Executive Summary:

The Badr Organization is a Shiite political party and paramilitary force that acts as “Iran’s oldest proxy in Iraq,” according to Reuters.Babak Dehghanpisheh, “Special Report: The fighters of Iraq who answer to Iran,” Reuters, November 12, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/12/us-mideast-crisis-militias-specialreport-idUSKCN0IW0ZA20141112;
Susannah George, “Breaking Badr,” Foreign Policy, November 6, 2014, http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/11/06/breaking-badr/. Reuters notes that the group’s military wing is considered “perhaps the single most powerful Shi’ite paramilitary group” fighting in Iraq.Ned Parker, Babak Dehghanpisheh, and Isabel Coles, “Special Report: How Iran’s military chiefs operate in Iraq,” Reuters, February 24, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/24/us-mideast-crisis-committee-specialrepor- idUSKBN0LS0VD20150224. One Iraqi, in 2015, official described the Badr Organization as “easily” the most powerful force in Iraq, stronger even than Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.Ned Parker, Babak Dehghanpisheh, and Isabel Coles, “Special Report: How Iran’s military chiefs operate in Iraq,” Reuters, February 24, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/24/us-mideast-crisis-committee-specialrepor- idUSKBN0LS0VD20150224. Given the group’s deep ties to Iran and its political and military preeminence, analysts have compared the Badr Organization in Iraq to Hezbollah in Lebanon.Jack Watling, “The Shia Militias of Iraq,” Atlantic, December 22, 2016, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/12/shia-militias-iraq-isis/510938/;
Patrick Martin, “Analysis of the Badr Organization,” Globe and Mail, February 25, 2015, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/analysis-of-the-badr-organization/article23208662/. The militia stands accused of gross human rights violations by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.“Iraq: Turning a Blind Eye: the Arming of the Popular Mobilization Units,” Amnesty International, January 2017, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde14/5386/2017/en/;
“Iraq: Militias Escalate Abuses, Possibly War Crimes,” Human Rights Watch, February 15, 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/02/15/iraq-militias-escalate-abuses-possibly-war-crimes; “Iraq: Ban Abusive Militias from Mosul Operation,” Human Rights Watch, July 31, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/07/31/iraq-ban-abusive-militias-mosul-operation.

Formed in 1983 under the name “the Badr Brigades,” the group originally served as the military wing of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), an Iraqi Shiite political party aimed at bringing Iran’s Islamic Revolution to Iraq. During the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, SCIRI’s Badr Brigades fought alongside Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against the Iraqi military. From 1983 to 2003, the Badr Brigades continued to operate out of Iran, carrying out intermediary attacks in southern Iraq.Mahan Abedin, “Dossier: The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI),” Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, 5 (October 2003):10, accessed April 14, 2015, http://www.meforum.org/meib/articles/0310_iraqd.htm; Susannah George, “Breaking Badr,” Foreign Policy, November 6, 2014, http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/11/06/breaking-badr/. In 2009, the U.S. government designated then-current leader of Badr Jamal Jaafar Ibrahimi, a.k.a Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.Othman al-Mukhtar, “Fugitive from international justice now militia leader in Iraq,” al-Araby al-Jadeed, January 4, 2015, http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/politics/2015/1/4/fugitive-from-international-justice-now-militia-leader-in-iraq#sthash.Cmu7vyP5.dpuf.; Bill Roggio and Caleb Weiss, “US Inspector General acknowledges Iran-backed militias obtained Abrams tanks,” Long War Journal, February 12, 2018, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/02/us-inspector-general-acknowledges-iran-backed-militias-obtained-abrams-tanks.php. Ibrahimi died in a January 3, 2020, U.S. drone strike in Iraq that also killed Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force. Badr and other Iranian-sponsored Iraqi militias vowed revenge on the United States.Simon Kerr, Chloe Cornish, and Andrew England, “Middle East braced for backlash after killing of Qassem Soleimani,” Financial Times, January 3, 2020, https://www.ft.com/content/52a2fce4-2e0f-11ea-a126-99756bd8f45e; Shelly Kittleson, “Iraqi armed factions vow revenge for Shiite commanders’ killings,” Al-Monitor, January 5, 2020, https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/01/soleimani-assassination-iran-iraq-us-pmu.html.

