Letter from Ansar al-Islam

Letter from Ansar al-Islam(IRAQ) to Ayman al-Zawahiri, February 2013

Translation by The IraqiWitness (@IraqiWitness)

Ansar al-Islam & its leadership shows you utmost of respect and appreciations and asks God to help you with your great responsibility. The reason for writing this letter is to remove the accumulating injustice against us and to let you know what you should know. Ansar al-Islam is an independent group, and respects the banners of truth and is the oldest Jihadi group in Iraq.

Our policy to deal with your branch (ISI) was to be patient to the injustice as we see this to be in the benefit of the Jihad and Sunnis. But today reality forced us where we can not tell our soldiers to be patient to the injustice & we see this as a loss to the Jihad. How we used to deal with ISI didn't work, no results came out of it. So we ordered our men 2 respond 2 injustice but never start it. Our dignified distinguished Sheikh, some of the problems:

*Absence of the one responsible of the decisions and who should carry the effects and consequences as well as having too many people that make important decisions in regarding in our field co-operation.

* Continuous Violent/agressive behavior towards Ansar al-Islam fighters and for several reasons and excuses such as:

That Ansar al-Islam fighters are working on ISI land, & that we should obey & that we are not allowed to work without prior permission and this couldn't be further from the truth, reality shows that all Iraqi cities are under control of Shia military occupation. And they (Iraqi army) control the people's movement and that the fight of the Mujahidin is guerrilla warfare, hit and run etc.

And we have sent respectful and positive messages to their leadership, calling to solve the problems between us.

Our Media Wing has also played a part like, condolences, congratulating and thanking them in occasions. And we didn't criticize them.

And we have not received any statement, not even one since sending our condolences of the death of Abu Hamza and Abu Omar.

Our respected Shaikh, the problems in the arena with ISI reached a point we see no good in. These constant pressures can not be endured which forced to to change our strategy to take justice rather than pardons forgiving. Some of these problems are:

* Fighting Ansaral-slam to the point that blood is spilled, which recently turned to targeting our field commanders.
* Pressure and persecution on our prisoners by ISI in prison, by isolating them, preventing them from teaching, even threatening.
* Forcing Ansar al-Islam fighters to desert their Bay'ah and making a new Bay'ah to ISI or secluding from the war.
* Financial pressuring by making our money and properties Halal (for them to take).

Our respected Shaikh, We wrote this seeing you are responsible over them and AQ is the only recognized group by them. And because of necessity we see it that solving these problems from your side is a must especially seeing current regional situation. To prepare the row, and getting ready for what comes after the events in Syria and we are afraid that If these problems are ignored it will will cause a bigger harm/damage. An escalation in this dangerous period of Sunni people in Iraq will harm the arena. We believe that these are the results of irresponsible behaviors until this became the standard for some leaders in your Iraqi branch.
THE END.

So not only did we get a glimpse of how ISIS removes & dismantles group but Ansar al-Islam also foreshadowed infighting in Syria