As Coalition forces move towards Baghdad, they prepare to encounter the Republican Guard, a trained fighting force more advanced and more dedicated than the foot soldiers which have been surrendering throughout these past days.

The Republican Guard is expected to wage a protracted fight from its entrenched locations, and its efforts will be supplemented by even more determined units which constitute much of Saddam’s security apparatus.

Both the Republican Guard and the Special Republican Guard, or “Golden Unit,” report to the Special Security Agency (SSA), which was trained by and worked with Russia’s KGB during the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-1988. The SSA is considered the most powerful agency in the Iraq security machine with responsibilities including constant personal protection of Saddam, securing all presidential facilities, overseeing other security and intelligence services and secreting Iraq’s WMD programs.

Saddam’s most trusted militia, the Feyadeen is a paramilitary group with a history of assassinating or ruthlessly quashing political opponents. Literally translated, Feyadeen means “those ready to sactifice themselves for Saddam.”

FOX News reports that the Feyadeen are behind the feigned surrenders that drew US and UK forces into traps in n Nasiriyah and Umm Qasr. They are currently believed to be disbursed throughout Iraq to quell rebellion, particularly in Shi’ite areas in centeral and southern Iraq. (Primer on Shi’ites here.)

Initially composed of criminals pardoned in exchange for service, the Feyadeen is distinct from the “volunteer” or People’s Militia mentioned in Saddam’s speech on Monday.

The Feyadeen was establishe in 1995 by Saddam’s son, Uday. Curiously, Uday was removed from command the following year. Reports on the cause of this removal differ: some believe he made an unauthorized transfer of high-tech weapons to the Feyadeen from the Republican Guard, an entity controlled by Saddam’s other son, Qusay. Others believe that when Saddam imprisoned him for shooting an uncle, he also removed Uday from power. Regardless, the two sons had an ongoing rivalry which culminated in Saddam naming Qusay as heir apparent.

The Feyadeen is estimated to have between 18,000 and 40,000 members, who have sworn to die as martyrs enforcing loyalty to Saddam among Iraqi troops. They are currently assumed to be entrenched in protection of Baghdad. It is also reported that Saddam acquired uniforms identical to those of the US and British forces for the specific purpose of carrying out reprisals against rebelling Iraqis while blaming the conduct on the US.

Separate from the Fedayeen is a group known as the “death squadron,” the Fidayi Saddam. This unit is responsible for carrying out executions, of both political opponents and women accused of immoral conduct, in addition to administering electrical shock, beatings, rape, rape of relatives, branding and other methods of torturing political dissidents.

Tuesday, March 25th, 2003, 2:43 pm   |   War Bites  |  RSS feed Comments and pings are currently closed.