In 2003, the Badr Brigades returned to Iraq to take advantage of the political vacuum there following the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime. That year, the group formally rebranded, changing its name to “the Badr Organization of Reconstruction and Development” and publicly pledging to abstain from violent attacks. From 2004 to 2006, however, the Badr Organization launched a brutal sectarian war on Iraq’s Sunni population.Patrick Martin, “Analysis of the Badr Organization,” Globe and Mail, February 25, 2015, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/analysis-of-the-badr-organization/article23208662/. During this period, Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri personally stands accused of ordering attacks on up to 2,000 Sunnis.Loveday Morris, “Appointment of Iraq’s new interior minister opens door to militia and Iranian influence,” Washington Post, October 18, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/appointment-of-iraqs-new-interior- minister-opens-door-to-militia-and-iranian-influence/2014/10/18/f6f2a347-d38c-4743-902a-254a169ca274_story.html; “Election Law Crisis Fosters Sunni-shia Cooperation,” WikiLeaks, September 1, 2011, https://cablegatesearch.wikileaks.org/cable.php?id=09BAGHDAD3175&q=amiri%20badr%20drill. According to a leaked cable from the U.S. State Department, “One of [Amiri’s] preferred methods of killing allegedly involved using a power drill to pierce the skulls of his adversaries.”Loveday Morris, “Appointment of Iraq’s new interior minister opens door to militia and Iranian influence,” Washington Post, October 18, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/appointment-of-iraqs-new-interior-minister-opens-door-to-militia-and-iranian- influence/2014/10/18/f6f2a347-d38c-4743-902a-254a169ca274_story.html; “Election Law Crisis Fosters Sunni-shia Cooperation,” WikiLeaks, September 1, 2011, https://cablegatesearch.wikileaks.org/cable.php?id=09BAGHDAD3175&q=amiri%20badr%20drill.

In 2007, the Badr Organization’s political wing rebranded, changing its name from the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) to the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) as part of an effort to de-emphasize the party’s ties to the Islamic Republic of Iran. In 2012, the Badr Organization branched off from ISCI, operating as a political party of its own in addition to its capacity as a militia. As ISIS gained control over large swaths of territory in 2013 and 2014, the Badr Organization overtly mobilized, recruited, and fought ISIS alongside other Shiite militias and the Iraqi army.

Today, the Badr Organization is the most powerful militia within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an alliance of predominantly Shiite militia groups in Iraq that often fights alongside the Iraqi army. Reuters reported that in the March 2015 fight for Tikrit, Badr militiamen and the regular army drove identical tanks with only an army logo differentiating the two forces.Ahmed Rasheed and Dominic Evans, “Iraqi forces try to seal off Islamic State around Tikrit,” Reuters, March 3, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/03/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-idUSKBN0LZ10Q20150303. Some units in Iraq’s army, including Iraq’s 5^th and 20^th Battalions, have reportedly answered to Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri.Holly Williams, “Armed with U.S. weapons, infamous militia beating ISIS,” CBS News, February 2, 2015, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/armed-with-u-s-weapons-ruthless-militia-beating-isis-in-iraq/;
Eli Lake, “Iran's Militias Are Taking Over Iraq's Army,” Bloomberg View, February 3, 2015, http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-02-03/exclusive-iran-s-militias-are-taking-over-iraq-s- army;
Ned Parker and Jonathan Landay, “Exclusive: U.S. falters in campaign to revive Iraqi army, officials say,” Reuters, June 4, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-exclusive-idUSKCN0YP2DO. As of early 2017, the Badr Organization claims to command between 10,000 and 50,000 militants.Sulome Anderson, “In Iraq, America’s Allies — and Its Enemies – Are Nervously Waiting for Donald Trump’s First Move,” New York Magazine, January 26, 2017, http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/01/in-iraq-u-s-allies-and-enemies-wait-for-trumps-first-move.html;
Susannah George, “Breaking Badr,” Foreign Policy, November 6, 2014, http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/11/06/breaking-badr/. Washington Institute for Near East Policy fellow Michael Knights assessed Badr’s strength to be between 18,000 and 22,000 fighters as of August 2019.Michael Knights, “Iran’s Expanding Militia Army in Iraq: The New Special Groups,” CTC Sentinel, Vol 12, Issue 17, August 2019, https://ctc.usma.edu/app/uploads/2019/08/CTC-SENTINEL-072019.pdf. As ISIS lost traction in Iraq, Reuters described the Badr Organization’s role in Iraq as “ascendant.”Ahmed Rasheed and Saif Hameed, “Sunni MPs boycott Iraq parliament and govt in protest at violence,” Reuters, January 19, 2016, http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-iraq-violence-idUKKCN0UX19I.

