Kidnappings of foreign workers and journalists are extremely common in post-war Iraq.  Sometimes the motive is simply monetary, but oftentimes kidnappers have concrete demands, such as the removal of specific troops from Iraq or the freeing of prisoners from U.S. custody.  Although kidnappings are common, it is highly unusual that the Mahdi Army or any insurgent group would involve themselves in the freeing of hostages.  To that effect, the Brandon kidnapping can be considered unique.  In any case, Abu al-Abbas has not issued any public statements or claimed responsibility for further terrorist incidents since the kidnapping, and it is possible that the perpetrators were renegade members of the Mahdi Army looking for publicity.

Abu al-Reesh Brigades, Ahmed Abu al-Rish Brigades, al-Reish Brigades, Fatah Hawks

Previously incorporated under al-Fatah, the Brigades probably still receive some funding from the group.

As the Brigades are based in the Gaza Strip, the 2005 Israeli disengagement has had an effect on the goals and tactics of the group.  No longer able to attack settlers or soldiers within Gaza, the group might concentrate their efforts on kidnapping foreigners for publicity, launching mortar and missile attacks on nearby Israeli towns, or battling other rival outfits for supremacy in the chaotic power vacuum that is Gaza.  While the group is still nominally dedicated to the establishment of a Palestinian state and the destruction of Israel, the Abu al-Rish Brigades can be considered an insignificant player in the pantheon of Palestinian militant groups.

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Fundamentalist Brigades

The Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Brigades is an Iraqi insurgent group responsible for two kidnappings which targeted foreigners in the country. <P><br /><br />The group first emerged in September 2004 after claiming responsibility for the kidnapping and subsequent killing of a Turkish man and an Iraqi whom the group accused of cooperating with Israel. <P><br /><br />In October the group attained notoriety when they kidnapped and held hostage a Polish woman in Iraq. Their demands included the removal of Polish troops from Iraq and the release of female prisoners from U.S. custody in Iraq. Poland has been a strong ally of the United States during the war and subsequent occupation of Iraq. It was later revealed that the hostage, Teresa Borcz, was a dual Iraqi-Polish citizen who had married an Iraqi and lived in Iraq for many years. A videotape was released to al-Jazeera showing Borcz pleading for Poland to meet the kidnapper's demands. Poland did not negotiate with the group; however, Borcz was eventually released unharmed on November 19th.