The Mackenzie Institute
Al-Jihad, Egyptian Islamic Jihad (Jihad Group, Jihad Organization)
Description/History:
Al-Jihad, later the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), was formed in the 1970's to destroy the secular Egyptian government and replace it with an Islamic state. The group has merged with Al Qaeda and has been involved in terror attacks against the United States.
Al-Jihad aimed to directly dismantle the Egyptian government, prompting the successful assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981 and failed attempts against other officials, including Egyptian Prime Minister Atef Sedky and Interior Minister Hassan al-Alfi in 1993. In response, the Egyptian government initiated a severe crackdown that lasted into the 1990's, arresting and killing hundreds of EIJ members. Egyptian counter-ops were particularly effective against the group's independent cells after capturing the EIJ official in charge of membership. These measures have apparently driven the group from the country, although a small faction may remain dormant.
Since 1991, the group has been under the leadership of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the chief ideologue for Al Qaeda. The group became more extreme under Zawahiri, extolling takfir, demanding the execution of apostates, and participating in various attacks, including Embassy bombings. The group relocated to Afghanistan following government crackdowns, attracting veterans of the Soviet-Afghan war and training with other extremist groups.
In 1995, operating from Sudan, EIJ attempted to assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Ethiopia. The group was then expelled from Sudan for performing Sharia executions and returned weakened to Afghanistan.
By the early 1980's, the EIJ was affiliated with Osama bin Laden. Al-Jihad formally merged with Al Qaeda in 2001 to form Qaeda al-Jihad, likely as a matter of survival. The groups are now considered virtually synonymous, with EIJ members Zawahiri and Mohammed Atef having helped orchestrate numerous terrorist attacks, including the 9/11 World Trade Centre attack.
Under the umbrella of Al Qaeda, the group is also associated with various other Islamic extremist groups. The group previously had ties with Jamaat al-Islamiyya, but this group has subsequently denounced Al-Jihad for its violent methods. The group is often in ideological agreement with, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Activities:
Al-Jihad has attempted several assassinations against Egyptian government officials in the early 1990s.
The group is also responsible for numerous car bombs and suicide attacks in Egypt against the government and against US targets, cumulatively resulting in hundreds of casualties.
The group bombed the Egyptian Embassy in Islamabad in 1995, killing 16 and wounding 60, and attempted to bomb the US Embassy in Albania in 1998.
Location:
Al-Jihad is no longer active in Egypt. The group is based in Afghanistan and wages global jihad, predominantly targeting US interests predominantly.
Financing:
Al-Jihad has historic financial ties with Osama bin Laden. The 2001 merger with Al Qaeda was likely largely due to financial constraints on the group.
Qaeda al-Jihad likely fundraises through a combination of donations through Islamic non-governmental organizations, cover businesses, and criminal enterprises. The Egyptian government also speculated that the group has received aid from the Iranian and Sudanese governments.