Soldiers of Heaven

The Soldiers of Heaven or Jund As-Samaa (Arabic: جند السماء), also known as Supporters of the Mahdi is an armed Iraqi Shi'a messianic sect led by Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni, who reportedly died in fighting in Basra, Iraq on 18 January 2008. [cite web
url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq19jan19,0,4037083.story?coll=la-home-center
title=80 killed in clashes in Iraq
first=Alexandra
last=Zavis
publisher=Los Angeles Times
date=2008-01-19] [cite web
url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/18/AR2008011803321.html
title=Dozens Killed in Clashes In S. Iraq: Obscure Sect Presents First Major Challenge For Area's Iraqi Forces
first=Amit R.
last=Paley
publisher=Washington Post
date=2008-01-19] [ [http://www.juancole.com/2007/01/fighters-for-shiite-messiah-clash-with.html Fighters for Shiite Messiah Clash with Najaf Security, 250 Dead Over 60 Dead in Baghdad, Kirkuk Violence] , Informed Comment, Juan Cole]

The group is a destructive cult, believing that spreading chaos will hasten the return of the 12th imam. [cite web
url=http://www.slate.com/id/2182511/
title=Today's Papers: Kick in the Pants
first=Lydia
last=DePillis
publisher=Slate
date=2008-01-19] [. [http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/us-iraqi-forces-kill-250-militants-in-najaf/2007/01/29/1169919241141.html "US-Iraqi Forces Kill 250 Militants in Najaf"] , The Age, 29 January 2007] [ [http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/01/29/iraq.main/index.html Cult plotted attack on Shiite clerics, Iraqis say] - CNN January 29 2007]

Leadership

A previous leader, Dia Abdul-Zahra, also known as Abu Kamar, claimed to be the Mahdi, a prophet or messiah-like figure in Islam. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-2572582,00.html Iraqi cult and its 'messiah' destroyed near Najaf] , Times Online UK, 29 January 2007]

Membership

The members of the group, which numbered around 1,000, ["Using that self aggrandizing, self appointed title, al Hassan built up a force of a thousand men" [http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1249368,00.html The Hidden Imam's Dream] - Sky News, January 30 2007] appeared to be mostly poor Shi'a farmers from an agricultural area 19 kilometres northeast of Najaf, but they also seemed to have been heavily armed. In spite of their poverty, the group appeared to have amassed a great deal of wealth. [ [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21151230-601,00.html "Earthly luxuries for Soldiers of Heaven"] , The Australian, February 1 2007]

Activities

On January 28 2007, the group apparently fought a bizarre battle with Iraqi and U.S. forces near Najaf where it is alleged about 200-300 of their members were killed, including its leader, and 300-400 were captured. [ [http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1249248,00.html Cult Leader is Killed] - Sky News, January 29 2007] Asaad Abu Gilel, the governor of Najaf has claimed that members of the group, including women and children, planned to disguise themselves as pilgrims and kill leading Shi'a clerics during the Ashoura holiday. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/us-iraqi-forces-kill-250-militants-in-najaf/2007/01/29/1169919241141.html?page=2 Page 2] , US, Iraqi forces kill 250 militants in Najaf, The Age, January 29 2007]

Significant questions remain regarding the group and the combat effectiveness it displayed, including shooting down an American AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship. Virtually all information about the group and the battle has come from Iraqi officials, who have released incomplete and sometimes contradictory accounts. [ [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070130/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_what_happened Analysis: Najaf battle raises questions ] - Yahoo! News, January 30 2007] Iraqi officials, including Najaf deputy governor Abdel Hussein Attan, had claimed that the group had links with al-Qaeda, but given that Sunni jihadists are fiercely anti-Shia, this seemed unlikely. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6313433.stm Bizarre tale of Shia messianic cult plot] , BBC, 30 January 2007]

After the battle, Iraqi police rounded up hundreds of sect members and put them on trial. On September 2, 2007, the criminal court passed judgement on 458 accused. Ten leaders of the Soldiers of Heaven were sentenced to death, 54 members were released, and the rest were sentenced to jail terms ranging from 15 years to life, Najaf police chief Brigadier General Abdel Karim Mustapha said. [ [http://www.rickross.com/reference/soldiers/soldiers8.html 10 Iraqi cult members sentenced to death] , Middle East Times, September 2, 2007]

On January 18, 2008 the Soldiers of Heaven were involved in fighting in Basra and Nassiriya. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2243389,00.html Troops clash with Shia cult in southern Iraq] , Kim Game, Associated Press, reported in The Guardian, January 19, 2008] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7197473.stm Violence on Ashura, reported in the BBC, January 19, 2008] ] ]

References