Fatah+al-Islam

(English: **Conquest of Islam)** is a radical Sunni Islamist group that first formed in November 2006. It has been described as a militant jihadist movement that draws inspiration from al-Qaeda. It became very well known in May 2007 and June 2007 after engaging in combat against the Lebanese Army in the Nahr al-Bared UNRWA Palestinian refugee camp. The United States Department of State classified the group // as a // terrorist organization on August 9, 2007 Fatah al-Islam was led by a fugitive militant named Shaker al-Abssi, until his death on 3 September 2007. A Palestinian refugee who was born in Jericho in 1955, al- Abssi was once a pilot with the rank of colonel. According to Reuters, Fatah al-Islam's primary goals are to institute Islamic law in Palestinian refugee camps and to target Israel. Several news organizations have suggested that Fatah al-Islam has connections to al-Qaeda. Some reports even claim Fatah al-Islam is part of the al-Qaeda network. Abssi has stated that the group has no organization ties to al-Qaeda, "but agrees with its aim of fighting infidels." Fatah al-Islam statements have appeared on Islamist Web sites known to publish al-Qaeda statements. Fatah al-Islam is a militant Sunni Islamist group said to have Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian members among its ranks. Estimates of its size vary: Reuters reports that the group began with two hundred members yet militants from other Palestinian groups have since joined. It is also reported to have ties to al-Qaeda. Based in Lebanon, the group quickly gained notoriety in May 2007 after violent clashes between its members and Lebanese security forces left dozens of people dead. Many in Lebanon view Fatah al-Islam as a fringe group with no popular backing. As Fatah al-Islam drew the Lebanese Army into a protracted conflict, these Lebanese complained that the country had been hijacked by extremists. Fatah al-Islam emerged in November 2006 when it split from Fatah al-Intifada (Fatah Uprising), a Syrian-backed Palestinian group based in Lebanon, which itself was a splinter of Yasir Arafat's mainstream organization Fatah. Lebanese security officers dispute that it was a real split and allege that Fatah al-Islam is a part of Syrian intelligence security forces. Syria denies any link to Fatah al-Islam. Abssi has identified two primary goals: reforming the Palestinian refugee community in Lebanon according to Islamic sharia law, and opposing Israel. Further, it aims to expel the United States from the Islamic world. Fatah al-Islam has accused the Lebanese government of trying to pave the way for an offensive against Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. The camps are widely seen as a breeding ground for radical Islam, but Beirut continues to adhere to a 1969 UN agreement allowing the camps to remain autonomous, provided they disarm their militias.
 * Fatah al-Islam **
 * What is Fatah al-Islam? **
 * How was Fatah al-Islam formed? **
 * What does Fatah al-Islam want? **