was news from Haditha stating there was a major terrorist who had left Haditha accompanied by his family, and that he was heading east, and they must search all the vehicles. He did not search the Abu Omar's vehicle and told the Americans there was no need to search him. Abu Omar was allowed to leave the checkpoint.

After his work in Anbar, he was transferred to Baghdad where he worked in the Shura Council and Shari'ah Council of the organization. His kunya at that time was Abu-Marwah. He was also in charge of security in Baghdad Province for some time. Afterwards, he became the governor of Diyala for the group.

## Controversy over identity[edit]

In July 2007, U.S. military spokesman Brigadier General Kevin Bergner, claimed that Abu Omar al-Baghdadi did not actually exist, and that all of his audio statements were actually read by an elderly Iraqi actor.[8][9]

The detainee identified as Khaled al-Mashhadani, a self-proclaimed intermediary to Osama bin Laden, claimed that al-Baghdadi was a fictional character created to give an Iraqi face to a foreign-run group.[10] In March 2008, the spokesman for a rival insurgent organization, Hamas-Iraq, also claimed that al-Baghdadi was a fabrication made by Al-Qaeda to put an Iraqi face on their organization.[11] However, US military officials later came to believe that the position of al-Baghdadi had been back-filled by an actual commander.[12]

## Reports of arrest or death[edit]

The Interior Ministry of Iraq claimed that al-Baghdadi was captured in Baghdad on 9 March 2007,[13] but it was later said that the person in question was not him.[14] On 3 May 2007, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said that al-Baghdadi had been killed by American and Iraqi forces north of Baghdad.[15] On 23 April 2009, AFP reported that he had been arrested by the Iraqi military,[16] and on 28 April the Iraqi government produced photos to prove it to skeptics. The claim was denied by the Islamic State in Iraq[17] which according to SITE Institute released a recording of al-Baghdadi denying the government's claims. The Iraqi government continued to insist that the man captured was indeed Baghdadi,[18] however tapes and messages from Baghdadi were released throughout 2009 and 2010.[19][20]

## Death[edit]

On 18 April 2010, al-Baghdadi was killed when a joint operation of US and Iraqi forces rocketed a safe house 10 kilometres (6 mi) southwest of Tikrit. ISI Minister of War Abu Ayyub al-Masri and al-Baghdadi's son were also killed in the attack and 16 others were arrested.[21]

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced the killings of al-Baghdadi and al-Masri at a news conference in Baghdad and showed reporters photographs of their corpses. "The attack was carried out by ground forces which surrounded the house, and also through the use of missiles", al-Maliki said. "During the operation computers were seized with e-mails and messages to the two biggest terrorists, Osama bin Laden and [his deputy] Ayman al-Zawahiri", al-Maliki added. U.S. forces commander Gen. Raymond Odierno praised the operation. "The death of these terrorists is potentially the most significant blow to al-Qaida in Iraq since the beginning of the insurgency", he said. "There is still work to do but this is a significant step forward in ridding Iraq of terrorists".

Vice President Joe Biden said that the killings were "potentially devastating" blows to the terror network there and proof that Iraqi security forces are gaining ground.[22][23][24] On 25 April 2010, a four-page statement by the Islamic State of Iraq was posted on a militant website early Sunday confirmed the death of al-Masri and Al-Baghdadi, saying "After a long journey filled with sacrifices and fighting falsehood and its representatives, two knights have dismounted to join the group of martyrs," the statement said. "We announce that the Muslim nation has lost two of the leaders of jihad, and two of its men, who are only known as heroes on the path of jihad." The ISI sharia minister, Abu al-Walid Abd al-Wahhab al-Mashadani, said the two leaders were attending a meeting when enemy forces engaged them in battle and launched an airstrike on their location.[25]

He was succeeded by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who became the caliph of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).[26]

