Pro-Government Militias

Pro-Government Militia Website

Badr Brigade (Iraq)

Basic Group Information

Name assigned by coder: no
PGM ID Number: 235
Country: Iraq
Date formed: July 13, 2003
    Accuracy of date formed: day
Details of Formation: The Shiite political party SCIRI was created in 1982 Ayatollah Khomeini's direction in Tehran in 1982. In 1983, the Badr Brigade was founded as SCIRI’s official armed wing. SCIRI was then based in Iran and its main goal was to remove the Baathist regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The Badr Brigade became a PGM when SCIRI joined the coalition-backed interim government in 2003 (UCDP).
Date dissolved: Feb. 22, 2009
    Accuracy of date dissolved: month
Details of Termination: The fighting elements of the Badr Brigade were integrated into Iraq’s official army in February 2009. The remaining parts turned into a political organization called the "Badr Organization" that has representation in the Iraqi parliament.
Termination Type(s): integrated into regular forces

Former and Successor Group Information

Predecessor group(s): none
Successor group(s): none
Private Military Company? no
Former Group? yes
    Former Armed Group? yes
Former Rebel Group? yes
    Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: 231
PGM Becomes Rebel Group? no
    Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: none

Government Relation, Support, and Training

Government Relation: informal (type 1)
Created by the Government?: no
    Main Creating Government Institution: none
Government Link(s): person/minister; political party; state (institution)
    If link to party, name of party: Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI)/ Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI)
Training and Equipment: yes
Shared Information and Joint Operations: yes
Shared Personnel: yes
Type(s) of Material Support: domestic government; Foreign government
State Sponsor(s): United States; Iran
Other Connection(s):

Group Characteristics

Membership: religious; party activists
Primary Membership: religious
Alternative Primary Membership: political
Location: None
Force Strength: [4000, 15000]
Target(s): rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; religious group
Purpose(s): protect state, national or religious institutions; protect state, national or religious leader(s); fight insurgents

Ethnic Characteristics

Ethnic Target(s): none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: not applicable
Ethnic Membership: Shi'a Arabs (Iraq)
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: given
Ethnic Purpose: none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: not applicable

Other Information

Other Information: Officially, militias were illegal under Iraqi law, but the Badr Brigade could flourish because the US forces declined to crack down on them. The Badr Brigade operated death squads against the Sadr militia. The Badr Brigade renamed at some time Badr Corps. In 2003 it changed its name to Badr Organization of Reconstruction and Development in order to appear less militant. It was often shortened to Badr Organization (UCDP).

New Variables from Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Purpose: The official purpose the Iraqi President Jalal Talabani gave the Badr militia was to sweep away the remnants of the dictatorship and to defeat terrorism.
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use unknown

Treatment of Civilians

Treatment of Civilians: The Badr Brigade participated in violence against civilians, including torture and killing. The Interior Ministry who controlled the militias committing the violence, among them the Badr Brigade, was involved in these crimes (The Independent 2006). One news source says that the Badr Brigade operated death squads against Sunnis. It is not clear, however, if this included Sunni civilians.
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: killing; torture

Reasons for Membership

PGM Members Coerced? no information
PGM Members Paid? no information
Reasons for Membership:
PGM Members Killed? no information

PGM Size

Size: In the late 1990s, before being a PGM, the Badr Brigade had around 4,000-8,000 fighters. In 2004, the Badr Brigade had around 15,000 fighters.

Weapons and Training

Weapons and Training: The Badr Brigades received weapons and training from the Iranian government and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (UCDP). It is not clear whether this extended into the period of Badr being a PGM. As of 2004, the Badr Brigade participated in a training program of the US occupation authority.

Organisation

Organisation: After the USA came into Iraq, the US-run Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) appointed Badr leaders to key positions in Iraq's army and police and SCIRI members to governor positions. The Badr Brigade received funding from the United States. The Badr Brigade was praised by Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari and by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. The Badr Brigade is linked to the political party Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). SCIRI gained prominence in the government after the 2005 elections. The interior minister had close ties to the Badr Brigade and assigned Badr members to important positions in the ministry, especially in intelligence and commando units. At least six provincial governors were Badr members. The PGM later backed Maliki. The Badr Brigade consisted of infantry, artillery, commando and anti-aircraft units (UCDP).

Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis

The Independent. 2006. “Iraq's death squads: On the brink of civil war.” February 26. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iraqs-death-squads-on-the-brink-of-civil-war-6108236.html

Uppsala Conflict Data Program. “SCIRI.” https://www.ucdp.uu.se/#/actor/231

Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD

Evidence