Saddam Army and Republican Guard From Globalsecurity

Republican Guard (Iraq)

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein talks with elite Republican Guard officers in Baghdad on March 1, 2003.^[1] Iraqi News Agency/AP. Iraqi Republican Guard FROG-7 captured by US Marines.

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  1st RG Corps, deployed in southern Iraq and northern Kuwait, consisted of:
  
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    two armored units, the Hammurabi and Madina Divisions;
    
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    one mechanized infantry unit, the Tawakalna Division; and
    
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    one motorized infantry unit the Al-Faw Division.
    
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  2d RG Corps deployed south of Baghdad consisted of
  
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    two motorized infantry units the Nebuchadnezzar and the Adnan Divisions.
    
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  The independent mechanized infantry unit was the Baghdad Division, stationed in and around the Iraqi capital. This RGFC mechanized division was stationed in Baghdad throughout the Gulf War.
  
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  Independent As Saiqa Special Forces Division
  
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    Marine Brigade deployed on Kuwait's nine islands, all of which with the exception of Failaka Island are uninhabited.^[3] The Brigade was headquartered on Bubiyan, with an area of 860 km² is the largest island in Kuwait and is connected to the rest of the country by a 2,380 m long bridge.^[4]
    

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  1st "Hammurabi" Armoured Division
  
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  2nd "al-Medinah al-Munawera" Armoured Division
  
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  3rd "Tawakalna ala-Allah" Mechanised Division
  
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  4th "Al Faw" Mechanised Division
  
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  5th "Bagdad" Mechanised Division - a square division with four brigades based in and around Bagdad. Could form two Half-divisions.
  
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  6th "Nebuchadnezzar" Mechanised Division
  
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  7th "Adnan" Mechanised Division
  
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  8th "As Saiqa" Special Forces Division - contained a Marine Brigade, an parachute brigade, and a Special Forces Brigade.
  

It was subordinate to the "Special Security Apparatus of the State" and not to the Ministry of Defense (Iraq) as was the regular Iraqi army. It was split into two Corps, one for the defense and control of northern Iraq, called "Allah Akbar Operations Command", composed of infantry and armoured units. And the "Fat'h al-Mubayyin Operations Command" composed primarily of armored and mechanized units, which is located in the southern part of the country. In 2002, it was reported that the Republican Guard and the Fedayeen Saddam were both training in urban warfare and in guerrilla warfare. It is believed by some that some of the former Republican Guard forces loyal to Saddam Hussein are still fighting on the ground as guerrilla insurgents after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The Republican Guard then consisted of between 50,000 and 60,000 men (although some sources indicate up to 80,000), all volunteers, and some 400 Soviet tanks T-72 and T-62 along with other mechanized vehicles. These forces are intentionally away from the capital to avert a possible rebellion against the regime. The members of this body of the army are better paid, equipped, armed and trained corps that regularly get facilities to buy houses and other privileges to ensure loyalty to the regime and by extension Saddam. During the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, was the Republican Guard responsible for carrying out the invasion and occupation, made without opposition by the Kuwaiti army. Once the international coalition it was decided to participate in the conflict, five divisions were withdrawn from Kuwait to the Iraqi border to serve as reserve forces, being replaced by regular army troops. The Nebuchadnezzar divisions, Tawakalna, Adnan Al-Nida and were punished harshly during Operation Desert Storm and still between 70% of men and 50% of armoured escaped the siege of the coalition. In the second Gulf War, before U.S. troops had entered Baghdad and according to information Walid Rabbah, the CIA agents infiltrated through the initiative of volunteers "Human Shields" came into contact with members of the first and second ladder of command of the Republican Guard to ensure an influx of American troops in Baghdad without problems. In that pact, allegedly signed by Donald Rumsfeld, included transportation insurance for themselves and their families outside Iraq, large sums of money, the promise of official positions in Iraq post-invasion for those who had not committed war crimes, including U.S. residency and citizenship for some key leaders. Of course, the soldiers were unaware that their superiors had agreed the surrender of Baghdad and even less the Fedayeen, which were abandoned to their fate once the armed conflict officially ended.^[5]

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  1st Republican Guard (Northern) Corps
  
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    2nd Al Medina Armored Division
    
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    5th Baghdad Mechanized Division; a square division of four brigades, was able to be split into two small half-divisions.
    
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    7th Adnan Infantry Division
    

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  2nd Republican Guard (Southern) Corps
  
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    Al Nida Armored Division
    
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    6th Nebuchadnezzer Mechanized Division
    
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    1st Hammurabi Armored Division
    

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  As Saiqa Special Forces Division - independent unit containing:
  
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    A Special Forces brigade,
    
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    Paratroop Brigade,
    
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    Marine Brigade and
    
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    numerous Commando units.
    

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  Special Republican Guard
  
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    1st Brigade (Security)
    
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    2nd Brigade (Combat)
    
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    3rd Brigade (Combat)
    
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    4th Brigade (Armored)
    
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    Air Defense Command (Two Regiments, Three Batteries)
    
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    Tank Command (Two Regiments)
    

1. 
   ^ USATODAY.com - Republican Guard gets last chance against U.S. forces
   
2. 
   ^ Woods, Kevin; Michael R. Pease, Mark E. Stout, Williamson Murray, James G. Lacey (2006). The Iraqi Perspective Report. Naval Institute Press. p. 39. ISBN 1-59114-457-4. 
   
3. 
   ^ Bubiyan (island, Kuwait) - Britannica Online Encyclopedia
   
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   ^ Structurae [en]: Bubiyan Bridge (1983)
   
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   ^ More information on the case of the surrender of Baghdad text published by Walid Rabbah in English and in Spanish papers.
   
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   ^ USATODAY.com - U.S.: Baghdad division of Republican Guard destroyed
   
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   ^ CNN.com - Sahaf: U.S. troops will be burned
   
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   ^ Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 2: Dissoulution of Entities
   

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  Watson, Bruce, Military Lessons of the Gulf War, Greenhill Books, London, 1993.(paperback)
  

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  Jane's Intelligence Review: January 2002 (IAF/IAAC), February 1999(regional commands), January 1999 (SRG), September 1997 (Army/RG), February 1995, and March 1993
  

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  Special Republican Guard
  
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  Republican Guard
  

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  Key Components of the Iraqi Ground Forces
  
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  The Republican Guard: outgunned and outnumbered, but they never surrender
  
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  CNS article
  
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  Global Security article
  
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  FAS article
  
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  Republican Guard gets last chance against U.S. forces (USA Today)