The Return (Al-Awda): This is a group of Saddam loyalists based in northern Iraq. It is made up of former security service members, Iraqi military and midlevel Ba’athists that have been organized into cells spread throughout Baghdad, Mosul, Basra, Tikrit, Fallujah, Ramadi and possibly other areas. This group is said to be the Ba’ath Party under a new name. The group first appeared on May 14, 2003, is headquartered in Mosul and is led by Mohammed al-Samidai, who was a leader in the Ba'ath party in Mosul. Al-Samidai is said to have coordinated with other Ba’ath party leaders from north and central Iraq, including some from Kirkuk, Mosul, Tikrit and Baghdad and renamed the party Awda, or Return.

Saddam's Fedayeen: This group was originally a paramilitary force established in the wake of the 1991 war. "Saddam's Men of Sacrifice" were considered a notoriously violent paramilitary group specializing in counter-insurgency operations for the regime in Baghdad. Many are now rumored to have renounced their loyalty to Saddam and have switched to advocating traditional Muslim jihad however this is has not been validated and is unlikely due to the history of the group. No information on their operations is yet available.

Salafist Jihad Group: This Arab Sunni Muslim mujahideen group first appeared on July 28, 2003 and may be a faction of the group by the same name operating in Morocco. In a videotape aired by Al Arabiya, the group vowed they would fight a "holy war" against US President George Bush and his administration saying "Bush, Rumsfeld and decision makers in the 'black house' and in the Pentagon... we will shake the ground under your feet and we will send a fire upon you which only God can prevent." Salafist is a general term in mainstream Sunni Islam used to describe a desire to live according to a strict interpretation of early Islam.

September 11 Revolutionary Group: This is a group of former Saddam Fedayeen from the villages surrounding Balad. They are Arab Sunni Muslims that are pro-Palestine and nationalistic in nature. No information about their operations is yet known.

Snake Party, Snake's Head Movement (Harakat Ras al-Afa): This is a group of Saddam loyalists that originated in the Ba’ath Party in Hawija amongst the Arab Sunni tribes. No other information is yet available.

Sons of Islam: This is a Muslim group however no other information is yet known.

Unification Front for the Liberation of Iraq: A little-known organization, this group is apparently anti-Saddam and anti-Ba’athist, and has called on all Iraqi forces to unite to fight the U.S. occupation.

Wakefulness and Holy War: This is an Arab Sunni Muslim mujahideen group operating in Fallujah. They videotaped an attack and sent it to an Iranian TV station on July 7, 2003 in which they said that “Saddam and America are two faces of the same coin" and stated that they were carrying out operations against the American occupation in Fallujah and other Iraqi cities.

White Flags: The White Flags are a local Arab Sunni Muslim mujahideen group operating in the Sunni Triangle and possibly outside it in other areas. They are anti-Saddam and are allied with the Muslim Youth and Mohammed’s Army. They have criticized the Jordanian Embassy bombing but no other information is yet known about their operations.

In the final analysis it is clear that the resistance facing US forces is coming from a large proliferation of groups that have risen from the grass roots population after the combat phase of the war. Primarily from the large Arab Sunni Muslim population inside the country, many have organized fighters into mujahideen units but some are simply small groups of Muslims who are heeding their religion and taking up arms in defense of their communities.

While foreign fighters are operating throughout the country, these fighters have come in for the most part independently in defense of the Muslim lands and have joined a variety of local groups. Al-Qaida has a limited presence inside the country.

Saddam loyalists remain in the picture however they are significantly outnumbered by the local Muslim resistance groups. Saddam loyalists do not make up a large percentage of actual fighters in Iraq however some information suggests that loyalists and possibly Saddam himself continue to finance the resistance.

The sizeable Shia population remains largely on the sidelines however they have warned this will not last forever. Should they actively join the resistance en masse, the outcome is expected to be profound considering the number of daily attacks already occurring.

It appears that the longer US forces occupy the country, the more aggressive their tactics become and their foreign presence fuels the resistance. The number of resistance groups is expected to continue to rise, as are the number of attacks and casualties.

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