The Badr Organization constitutes an active political force in Iraq in addition to operating as a militia. From 2011 to 2014, Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri served as Iraq’s transportation minister. From October 2014 to July 2016, another Badr member, Mohammed Ghabban, served as Iraq’s interior minister.Loveday Morris, “Appointment of Iraq’s new interior minister opens door to militia and Iranian influence,” Washington Post, October 18, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/appointment-of-iraqs-new-interior- minister-opens-door-to-militia-and-iranian-influence/2014/10/18/f6f2a347-d38c-4743-902a-254a169ca274_story.html;
Saif Hameed and Ahmed Rasheed, “Iraq's interior minister resigns after massive Baghdad bomb attack,” Reuters, July 5, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-minister-idUSKCN0ZL1II. As of late 2016, the Badr Organization held 22 seats in Iraq’s parliament.Patrick Martin, “Analysis of the Badr Organization,” Globe and Mail, February 25, 2015, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/analysis-of-the-badr-organization/article23208662/;
“Political Blocs and Parties in Iraq’s Council of Representatives,” Institute for the Study of War, May 6, 2016, http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/2016%20CoR%20Rump%20%282%29.pdf. The group has long been criticized for its hold over Iraq’s Interior Ministry.Stephen Kalin and Ahmed Rasheed, “Falluja abuses hard to prevent, not systematic: Iraqi minister,” Reuters, June 15, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-minister-idUSKCN0Z11HA. In January 2018, the Badr Organization, Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH), and Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), joined with other PMF units to form the Fatah Alliance political party ahead of Iraq’s May 2018 elections.Ahmad Majidyar, “Iraqi Hezbollah calls on Baghdad government to set up US exit timeline,” Middle East Institute, March 6, 2018, http://www.mei.edu/content/io/iraqi-hezbollah-calls-baghdad-government-set-us-exit-timeline. The alliance won 48 parliamentary seats in the election, of which 21 belong to Badr, and in June it allied with Muqtada al-Sadr’s Sairoon Alliance after Sadr’s party won the Iraq elections.Phillip Smyth, “Iranian Militias in Iraq's Parliament: Political Outcomes and U.S. Response,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, June 11, 2018, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/iranian-militias-in-iraqs-parliament-political-outcomes-and-u.s.-response; Ali Mamouri, “Sadr allies with Iran-backed coalition to form government in Iraq,” Al-Monitor, June 14, 2018, https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/06/iraq-election-muqtada-sadr-sairoon-fatah-hadi-amiri-iran.html; “Iraqi parliament orders manual election recount,” BBC News, June 6, 2018, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44390092; Ahmed Rasheed, Babak Dehghanpisheh, Michael Georgy, “In Iraq’s parliament, Shi’ite militia leaders plan to call the shots,” Reuters, November 13, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-militias-insight/in-iraqs-parliament-shiite-militia-leaders-plan-to-call-the-shots-idUSKCN1NI1DI. The Badr Organization led the second-largest political bloc in the Iraqi parliament until the October 2021 parliamentary elections, which saw Shiite parties drop to only 14 seats as Sadr’s party claimed victory.Michael Knights and Frzand Sherko, “Can Asaib Ahl al-Haq Join the Political Mainstream?,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, February 14, 2019, https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/can-asaib-ahl-al-haq-join-the-political-mainstream; Suadad al-Salhy and Alex MacDonald, “Iraq elections 2021: Shia parties reject results as armed group threatens violence,” Middle East Eye, October 12, 2021, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-elections-shia-parties-reject-results-militia-threatens-violence. On July 13, 2018, Iraqi protesters in the country’s south attacked the political offices of Badr and other Iran-backed groups as they called for Iran to withdraw from Iraq.Seth J. Frantzman, “Mass Protests Sweep Iraq, Target Pro-Iran Militias and Parties,” Jerusalem Post, July 16, 2018, https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Mass-protests-sweep-Iraq-target-pro-Iran-militias-and-parties-562597.