## See also[edit]

* 23 April 2009 Iraqi suicide attacks
* Abu Suleiman al-Naser

## References[edit]

1. ^ Insurgent leader arrested in Iraq[permanent dead link], Wimmera News. March 10, 2007.
2. ^ a b Al-Qaeda names mystery man to succeed Zarqawi. Agence France Presse. 13 June 2006.
3. ^ Burns, John F.; Filkins, Dexter (13 June 2006). "A Jihadist Web Site Says Zarqawi's Group in Iraq Has a New Leader in Place". The New York Times.
4. ^ Filkins, Dexter; Burns, John F. (16 June 2006). "U.S. Portrayal Helps Flesh Out Zarqawi's Heir". The New York Times.
5. ^ a b "Assessing AQI's Resilience After April's Leadership Decapitations". CTC Sentinel. 2010-06-03. Archived from the original on 2013-02-25. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
6. ^ "Who is Abu Omar al Baghdadi?". Long War Journal. 2008-09-14. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
7. ^ Report: Al-Qaida in Iraq leader identified with photograph - International Herald Tribune Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
8. ^ Gordon, Michael R. (18 July 2007). "Leader of Al Qaeda group in Iraq was fictional, U.S. military says". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012.
9. ^ Yates, Dean (18 July 2007). "Senior Qaeda figure in Iraq a myth: U.S. military". Reuters. p. 1. Retrieved 28 July 2007.
10. ^ Susman, Tina (19 July 2007). "Al-Qaida's man in Iraq unveiled as fictional character". Los Angeles Times via Chron.com. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010.
11. ^ MEMRI: Latest News
12. ^ Bill Roggio April 19, 2010 (2010-04-19). "US and Iraqi forces kill Al Masri and Baghdadi, al Qaeda in Iraq's top two leaders". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 2012-07-27.
13. ^ Iraqi ministry: Militant leader arrested in Baghdad Archived March 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, CNN. 9 March 2007.
14. ^ "Captured Iraqi not al-Baghdadi" Archived March 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Al Jazeera, March 10, 2007.
15. ^ "Iraq says insurgent leader dead". CNN. May 3, 2007.
16. ^ Head of Al-Qaeda in Iraq arrested in Baghdad: army, Agence France-Presse, 23 April 2009.
17. ^ Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq denies head captured, Reuters, 12 May 2009
18. ^ Secure at Last May 18th, 2009 - 07:52:55 (2009-05-18). "Iraqi security forces insist detainee is al-Qaeda leader". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
19. ^ Al-Qaida leader in Iraq calls for continued jihad Archived March 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Associated Press Maamoun Youssef – 23 March 2010.
20. ^ WorldAnalysis.net archive of text and translations of tapes listed as by al-Baghdadi
21. ^ Waleed Ibrahim. "Al Qaeda's top two leaders in Iraq have been killed, officials said Monday, in a strike the United States called a "potentially devastating blow" but whose impact analysts said may be limited". Reuters.
22. ^ [1][dead link]
23. ^ "Iraqi al-Qaeda leaders 'killed'". BBC News. 19 April 2010.
24. ^ "Top al-Qaida leaders killed in Iraq, US says". Archived from the original on 2010-04-21. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
25. ^ Qaeda confirms deaths of leaders in Iraq: statement, Reuters.
26. ^ Shadid, Anthony (16 May 2010). "Iraqi Insurgent Group Names New Leaders". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 June 2014.

## External links[edit]

Wikinews has related news:

* Iraq says leader of the insurgent group Mujahideen Shura Council killed

Political offices

New office |  Emir of the Islamic State of Iraq
2006–2010  | Succeeded by

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

* v
* t
* e

Al-Qaeda

Leadership|

* Saif al-Adel
* Khalid Batarfi
* Ahmad Umar
* Iyad Ag Ghaly
* Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil
* Abu Ubaidah Youssef al-Annabi
* Ali Sayyid Muhamed Mustafa al-Bakri
* Ibrahim al-Banna
* Ibrahim al Qosi
* Mokhtar Belmokhtar
* Abu Walid al-Masri
* Amin al-Haq
* Mohammed Showqi Al-Islambouli
* Abdukadir Mohamed Abdukadir
* Fuad Qalaf
* Jehad Mostafa

