Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna, as I have documented previously, is a minor Sunni insurgent group that originated as part of a two-way split in 2007 whereby most of what was Ansar al-Sunna reverted to the pre-Iraq War identity of Ansar al-Islam- under the name of 'Jamaat Ansar al-Islam' ('the group of Ansar al-Islam', which has since become inactive in Iraq)- with the remainder becoming Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna ('the group of Ansar al-Sunna'). Though Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna like jihadi groups traces via its supposed heritage an ideology of explicitly espousing the restoration of the Caliphate, politically the group tended to take a more 'moderate' stance in affiliating with the insurgent nationalist 'Iraqi Resistance' political council until last year. The most recent evidence indicates very limited operational activity in the south Baghdad area, with incidents still advertised by Islamist nationalist outlets such as al-Boraq News (the Islamic Army in Iraq's forum wing).
The reassertion of Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna's jihadi identity and roots has been made more clear this year with a tract from the group's leader calling for the unity of the 'mujahideen of the Ummah' and this latest statement marking itself out as a 'jihadi faction' rather than a mere 'armed Sunni faction'. The latest statement comes as part of a series of denials from Iraq's Sunni insurgent factions of being part of a Sunni delegation- directly or indirectly represented- sent to Washington to discuss plans to form a 'National Guard' as part of Iraqi PM Hayder Abadi's initiative to try to incorporate more Sunnis into the security forces.
"In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
Thanks to God who exalts mighty Islam and the Muslims and lowers the disbelievers and apostates. And blessings and peace be upon the Imam of the Mujahideen and all his Family and Companions. As for what follows:
The London newspaper al-Hayat had published on 1 December news claiming that representatives of armed Sunni factions had come with a Sunni tribal delegation to America to negotiate the formation of forces composed of hundreds of thousands of fighters in the revolting areas- 'Places of the Ahl al-Sunna'. Further, the newspaper had falsely included in the negotiation operation jihadi factions, among them Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna. This is not the first time the Western or Arab media have been publishing extreme lies, among them distorting the face of the current jihadi project in Iraq.
Thus, Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna denounces as false this news, what this newspaper publishes, and what all social media may transmit after that. And the group confirms that its jihad is continuing until the liberation of Iraq in its entirety from the two occupations: the American-Crusader one and the Iranian-Safavid one. And the group affirms that its official stances are published on its official website.
Further, the group calls on all jihadi factions and sons of the authentic Iraqi tribes to continue their jihad against the occupiers and cleanse the land and the people from their filth and evil.
Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna
14 Sufr 1436 AH
6/12/2014 (6 December)"