Although the Badr Organization’s political arm portrays itself as welcoming and conciliatory to Sunnis, the areas where the group fights ISIS have seen “some of the most high-profile Sunni-Shiite violence of the current conflict,” according to the Washington Post.Loveday Morris, “Appointment of Iraq’s new interior minister opens door to militia and Iranian influence,” Washington Post, October 18, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/appointment-of-iraqs-new-interior- minister-opens-door-to-militia-and-iranian-influence/2014/10/18/f6f2a347-d38c-4743-902a-254a169ca274_story.html. This is particularly true in Iraq’s Diyala province, where Amiri has been leading military operations.Loveday Morris, “Appointment of Iraq’s new interior minister opens door to militia and Iranian influence,” Washington Post, October 18, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/appointment-of-iraqs-new-interior- minister-opens-door-to-militia-and-iranian-influence/2014/10/18/f6f2a347-d38c-4743-902a-254a169ca274_story.html. According to one Human Rights Watch employee, “We’ve documented widespread burning and destruction of homes. That’s something we’ve recorded in literally every place where militias are leading the fight against ISIS. In some instances, we have documented them carrying out summary executions of people… the [militias] that we’ve documented the most abuses by are definitely Badr Organization.”“The Battle for Iraq: Shia Militias vs. the Islamic State,” VICE News, February 12, 2015, https://news.vice.com/video/the-battle-for-iraq-shia-militias-vs-the-islamic-state. During the fight to retake Mosul beginning in late 2016, Human Rights Watch urged that Iraq ban abusive Shiite militias from partaking in the operation.“Iraq: Ban Abusive Militias from Mosul Operation,” Human Rights Watch, July 31, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/07/31/iraq-ban-abusive-militias-mosul-operation. More recently, the group has also recruited former ISIS members in the Diyala province, who are used to stoke anti-Kurdish violence in the areas under its control.Mohammed Hussein and Vera Mironova, “Islamic State Fighters Are Back, and This Time They’re Taking Up Arms With Shiite Militias,” Foreign Policy, October 15, 2018, https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/10/15/islamic-state-fighters-are-back-and-this-time-theyre-taking-up-arms-with-shiite-militias/.

The Badr Organization emerged during Iraq’s civil war. The group is implicated in the torture and murder of thousands of Sunni Muslims.Holly Williams, “Armed with U.S. weapons, infamous militia beating ISIS,” CBS News, February 2, 2015, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/armed-with-u-s-weapons-ruthless-militia-beating-isis-in-iraq/. The Badr Organization has directly attacked American forces in Iraq, and U.S. officials have warned that the group would resume its attacks on U.S. interests after the military defeat of ISIS in Iraq.Molly Hennessey-Fisk and WJ Hennigan, “The U.S. is helping train Iraqi militias historically tied to Iran,” Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2016, http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-iraq-shiite-militias-20161212-story.html; Eli Lake, “Iran's Militias Are Taking Over Iraq's Army,” Bloomberg View, February 3, 2015, http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-02-03/exclusive-iran-s-militias-are-taking-over-iraq-s-army. In November 2017, Amiri called on U.S. forces to leave Iraq, warning that his group would not allow a single American to remain.Ahmad Majidyar, “Iran-Backed Badr Organizations Calls on U.S. Troops to Leave Iraq,” Middle East Institute, November 30, 2017, http://www.mei.edu/content/io/iran-backed-badr-organization-call-us-troops-leave-iraq.