Former
leadership|

| Killed|

* Osama bin Laden (killing)
* Ayman al-Zawahiri (killing)
* Mohammed Atef
* Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
* Haitham al-Badri
* Abu Yaqub al-Masri
* Abu Talha al-Sudani
* Abu Sulayman Al-Jazairi
* Midhat Mursi
* Mohamed Moumou
* Khalid Habib
* Abu Ghadiya
* Abu Zubair al-Masri
* Rashid Rauf
* Mohammad Hasan Khalil al-Hakim
* Fahid Mohammed Ally Msalam
* Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan
* Saad bin Laden
* Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan
* Abdullah Said al Libi
* Saleh al-Somali
* Abu Ayyub al-Masri
* Abu Omar al-Baghdadi
* Saeed al-Masri
* Hamza al-Jawfi
* Ahmed Mohammed Hamed Ali
* Mohamed Abul-Khair
* Abu Suleiman al-Naser
* Huthaifa al-Batawi
* Ilyas Kashmiri
* Fazul Abdullah Mohammed
* Atiyah Abd al-Rahman
* Anwar al-Awlaki
* Samir Khan
* Tariq al-Dahab
* Muhammad Sa'id Ali Hasan
* Fahd al-Quso
* Said Ali al-Shihri
* Farman Ali Shinwari
* Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi
* Mustafa Mohamed Fadhil
* Haitham al-Yemeni
* Abu Hamza Rabia
* Muhsin Musa Matwalli Atwah
* Hassan Ghul
* Abu-Zaid al Kuwaiti
* Said Bahaji
* Omar al-Faruq
* Abu Laith al-Libi
* Abu Yahya al-Libi
* Abdelhamid Abou Zeid
* Ibrahim Haji Jama Mee'aad
* Abu Mansoor Al-Amriki
* Abu Khalid al-Suri
* Omar Ould Hamaha
* Ahmed Abdi Godane
* Abu Yusuf Al-Turki
* Adnan Gulshair el Shukrijumah
* Adam Yahiye Gadahn
* Harith bin Ghazi al-Nadhari
* Ibrahim Sulayman Muhammad al-Rubaysh
* Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi
* Nasir al-Wuhayshi
* Othman Ahmad Othman al-Ghamdi
* Muhsin al-Fadhli
* Abu Firas al-Suri
* Ahmed Refai Taha
* Abu Khayr al-Masri
* Ibrahim al-Asiri
* Abu Khalil al-Madani
* Hamza bin Laden
* Sari Shihab
* Asim Umar
* Qasim al-Raymi
* Abdelmalek Droukdel
* Khalid al-Aruri
* Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah
* Abu Muhsin al-Masri

|

Captured|

* Mamdouh Mahmud Salim
* Wadih el-Hage
* Khalid al-Fawwaz
* Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri
* Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
* Walid bin Attash
* Riduan Isamuddin
* Ali al-Bahlul
* Ahmed Ghailani
* Abu Faraj al-Libbi
* Mustafa Setmariam Nasar
* Abdul Hadi al Iraqi
* Muhammad Jafar Jamal al-Kahtani
* Mohamed Atiq Awayd Al Harbi
* Younis al-Mauritani
* Sulaiman Abu Ghaith
* Abu Anas al-Libi
* Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh
* Mukhtar Robow

Other|

* Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri (died)
* Abu Ubaidah al-Masri (died)
* Mahfouz Ould al-Walid (left)
* Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (expelled)
* Abu Mohammad al-Julani (left, disputed)
* Abu Maria al-Qahtani (left, disputed)
* Ahmad Salama Mabruk (left, disputed)
* Abu Omar al-Turkistani (left, disputed)
* Abu Humam al-Shami (left, disputed)
* Sami al-Oraydi (left, disputed)

Timeline
of attacks|

* 1998 United States embassy bombings
* 2000 USS Cole bombing
* 2001 September 11 attacks
* 2002 Bali bombings
* 2004 Madrid train bombings
* 2005 London bombings
* 2007 Algiers bombings
* 2008 Islamabad Danish embassy bombing
* 2008 Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing
* 2013 In Amenas hostage crisis
* 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack
* 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting
* 2015 Garissa University College attack
* 2015 Bamako hotel attack
* 2016 Ouagadougou attacks
* 2016 Grand-Bassam shootings
* 2016 Bamako attack
* 2019 Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting

Wars|

* Soviet–Afghan War
* Afghan Civil War (1989–1992)
* Afghan Civil War (1992–1996)
* First Chechen War
* Afghan Civil War (1996–2001)
* Second Chechen War
* War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
* Iraq War
* Somali Civil War
* War in North-West Pakistan (drone strikes)
* Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
* Syrian civil war
* Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
* al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
* Houthi insurgency in Yemen

Affiliates|

* al-Shabaab (Somalia)
* al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen)
* al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (North Africa)
* Egyptian Islamic Jihad (Egypt)
* al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (Indian Subcontinent)
* Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (Mali)

Charity organizations|

* Benevolence International Foundation
* al-Haramain Foundation

Media|

* Al Qaeda Handbook
* Al Neda
* As-Sahab
* Fatawā of Osama bin Laden
* Inspire
* Al-Khansaa
* Kuala Lumpur al-Qaeda Summit
* Management of Savagery
* Voice of Jihad
* Qaedat al-Jihad
* Global Islamic Media Front

Video and audio|

* Videos and audio recordings of Osama bin Laden
* Videos and audio recordings of Ayman al-Zawahiri
* USS Cole bombing

Related|

* Safe houses
* Al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein
* Timeline

