The Brigades of the Victorious Lion of God (Saraya Asad-Allah al-Ghalib) is an Iraqi insurgent group that claimed responsibility for the September 2004 kidnapping of Fairuz Yamulky, an Iraqi-Canadian contractor, and a rocket attack on a U.S. military base in al-Habbaniyah, several months later. <P><br /><br />Next to nothing is known about the group, despite the high-profile nature of the Yamulky kidnapping.  Yamulky was seized in September 2004 by armed men in Baghdad and held for two weeks, whereupon she either escaped or was released.  During her captivity, the group did not release any public statements but privately demanded from her company (GSF Cement and Sand) a $2.5 million ransom, the freedom of all female prisoners in Iraq, and the construction of 150 homes for Iraqi civilians who had their houses destroyed in the war.  Opinions differ as to how Yamulky was freed, with some sources reporting that she was released by the group after her company agreed to cease operations in Iraq.  Yamulky claims she escaped with the aid of one of her captors after she agreed to help him seek asylum in Canada.  <P><br /><br />In December 2004, news outlets reported that a group calling themselves Brigades of the Victorious Lion of God had claimed responsibility for firing dozens of rockets at a U.S. military base in the city of Al-Habbaniyah.  Despite having the same name as the group responsible for the Yamulky kidnapping, the difference in target choice and tactics suggest that the two incidents could be unrelated. It is also worth noting that in July 2004, a group calling themselves Usd Allah (Lions of God) was responsible for the kidnapping of Mohamed Mamdouh Qutb, an Egyptian diplomat.  It is possible, but not certain, that Usd Allah and the Brigades of the Victorious Lion of God are the same group. <P><br /><br />Nothing is known about the ideology of the Brigades of the Victorious Lion of God.  Although "lion of God" is a term often bestowed on Islamic warriors, the Yamulky incident suggests that this group was more concerned with ransom money then any other political or religious issue.  Despite this lack of information, it is highly likely that the organization is one of a multitude of Islamist insurgent outfits in Iraq, opposed to U.S. forces in the country and in support of an Islamic state.<br />