On July 1, 2019, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi issued a decree ordering the militias of the PMF to choose between full integration into the Iraqi armed forces or disarmament by July 31. The prime minister’s decree stated that the PMF factions have to choose between either political or paramilitary activity and if they choose politics, they are not allowed to carry weapons.Jared Szuba, “Mahdi orders full integration of Shia militias into Iraq’s armed forces,” July 3, 2019, https://thedefensepost.com/2019/07/03/iraq-mahdi-orders-popular-mobilization-units-integration/.; “Shia militia agrees to integrate into Iraq state army,” Middle East Monitor, July 3, 2019, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190703-shia-militia-agrees-to-integrate-into-iraq-state-army/. The decree was an attempt by Abdul Mahdi at curtailing the autonomy of Iranian-backed militias, which boast more than 120,000 fighters. Some critics suggested the United States and Saudi Arabia instigated the decree after U.S. officials concluded that drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil pipeline in May 2018 were launched from Iraq, not Yemen, which raised concerns over the activities of Iran-backed militias in Iraq.Isabel Coles in Beirut and Dion Nissenbaum, “U.S.: Saudi Pipeline Attacks Originated From Iraq,” Washington Post, June 28, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-saudi-pipeline-attacks-originated-from-iraq-11561741133.

U.S. officials want the Iraqi government to do more to rein in Iranian-allied militias that have grown in power since they helped win the war against ISIS, including preventing them from using Iraqi territory as a launchpad for attacks against the American military or its allies. According to Mahdi’s decree, all PMF factions must abandon their old names and receive new names in compliance with the regulations of the Iraqi army. The decree forbade political parties and parliamentary blocs from having ties with the PMF. Also, all the headquarters, economic offices, and checkpoints manned by militias are to be shut down.Ali Mamouri, “Iraq orders militias to fully integrate into state security forces,” Al Monitor, July 2, 2019, https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/07/iraq-pmu-iran-abdul-mahdi-shiite-militias.html#ixzz5smS9aPBp. Abdul Mahdi issued a new decree in September 2019 that restructured the PMF’s leadership.Fadhel al-Nashmi, “Iraqi PM Issues New order on PMF Restructuring,” Asharq al-Awsat, September 22, 2020, https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1913381/iraqi-pm-issues-new-order-pmf-restructuring. In June 2020, the Republican Study Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives recommended designating the Badr Organization and its leader, Hadi al-Amiri, as terrorists. The recommendation also included other PMF factions Kataib al-Imam Ali, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, Liwa Abu al-Fadhal al-Abbas, and Jund al-Islam.“US Recommends Designating Badr Organization’s Leader, PMF Factions as Terrorists,” Asharq al-Awsat (London), June 12, 2020, https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2330586/us-recommends-designating-badr-organizations-leader-pmf-factions-terrorists; Joyce Karam, “Congress Republicans table largest sanctions plan against Iran,” National (Abu Dhabi), June 10, 2020, https://www.thenational.ae/world/the-americas/congress-republicans-table-largest-sanctions-plan-against-iran-1.1031877.

Doctrine:

For years, the Badr Organization served as the military wing of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), a political party committed to bringing Iran’s revolutionary brand of Shiite Islamism to Iraq.Mahan Abedin, “Dossier: The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI),” Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, 5 (October 2003):10, accessed April 14, 2015, http://www.meforum.org/meib/articles/0310_iraqd.htm. However, when SCIRI reemerged in Iraq in March 2003, the group insisted that it was not pushing for an Iranian-style government, despite the group’s name and ongoing ties to Tehran.Jim Muir, “Iran-backed rebels eye new Iraq role,” BBC News, last updated March 18, 2003, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2859173.stm.

Since 2003, Shiism and Iranian-influenced Islamism have remained central elements of the Badr Organization’s identity. In 2011, Badr members celebrated the end of the U.S. military presence in Iraq by plastering the walls of government buildings with posters of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.Associated Press, “Iraqi Leader Calls for Unity and Political Stability After U.S. Troop Departure,” Fox News, January 1, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/01/01/iraqi-leader-calls-for-unity-and-political-stability-after-us-troop- departure/. The following year, Badr split from SCIRI—now called the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCRI)—in order to maintain its ties to Iran.Garrett Nada and Mattisan Rowen, “Part 2: Pro-Iran Militias in Iraq,” Wilson Center, April 27, 2018, https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/part-2-pro-iran-militias-iraq. In early 2015, Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri reaffirmed his support for Iran’s supreme leader, saying that Khamenei “has all the qualifications as an Islamic leader. He is the leader not only for Iranians but the Islamic nation. I believe so and I take pride in it.”Ned Parker, Babak Dehghanpisheh, and Isabel Coles, “Special Report: How Iran's military chiefs operate in Iraq,” Reuters, February 24, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/24/us-mideast-crisis-committee-specialrepor- idUSKBN0LS0VD20150224.

