| Hamas of Iraq | |
| Native Name: | Arabic: حماس العراق |
| War: | the Iraqi insurgency |
| Foundation: | 2007 |
| Active: | 18 March 2007 – 18 December 2011; still existed until 9 December 2017 |
| Dissolved: | 2017 |
| Ideology: | Iraqi nationalism Sunni Islamism Anti-Imperialism Anti-West |
| Area: | Central Iraq |
| Partof: | Political Council for the Iraqi Resistance |
| Predecessor: | 1920 Revolution Brigades |
| Allies: | Islamic Army in Iraq |
| Opponents: |  Iraqi Armed ForcesAl-Qaeda in Iraq Islamic State of Iraq |
| Battles: | Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) War in Iraq (2013-2017) |
| Designated As Terror Group By: | Iraq[1] |
Hamas of Iraq was a Sunni militia group based in Iraq, which split from the 1920 Revolution Brigades on 18 March 2007.[2] The group claims to have released videos of its attack on US troops.[3] The 1920 Revolution Brigades insists that Hamas in Iraq was involved in assisting US troops in their Diyala operations against Al-Qaeda in Iraq.[4] [5] former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had feared the US-armed 'concerned local citizens' were an armed Sunni opposition in the making, and has argued that such groups should be under the command of the Iraqi Army or police.[6] On October 11, 2007, the militia group joined a political council that embraced armed insurgency against American forces.[7]
Hamas in Iraq released a political program in April 2007 with some of the following provisions:[8]
In July 2007, The Guardian reported that the group participated with other insurgent groups in an alliance called the Political Council for the Iraqi Resistance, which includes a range of Islamist and nationalist-leaning groups which was formed to negotiate with the Americans in anticipation of an early US withdrawal. Main planks of the joint political program included "a commitment to free Iraq from foreign troops, rejection of cooperation with parties involved in political institutions set up under the occupation and a declaration that decisions and agreements made by the US occupation and Iraqi government are null and void."[9]
The logo represents a map of Iraq (1932-present) alongside a green flag saying "Indeed,we have given you a clear victory" in Arabic. Below the flag is Arabic Text saying "The Islamic al-Fath Brigade". To the right of the text and flag, there's a hand holding some sort of Islamic sword with the text below the map. "Islamic Resistance Movement" "Hamas - Al-Iraq".
The 1920 Revolution Brigades insists that Hamas in Iraq was involved in assisting US troops in their recent Diyala operations against Al-Qaeda in Iraq in August 2007. The insistences occurred when The Washington Post reported in a telephone interview with Lt. Col. Joseph Davidson, executive officer of the 2nd Infantry Division, U.S. forces were now "partnering with Sunni insurgents from the 1920 Revolution Brigades, which includes former members of ousted president Saddam Hussein's disbanded army."[10] The 1920 Revolution Brigades replied that: "We say to … the occupation and to your followers and agents that you made a very big lie" in linking us with the Diyala anti-Al-Qaeda campaign.[11] The group maintains that the US military spokesman should have referred to "Iraqi Hamas", which consisted of Brigades before the operations.