Egyptian Islamic Jihad

The Egyptian Islamic Jihad (Arabic: الجهاد الإسلامي المصري‎) (EIJ) formerly called simply Islamic Jihad (الجهاد الإسلامي and Liberation Army for Holy Sites) originally referred to as al-Jihad, and then the Jihad Group, or the Jihad Organization, is an Egyptian Islamist terrorist group active since the late 1970s. It is under worldwide embargo by the United Nations as an affiliate of al-Qaeda. It is also banned by several individual governments worldwide.

The organization's original primary goal was to overthrow the Egyptian Government and replace it with an Islamic state. Later it broadened its aims to include attacking the United States and Israeli interests in Egypt and abroad.

The EIJ has suffered setbacks as a result of numerous arrests of operatives worldwide, most recently in Lebanon and Yemen. In June 2001, al-Qaeda and the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (which had been associated with each other for many years) merged into "Qaeda al-Jihad". However, the UN states that there was a split in the organization when the merger was announced.

Al-Jihad (Baghdad)

Jihad (Al-Jihad or Hayy Al-Jihad) is a neighborhood (hayy) in the Al Rashid district in western Baghdad, Iraq. To the north is Al-A'amiriya (Amiriya) on the other side of Baghdad Airport Road, and to the east is Al-A'amel.

The New York Times has said, "a former slice of mixed middle-class calm in the heart of western Baghdad, Jihad fell to Sunni insurgents after the American invasion. Flowing in from neighboring Amiriya to streets dominated by former Baathist intelligence officers, the extremist groups shot and killed barbers, government officials and businessmen and dumped their bodies in the streets for all to see."

Since 2006 the Shia Mahdi Army has gradually seized control.

References

Coordinates: 33°17′N 44°17′E / 33.283°N 44.283°E / 33.283; 44.283