With the fight against ISIS in Iraq and the rapid growth of the PMF, Badr experienced a surge of support and influence.Hamza Mustafa, “Hadi Al-Ameri: A Militia Leader Torn between Washington and Tehran,” al-Sharq al-awsat, September 25, 2014, https://web.archive.org/web/20141213204222/http://www.aawsat.net/2014/09/article55336936. Nonetheless, many Iraqis remained suspicious of whether or not Badr would put the interests of Iraq before those of Iran. Amiri sought to turn the popular support for the PMF into a political victory for Badr and moved to draw a distinction between Badr’s political and military wings. In December 2017, Amiri ordered his fighters to withdraw from the cities they occupied, cut ties with Badr’s political wing, and follow the commands of the Iraqi National Army.“Iraqi Shi'ite paramilitary chief seeks to put troops under national army,” Reuters, December 14, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-politics/iraqi-shiite-paramilitary-chief-seeks-to-put-troops-under-national-army-idUSKBN1E82ME.

Still, Amiri rebuked calls by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi for the PMF to abandon its heavy weapons and join the Iraqi Army.“الفتح: تحالفنا مع النصر وسائرون مرهون بهذا الأمر” Iraq News, May 21, 2018, http://iraqnewsapp.com/1/Article/2244/160777194#.WzsXdtJKg2w; Ahmed Rasheed, “ Iraq's Abadi in high-stakes plan to rein in Iranian-backed militias,” Reuters, January 4, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-abadi-insight/iraqs-abadi-in-high-stakes-plan-to-rein-in-iranian-backed-militias-idUSKBN1ET1Y0; Ahmad Majidyar, “Iran-backed militia groups will receive full military benefits under new decree,” Middle East Institute, March 9, 2018, http://www.mei.edu/content/io/iran-backed-militia-groups-will-receive-full-benefits-under-new-government-decree. Amiri pledged in April 2018 to personally “take up arms” to defend Iraq from “any danger” regardless of any political position he may hold.Garrett Nada and Mattisan Rowen, “Part 2: Pro-Iran Militias in Iraq,” Wilson Center, April 27, 2018, https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/part-2-pro-iran-militias-iraq. He also applauded Iran’s support for Badr and other PMF units when ISIS first swept into Iraq, stating in 2017, “We commend the support of the Islamic Republic…In the beginning, the international coalition did not support Iraq. It was only the Islamic Republic of Iran that stood with us in the beginning.”Garrett Nada and Mattisan Rowen, “Part 2: Pro-Iran Militias in Iraq,” Wilson Center, April 27, 2018, https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/part-2-pro-iran-militias-iraq.

In January 2018, Badr formed the Fatah Alliance, a political bloc of Iran-backed PMF factions including Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) and Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) and led by Badr’s Amiri.Ahmad Majidyar, “Iraqi Hezbollah calls on Baghdad government to set up US exit timeline,” Middle East Institute, March 6, 2018, http://www.mei.edu/content/io/iraqi-hezbollah-calls-baghdad-government-set-us-exit-timeline. After Fatah received second place in Iraq’s May 2018 parliamentary elections, a Fatah leader named Karim al-Nuri signaled that the party would not seek to change Iraq’s post-2003 policy of working with both Iran and the United States.Ali Mamouri, “Sadr allies with Iran-backed coalition to form government in Iraq,” Al-Monitor, June 14, 2018, https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/06/iraq-election-muqtada-sadr-sairoon-fatah-hadi-amiri-iran.html. In June 2020, Fatah Alliance member Fadhil Fatlawi told Iranian media that the Iraqi parliament was committed to expelling U.S. forces from Iraq.Seth J. Frantzman, “Iran continues to pressure Iraq to get US troops out,” Jerusalem Post, June 11, 2020, https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-continues-to-pressure-iraq-to-get-us-troops-out-631039.

