ABSTRACT
The organized state terrorism that was practiced by Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, the totalitarian ideology adopted by that regime's members, the absence of state power after its collapse as a result of the 2003 war, the regional powers' exploitation of the social diversity in Iraq for the purpose of partitioning it along sectarian and ethnic lines, and the presence of the multinational occupying forces have all been factors contributing to the activation of terrorist operations under the pretext of resisting foreign occupation. Al-Qaeda's terrorist operations in Iraq began after the US occupation in April 2003. Iraqis, like many of the peoples of the world, have suffered from totalitarian rule and from the tyranny of absolute rule. Most Iraqis have realized the serious dangers of terrorist groups, especially in the regions controlled by al-Qaeda and then ISIS.