Category:Al-Qaeda

* v
* t
* e

Militant Islamism in MENA region

Ideology|

* Jihadism
* Salafi jihadism
* Pan-Islamism
* Qutbism
* Wahhabism

Phenomena|

* Islamic extremism
* Islamic fundamentalism
* Islamic terrorism

Organisations|

| Middle East|

* Abdullah Azzam Brigades
* Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades
* Ahrar al-Sham
* Ajnad al-Sham
* Al-Nusra Front
* Al-Qaeda
* Al-Qaeda in Iraq
* Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
* Ansar al-Islam
* Ansar al-Sham
* Ansar al-Sharia (Syria)
* Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen)
* Ansar Bait al-Maqdis
* Ansar ul Islam
* Army of Conquest
* Army of Islam
* Hamas
* Hezbollah
* Quwat al-Ridha
* Hezbollah Al-Hejaz
* Houthis
* Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine
* Islamic State of Iraq
* Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
* Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
* Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin
* Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad
* Jaysh al-Islam
* Jaysh al-Ummah (Gaza)
* Jund Ansar Allah
* Jundallah (Iran)
* Khorasan group
* Levant Front
* Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem
* Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement
* Peace Companies
* People's Mujahedin of Iran
* Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade
* Tahrir al-Sham
* Tawhid al-Jihad
* Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq
* Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba
* Kata'ib Hezbollah
* Badr Organization
* Mukhtar Army
* Liwa Assad Allah al-Ghalib fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham
* Saraya al-Jihad
* Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas
* Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas Forces
* Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada
* Kata'ib al-Imam Ali
* Liwa Fatemiyoun
* Liwa Zainebiyoun
* Al-Ashtar Brigades
* Sabireen Movement
* Jaysh al-Mu'ammal
* Baqir Brigade
* Promised Day Brigade
* 1920 Revolution Brigade
* Turkish Hezbollah
* Hamas of Iraq
* Islamic Dawa Party

|

North Africa|

* Abu Salim Martyrs Brigade
* al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
* Ansar al-Sharia (Libya)
* Ansar al-Sharia (Tunisia)
* Ansar Bait al-Maqdis
* Armed Islamic Group
* Derna Protection Force
* Egyptian Islamic Jihad
* al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya
* Takfir wal-Hijra
* Libyan Islamic Fighting Group
* Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group
* Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa
* Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat
* Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries
* Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna
* Tunisian Combatant Group

Leaders|

* Abu Ali al-Anbari
* Abu Mohammad al-Adnani
* Abu Muslim al-Turkmani
* Abu Suleiman al-Naser
* Ahmed al-Assir
* Anwar al-Awlaki
* Abdullah Yusuf Azzam
* Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah
* Abdul Nasser Qardash
* Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi
* Abu Ayyub al-Masri
* Abu Omar al-Baghdadi
* Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
* Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi
* Mohammed Atef
* Mokhtar Belmokhtar
* Tariq al-Dahab
* Tal'at Fu'ad Qasim
* Massoud Rajavi
* Maryam Rajavi
* Abdelmalek Droukdel
* Abu Ubaidah Youssef al-Annabi
* Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri
* Abu Ubaidah al-Masri
* Saeed al-Masri
* Saleh Al-Qaraawi
* Haji Bakr
* Hassan Hattab
* Abu Mohammad al-Julani
* Omar Abdel-Rahman
* Osama bin Laden
* Hassan Nasrallah
* Juhayman al-Otaybi
* Muqtada al-Sadr
* Saif al-Adel
* Shukri Mustafa
* Muhammad abd-al-Salam Faraj
* Nasir al-Wuhayshi
* Qasim al-Raymi
* Khalid Batarfi
* Ibrahim al-Banna
* Ahmed Yassin
* Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
* Ayman al-Zawahiri
* Abdelhamid Abou Zeid
* Abu Khayr al-Masri
* Abu Muhsin al-Masri
* Qais al-Khazali
* Hadi al-Amiri
* Jalal al-Din Ali al-Saghir
* Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi
* Wathiq al-Battat

Events|

* Israeli–Palestinian conflict
* Lebanese Civil War
* Iranian Revolution
* Iran–Iraq War
* Algerian Civil War
* Terrorism in Egypt
* Insurgency in the Maghreb (2002–present)
* Iraq War
* Syrian Civil War
* Iraqi Civil War
* Libyan Civil War
* Yemeni Civil War

Related|

* Al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
* ISIL territorial claims
* Sexual violence in the Iraqi insurgency
* Holy Shrine Defender

* Part of Islamism
* Militant Islamism in
* South Asia
* Southeast Asia
* Sub-Saharan Africa

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