Organizational Structure:

Hadi al-Amiri leads the Badr Organization’s military and political wings, but his influence extends beyond the group’s confines. Amiri was given command over Iraq’s army and police in Diyala province.Ned Parker and Stephen Kalin, “Iraqi commander denies paramilitary groups involved in killings,” Reuters, February 9, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/09/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-amiri-idUSKBN0LD17B20150209; Eli Lake, “Iran's Militias Are Taking Over Iraq’s Army,” Bloomberg View, February 3, 2015, hhttp://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-02-03/exclusive-iran-s-militias-are-taking-over-iraq-s- army. An August 2019 assessment of Badr Organization’s main areas of operations placed the group throughout the bulk of Diyala province, from the eastern suburbs of Baghdad to Iran and from Zurbatiyah in the south to Tikrit in the north.Michael Knights, “Iran’s Expanding Militia Army in Iraq: The New Special Groups,” CTC Sentinel, Vol 12, Issue 17, August 2019, https://ctc.usma.edu/app/uploads/2019/08/CTC-SENTINEL-072019.pdf. Then Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had also reportedly entrusted Amiri with control over the Iraqi Army’s 20th Brigade, according to the brigade’s commander, General Ali al-Wazir.Ned Parker and Stephen Kalin, “Iraqi commander denies paramilitary groups involved in killings,” Reuters, February 9, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/09/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-amiri-idUSKBN0LD17B20150209; Eli Lake, “Iran's Militias Are Taking Over Iraq’s Army,” Bloomberg View, February 3, 2015, hhttp://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-02-03/exclusive-iran-s-militias-are-taking-over-iraq-s- army. Badr also controls PMF Brigades 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 30, 52, 55, and 110 and has the allegiance of additional PMF brigades and several Iraqi Army brigades operating in Diyala.Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi, “Hashd Brigade Numbers Index,” Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi’s blog, May 30, 2019, http://www.aymennjawad.org/2017/10/hashd-brigade-numbers-index. Michael Knights, “Iran’s Expanding Militia Army in Iraq: The New Special Groups,” CTC Sentinel, Vol 12, Issue 17, August 2019, https://ctc.usma.edu/app/uploads/2019/08/CTC-SENTINEL-072019.pdf. One Human Rights Watch employee said that Amiri “is an extremely powerful figure and he’s essentially acting with total impunity now. It’s not really the government leading the militias; it’s the other way around.”“The Battle for Iraq: Shia Militias vs. the Islamic State,” VICE News, February 12, 2015, https://news.vice.com/video/the-battle-for-iraq-shia-militias-vs-the-islamic-state.

In his capacity as leader of the Badr Organization’s militia, Amiri claimed that he presented the group’s military plans to Abadi for approval.Ned Parker, Babak Dehghanpisheh, and Isabel Coles, “Special Report: How Iran's military chiefs operate in Iraq,” Reuters, February 24, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/24/us-mideast-crisis-committee-specialrepor- idUSKBN0LS0VD20150224. However, in April 2015, Abadi ordered that all Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) militias, including the Badr Organization, be placed under his office’s direct command.Rod Nordland, “After Victory Over ISIS in Tikrit, Next Battle Requires a New Template,” New York Times, April 7, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/08/world/middleeast/iraq-isis-anbar-sunni-shiite.html.

