Location of the attacks in Baghdad

Courtesy of BBC

Blood bath in Baghdad

A string of coordinated car bomb, conventional bomb and mortar attacks targeting the heavily fortified Green Zone and other Iraqi government buildings earlier today has left a swathe of destruction in Baghdad. At least 50 people have been killed and over 300 wounded in the embattled city and this figure is expected to increase. There have been no claims of responsibility as yet; however, the likely suspects are Sunni extremists motivated or inspired by al-Qaeda.

Jund Ansar Allah & Hamas revealed

More news on last week's clashes between Hamas and Jund Ansar Allah. Accusations that the group is linked to al-Qaeda remain unfounded, at least in an operational sense. This makes sense as the core Qaeda group are currently believed to be based in the Paki-Afghan border area (possibly in a deep dark cave) and providing assistance across such a distance would be difficult. Jund Ansar Allah is most certainly inspired by al-Qaeda, however, and a recent discussion Mecasr has had with leading counter-terrorism experts substantiates this. The groups flag, philosophy and outlook are similar in many ways to that of the now deceased Zarqawi. You will remember he was the Jordanian chap that led a campaign of beheadings in Iraq on behalf of Al-Qaeda in Iraq. The group is also one of many such groups in the Gaza Strip that are not aligned with the current Hamas administration. Jund for their part have vowed swift revenge for the spilt blood of their martyrs and further clashes can be expected. In other news, someone has recently leaked Hamas' balance sheet. The group's income is derived predominantly through smuggling (they levy a 14.5% tax on all smuggled goods entering the Strip) which amounts to approximately US$100 million a month. This has allowed the group to expand its activities into property of all things. If you're ever strolling along the Gaza coastline look out for khaki clad chaps with suitcases filled with US Dollars offering vast sums for beach side manors.

Niger, the "D" word and the SABC

Nigeriens (that's natives of Niger not Nigeria!) will go to the polls on 20 August to elect a new parliament. Democracy it would seem, at least from the outside, is alive and well. Well, not quite. The president of the country, a colourful chap named Tandja, came to power in 1999 and like many of his esteemed African predecessors has decided that his time in office was well spent and should continue...for the benefit of the people of course. In early August Tandja held a constitutional referendum on whether or not he could stand for a third term. This was after the Constitutional Court had ruled any referendum illegal. Tandja's response was to dissolve the court and replace it with loyalists. The outcry in the country was deafening (except to us here in SA, Niger doesn't feature high on the SABC's priorities) and protests and strike action were held regularly in the capital. Yet the sense we got here at Mecasr was that the majority of the locals cared more about not getting sunburnt than Tandja's attempts to hold on to the only air conditioned building in Niamey (that being the presidential palace). The referendum was held and an overwhelming number of Nigeriens voted YES. In the capital over 85% of the people who actually bothered to turn up, voted in favour of the change. The new Constitutional Court backed the referendum and Tandja can now, legally (not that it actually matters to him), stand in elections at the end of the year. As a supporter of democracy, well, this all smacks of a farce really, but who are we to judge? Zimbabweans voted Bob back into power and Mauritanians recently elected a coup leader as president! Africa's strong men trump Western democracy again it would seem and the question now is, is it time for the West to back off, to let Africa develop its own political systems? China has done it well, they send the workers and cash in, reap the benefits and leave. As for Niger, well, no one really cares anyway. By the way, where is Niger?

Leading Shiite rebel commander killed in northern Yemen

Reports from war-torn northern Yemen this morning tell a tell of widespread fighing and bloodshed and a crucial victory for the Yemeni military. Hussein Kamza, the commander of rebels in the Amran governorate, has reportedly been killed during violent clashes with the army. Further details on how he died have not been made and independent confirmation of the leader's death have not been received. Overall leader of the Shiite rebels, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, remains at large. In a seperate development, the rebels have refused to accept the government's ceasefire proposals. In a region with deep seated mistrust of the central government this is not suprising. Mecasr will continue to monitor this conflict closely in the weeks to come.

Ultra-Islamism in the Gaza, take II

More information is coming to light on the shadowy Islamist group, Jund Ansar Allah. The group made world headlines last week when its followers clashed with Hamas gunmen in the Gaza Strip's Rafah city after its leader, Sheikh Abdel-Latif Moussa, declared an Islamic Emirate in the Strip. Communiques from the group, recently translated by the NEFA Foundation, indicate that Moussa had strong ties with the Hamas and the al-Qassem brigades (military wing of Hamas) leaderships, but had recently fallen out of favour with the group. The reasons provided for this falling out are provided by Jund's propaganda team, which boast that its military prowess was becoming a threat to Hamas. The subsequent hit on Moussa and his followers in Rafah last Friday can be viewed as an attempt by the Gaza usurpers (recall that Hamas defeated Fatah for control of the Strip in 2007) to maitain its hegemony in the impoverished coastal enclave. Claims that the group is linked to al-Qaeda have also been rubbished by Jund's media branch; however, this isn't suprising as al-Qaeda, it would seem, and groups associated with it are looking towards lowering their public image - for good reason. Since 2001 the group has been virtually decimated. The al-Qaeda connection will need to be studied further later on.

So why has Jund suddnely appeared and gained a following? The answer can be found by looking at the conditions within the Gaza Strip. Politically Hamas, Fatah and the PLO have failed its people. The Palestinian polity are more fragmented than ever and we are no nearer to securing a lasting peace and two state solution than we were in 1993 with Arafat's widely condemned and ill-fated Oslo Peace Accords. Economically, the Strip is in a bad way. Opportunities for young Palestinians to enter the market and achieve are less than 0. So, with no cash and no prospect of freedom, the only option is extremism for many Palestinians. Enter the revered Moussa who it must be said like many groups before has promised its people the land of its forefathers (Israel), a capital (Jerusalem) and a return to law (strict interpretation of Sharia). These words speak volumes to the people of Gaza. They are only human after all and such promises to a long sufferring people must be very convincing. Mecasr's bottom line: Expect more activity on the Jund front. Hamas have made their intentions clear that it will accept no challengers. Jund for their part have a blood debt to pay. Expect a few dead Hamas gunmen in the next few weeks.

Ultra-Islamism in Gaza

In the old days there was the PLO led by the turban clad and charismatic Yasser Arafat. Then out of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in Egypt came Hamas, which subsequently expelled Arafat's Fatah from the Gaza Strip in 2007. Now, a new group, Jund Ansar Allah (Soldiers of the Companions of God), has emerged in the southern town of Rafah to challenge the Hamas hegemony in the Gaza Strip. Leader of the group, Sheikh Abdel-Latif Moussa (reportedly killed on 15 August 2009) declared at the Ibn Taymiya mosque on Friday the creation of an Islamic Emirate in the southern Gaza area. Naturally, Hamas took exception to this declaration and the subsequent gun battles between Jund and Hamas gunmen left over 20 people dead overnight. It may well be that this new group is a flash in the pan, a sect if you will that has attempted to fight above its weight class. However, the fact that it was able to organise without much fuss and then suddenly appear to a world audience is of grave concern. The questions being asked now are, how strong is this group, who does it owe allegiance too and are there others just like it? Mecasr will update shortly.