Abu Deraa

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Abu Deraa (real name: Ismail al-Zerjawi Hafidh), (Arabic أبو درع) is an Iraqi Shi'ite warlord whose men have been accused of terrorizing and killing Sunnis. His aim has apparently been to avenge Shi'ite deaths at the hands of Sunnis in Iraq, though he has stated that he is fighting for all Iraqis and only targets the 'occupiers'.[1] Abu Deraa operates out of Sadr City, which is also the stronghold of Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s militia, the al-Mahdi Army. He has gained a reputation for his command of Shi’ite death squads and brutal attacks targeting Sunni Muslims and cases of mass kidnappings in broad daylight. Many Shi'ites see him as a brave warrior who has inflicted misery on Sunni insurgents but Sunnis see him as a sectarian warlord who targets Sunnis because of their background. He was also accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and assassination of Saddam Hussein’s lawyer Khamis al-Obeidi. Abu Deraa's son was reported to have pulled the trigger.[2] He is thought to have been recently 'disowned' by Muqtada al-Sadr due to his unmitigated killing sprees.^{[citation needed]}Abu Deraa previously owned a small fish market in Sadr City prior to joining the al-Mahdi Army. The warlord has two sons currently in U.S. custody and another son with an amputated limb due to a U.S. airstrike^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Attacks

Deraa is said to have been responsible for the abduction of scores of Sunnis whose bodies have been recovered from a garbage tip at Al-Sada, a lawless wasteland near Sadr City.^{[citation needed]}

He allegedly commandeered a fleet of government ambulances with which he lured 40-50 young Sunnis to their death, driving the ambulances into the Sunni-dominated quarter of Adhamiyah in Baghdad, announcing over the loudspeakers: "Please give blood for the insurgency! The Shiia are killing your insurgency brothers". [3]

Abu Deraa is also rumoured to have masterminded the kidnapping of Sunni MP Tayseer al-Mashhadani in July 2006, who was released after two months of captivity. [4] He also is said to have supervised the forced eviction of hundreds of Sunni families from Shi'ite-dominated areas of the capital and some outlying towns.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Claims of death

In a statement released 4 December 2006, the Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for the killing of Abu Deraa on a road north of Baghdad. The claim comes three days after a statement released by the Islamic Army in Iraq that also claimed responsibility for the killing of Abu Deraa. It has been claimed that he had taken part in a by-proxy intervew with Sydney Morning Herald conducted by veteran Middle East correspondent Paul McGeough on 20 December 2006. [5] His first exclusive interview was with Reuters news agency published on November 16 2006. Although no one is sure that he is still alive.