al-Qaeda Organization in the Land of the Two Rivers -- Supported Cause

The Hawk Brigades is a terrorist organization operating in Iraq that seeks the removal of the Jordanian diplomatic presence from Iraq. Information regarding the group's founding ideology is unclear. The group's only known attack, the kidnapping of Jordanian Mahmoud Suleiman Saidat, the driver for the Jordanian Ambassador to Iraq, occurred on December 20, 2005.  <P><br />In exchange for Saidat's release, the organization demanded Jordan remove its diplomats from Iraq and free Sajida al-Rishawi. Al-Rishawi is a failed female Iraqi suicide bomber who participated, along with her husband and two other bombers, in the November 2005 hotel bombings in Amman, Jordan. Claiming her belt did not detonate, al-Rishawi was arrested several days after the attack and is the only bombing suspect currently being held in Jordanian custody. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, then leader of the al-Qaeda Organization in the Land of the Two Rivers, claimed responsibility for the attacks. Despite the fact that Jordan retained custody of Sajida al-Rishawi and maintained its diplomatic presence in Iraq, Saidat was released, unharmed, on February 21, 2006. <P><br />Based on their demands regarding al-Rishawi, it is possible that the Hawk Brigades are supporters of al-Qaeda in Iraq, although there is no proof to support this claim.  In a general sense, demanding that Jordan terminate its diplomatic presence in Iraq could have been an attempt to destabilize the Iraqi government by removing Arab support. Foreign diplomats are frequent targets in Iraq, often for the purpose of isolating Iraq diplomatically, although kidnappings have become an extremely popular and profitable tactic for criminal groups as well. Jordan and King Abdullah are one of the strongest U.S. supporters in the Middle East, making Jordanian civilians and its diplomatic mission repeated targets of terrorist groups operating in Iraq. <br /><br />

The Hawk Brigades has not claimed responsibility for any terrorist violence beyond the Saidat kidnapping.  However, given continued Jordanian support for the Iraqi government and its diplomatic presence in the country, as well as the continued detainment of Sajida al-Rishawi, it is possible that the group could be responsible for further attacks.