Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was a Jordanian militant who led al-Qaeda in Iraq during the Iraq War. He was killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2006.

Zarqa: Zarqa is a Jordanian industrial city northeast of Amman. Al-Zarqawi was born in Zarqa, whose name became part of his nom de guerre.
Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad: Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad was al-Zarqawi's militant organization in Iraq before its 2004 pledge of allegiance to al-Qaeda. This was the Iraqi network al-Zarqawi led before it adopted al-Qaeda's name.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq: Al-Qaeda in Iraq was the militant organization formed when al-Zarqawi's group pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2004. Al-Zarqawi led this organization until his death.
Osama bin Laden: Osama bin Laden was the founder and leader of al-Qaeda until his death in 2011. Al-Zarqawi pledged allegiance to bin Laden, while pursuing tactics and priorities that strained their relationship.
Afghan jihad: The Afghan jihad was the 1980s armed struggle against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the communist Afghan government. Al-Zarqawi traveled to Afghanistan in the late 1980s, entering militant networks there.
Suicide bombing: A suicide bombing is an attack in which the attacker deliberately dies while detonating an explosive device. Al-Zarqawi's organization used suicide bombings against Iraqi and foreign targets.
Abu Ayyub al-Masri: Abu Ayyub al-Masri was an Egyptian militant who succeeded al-Zarqawi as leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. He took command after al-Zarqawi was killed in 2006.
Ayman al-Zawahiri: Ayman al-Zawahiri was an Egyptian Islamist militant who became al-Qaeda's leader after bin Laden's death. Al-Zawahiri's 2005 letter warned al-Zarqawi against alienating Iraqis through attacks on Shi'a.
Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi: Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi is a Jordanian-Palestinian Islamist ideologue and former associate of al-Zarqawi. Their early association in Jordan connected al-Zarqawi to influential Salafi-jihadist ideas.
Sectarian violence in Iraq: Sectarian violence in Iraq is conflict shaped by political and armed divisions, especially between Sunni and Shi'a communities. Attacks on Shi'a civilians and sites aimed to provoke retaliatory conflict.

Linked from 7 pages