Special Republican Guard (Iraq)

{{Short description|1992–2003 elite branch of Iraq's Republican Guard}}

{{Infobox military unit

| unit_name = Iraqi Special Republican Guard

| native_name = {{lang|ar|italic=no|الحرس الجمهوري الخاص}}

| image = Iraqi Republican Guard Symbol.svg

| image_size = 150px

| alt =

| caption = Republican Guard Forces Command insignia

| start_date = 1992/1995

| disbanded = {{End date|2003|04}} (de facto)
{{End date|2003|05|23|df=y}} (de jure)

| country = {{flag|Ba'athist Iraq}}

| allegiance = Saddam Hussein

| branch = {{Flagicon image|Special Operations Iraq Flag.svg}} ISOF

| type = Praetorian Guard

| role =

| size = 12,000 (2003)

| command_structure = Iraqi Special Security Organization

| garrison = Al-Harthiya Garrison, Baghdad {{coord|33.309651|N|44.359075|E|type:landmark_region:IRQ|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

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| colors = {{legend2|maroon|Maroon|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

| colors_label = Color of beret

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| battles = Iraq War

2003 invasion of Iraq

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}}

The Iraqi Special Republican Guard (SRG) ({{langx|ar|الحرس الجمهوري الخاص|al-Ḥaras al-ʿIrāq al-Jamhūrīy al-Khas}}), also known as the Special Forces Brigade of the Presidential Palace,{{cite web |title=Special Republican Guard (SRG) |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/iraq/srg.htm |publisher=Globalsecurity.org |date=2005-04-26 |access-date=2008-01-27|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314115941/http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/iraq/srg.htm|archive-date=March 14, 2023}} Republican Guard Special Protection Forces,{{cite news |first=Ibrahim |last=al-Marashi |title=Iraq's Security and Intelligence Network: A Guide and Analysis |url=http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2002/issue3/jv6n3a1.html |publisher=Middle East Review of International Affairs |date=September 2002 |access-date=2008-01-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110202006/http://meria.idc.ac.il/journal/2002/issue3/jv6n3a1.html |archive-date=2008-01-10 }} or the Golden Division, was an elite praetorian guard unit founded in either early 1992 or March 1995 in Ba'athist-era Iraq. The Special Republican Guard was controlled by the Special Security Organization and tasked with protecting President Saddam Hussein, presidential sites, Baghdad, and responding to any rebellion, coup, or other threats to his power.

History

In order to prevent a coup d'état, Saddam Hussein forbade the Special Republican Guard (SRG) from coordinating with other forces, even the regular Republican Guard or any other units were ever allowed near the SRG.{{cite book|last1=Woods|first1=Kevin|last2=Pease|first2=Michael|last3=Stout|first3=Mark|last4=Murray |first4=Williamson|last5=Lacey|first5=James|title=Iraqi Perspectives Project - A view of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Saddam's senior leadership|date=March 2006|publisher=Joint Center for Operational Analysis and Lessons Learned|isbn=0976255014|page=27|url=http://fundforfallenallies.org/sites/fundforfallenallies.org/files/library/JFCOM%20OIF%20Brief.pdf|access-date=29 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208220949/http://fundforfallenallies.org/sites/fundforfallenallies.org/files/library/JFCOM%20OIF%20Brief.pdf|archive-date=2015-12-08|url-status=dead}}

The Special Republican Guard received better pay and benefits than members of the normal Republican Guard and the regular Iraqi Army. By 2002, there were reportedly 12,000 members of the SRG, drawn primarily from clans loyal to Saddam Hussein and his regime. As many as five brigades containing 14 battalions of 1,300–1,500 men each, and also included air defense, armored, and artillery were reported to be in existence at that time.{{cite web|url=https://irp.fas.org/world/iraq/srg/index.html|title=Special Republican Guard (SRG) [Special Forces Brigade of the Presidential Palace]|last=Pike|first=John|date=November 26, 2007|publisher=Federation of American Scientists|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126071744/https://irp.fas.org/world/iraq/srg/index.html|archive-date= January 26, 2022}} In May 2003, the SRG was officially dissolved per Order 2 of the Coalition Provisional Authority under Administrator L. Paul Bremer, in the wake of the invasion of Iraq by a U.S.-led international coalition.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20040701202042/http://iraqcoalition.org/regulations/20030823_CPAORD_2_Dissolution_of_Entities_with_Annex_A.pdf Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 2: Dissoulution of Entities]}}

Former members of the Special Republican Guard were later suspected of carrying out insurgent attacks on Coalition forces in Iraq after the invasion, while others went on to join Sons of Iraq home guard militias, funded, trained, equipped and operated by American forces.

Structure

The SRG had 13 or 14 battalions and ranged in troop strength from 15,000 to 26,000.{{cite news |first=Sean |last=Boyne |title=Inside Iraq's Security Network |url=http://www8.janes.com/Search/documentView.do?docId=/content1/janesdata/mags/jir/history/jir97/jir00312.htm@current&pageSelected=allJanes&keyword=Inside%20Iraq%27s%20security%20network&backPath=http://search.janes.com/Search&Prod_Name=JIR& |publisher=Jane's Intelligence Review |date=1997-07-01 |access-date=2008-01-28 }}{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} This may have fallen to only 12,000 by 2002.

1st Brigade
2nd Brigade
3rd Brigade
4th Brigade
Air Defense Command
Tank Command

Special Republican Guard (Iraq)

History

Structure

References

Further reading