It is possible that acting on behalf of the Mujahideen Brigades, the Brigade of Ansar al-Tawhid wa-Sunna was constituted for the purposes of committing one particular attack. Still, given the continued presence of foreign contractors in Iraq and the country's unstable security situation, the group is assumed to be active.

Brigades for the Defense of Holy Shrines

Mahdi Army -- Umbrella Organization (Suspected)

The Brigades for the Defense of Holy Shrines is an alias or faction within the Mahdi Army, a major Shia insurgency group led by Moqtada al-Sadr.<p><br />   The Brigades for the Defense of Holy Shrines took credit for the kidnapping of an Iraqi Intelligence Service officer, Usamah Abd-al-Jabbar, in August 2004. The group released a video, aired on Al-Jazeera, identifying themselves as the Brigades for the Defense of Holy Shrines and showing al-Jabbar, standing between two armed and masked men, stating his identifying information. Al-Jazeera reported that the men in the video belonged to the Mahdi Army and that the kidnapping was likely in response to fighting taking place in al-Najaf at the time. There have been no reports on al-Jabbar's status since the kidnapping.<p><br />  The group's name, sometimes translated as Squadrons Defending Holy Places, makes reference to the spiritual importance of al-Najaf to Shia Muslims. The city is home to the shrine of Imam Ali, the founder of what became the Shia movement, making it one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam. The presence of the Imam Ali shrine draws thousands of pilgrims to al-Najaf every year.<p><br />  The Mahdi Army is dedicated to fighting what it sees as the US occupation of Iraq. The insurgent group also opposes elements of the Iraqi government it sees as submissive to US interests. It is believed that the Mahdi Army may have received funding from Iran in an attempt to extend its influence over the Shia population of Iraq.<p>

Since the kidnapping, the Brigade for the Defense of Holy Shrines seems to have merged back in to the Mahdi Army. No attacks have been claimed under their name. The group is likely committing attacks under other names and supporting the general goals of the Mahdi Army. The Mahdi Army has become less of a violent threat since the 2005 election. Instead, its members appear to be joining the ranks of the Iraqi police force and participating to some degree in the government. The group's links to Iran remain close, and they have pledged support for Iran should it be attacked by the US. As such, lingering concerns remain that al-Sadr and his army are planning an Iran-backed takeover of Shia-dominated southern Iraq.