Although Amiri appeared to act without much Iraqi government oversight, reports suggested he answered to the leader of Iran’s IRGC-Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani. In the 2015 fight to retake Tikrit from ISIS militants, Soleimani “was directing operations on the eastern flank from a village about 55km (35 miles) from Tikrit,” according to a Reuters report.Ahmed Rasheed and Dominic Evans, “Iraqi forces try to seal off Islamic State around Tikrit,” Reuters, March 3, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/03/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-idUSKBN0LZ10Q20150303. Another Reuters report noted that “Soleimani also directed Iranian-trained Shi’ite militias—including the Badr Brigade.”Mohamed Bazzi, “Iraqis may fear Shi’ite militias more than Islamic State,” Reuters, February 19, 2015, http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/02/19/does-islamic-state-fear- these-guys-as-much-as-their-own-countrymen-do/. RAND Corporation analyst Alireza Nader has written that the Badr Organization “appear[s] to be taking direct orders from Tehran.”Alireza Nader, “Salvaging Iraq,” RAND Corporation, January 26, 2015, http://www.rand.org/blog/2015/01/salvaging-iraq.html. This assertion is supported by the historic ties between Iran and Badr, which spent the first two decades of its existence as a direct military arm of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq and was led by Iranian officers.“Badr Organization of Reconstruction and Development,” Mapping Militant Organizations, November 13, 2016, http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/435#note5. Amiri has continued working directly alongside the IRGC since returning to Iraq, including working side-by-side with Soleimani during the battle for Mosul.Akbar Shahid Ahmed and Ryan Grim, “What's Wrong With This Picture? For U.S. Fight Against ISIS, Everything,” Huffington Post, November 23, 2014, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/23/obama-isis- iran_n_6165352.html; Ahmed Rasheed and Dominic Evans, “Iraqi forces try to seal off Islamic State around Tikrit,” Reuters, March 3, 2015, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq/iraqi-forces-try-to-seal-off-islamic-state-around-tikrit-idUSKBN0LZ10Q20150303. Amiri was photographed outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on December 31, 2019, as protesters threw stones and torched a security post at the embassy, prompting suspicions that he was encouraging the violence. After the attack, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Amiri an Iranian “proxy” aiding terrorists.Barbara Starr, Kevin Bohn, and Ross Levitt, “US strikes 5 facilities in Iraq and Syria linked to Iranian-backed militia,” CNN, December 29. 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/29/politics/us-strikes-iran-backed-militia-facilities-in-iraq-syria/index.html; Ghassan Adnan, Isabel Coles, and Michael Gordon, “Trump Blames Iran After Militia Supporters Try to Storm U.S. Embassy in Baghdad,” Wall Street Journal, December 31, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-attempt-to-storm-u-s-embassy-in-baghdad-11577787978; Seth J. Frantzman, “Pompeo names Iraqi Badr militia leader Hadi al-Amiri as Iranian proxy,” Jerusalem Post, January 2, 2020, https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Pompeo-names-Iraqi-Badr-militia-leader-Hadi-al-Amiri-as-Iranian-proxy-612751.

In addition to his capacity as the Badr Organization’s military leader, Amiri also heads the group’s political wing, which maintains an office in east Mosul.Campbell MacDiarmid and David Kenner, Foreign Policy, “Goodbye, Islamic State. Hello, Anarchy,” Chicago Tribune, March 24, 2017, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-iraq-scene-4b926adc-10af-11e7-9b0d-d27c98455440-20170324-story.html. Since it split from political party ISCI in 2012, the Badr Organization has emerged as a prominent political party within Iraq. In December 2010, then–Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appointed Amiri as Iraq’s transportation minister.Michael Eisenstadt, Michael Knights, and Ahmed Ali, “Iran’s Influence in Iraq: Countering Tehran’s Whole-of-Government Approach,” Policy Focus 111 (April 2011), http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ PolicyFocus111.pdf. In October 2014, Prime Minister Abadi appointed a Badr member, Mohammed Ghabban, as interior minister. At the time of Ghabban’s appointment, the Washington Post’s Loveday Morris wrote that “there is little doubt that Hadi al-Amiri, head of the [Badr Organization] party and its military wing, will wield the real power in the ministry.”Loveday Morris, “Appointment of Iraq’s new interior minister opens door to militia and Iranian influence,” Washington Post, October 18, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/appointment-of-iraqs-new-interior- minister-opens-door-to-militia-and-iranian-influence/2014/10/18/f6f2a347-d38c-4743-902a-254a169ca274_story.html. Ghabban announced his resignation from the post in July 2016 but was replaced by another Badr member, Qasim al-Araji, in January 2017.Saif Hameed and Ahmed Rasheed, “Iraq's interior minister resigns after massive Baghdad bomb attack,” Reuters, July 5, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-minister-idUSKCN0ZL1II;
“New Iraqi Minister of Interior: from pro-Saddam to pro-Iran,” Al-Arabyia, January 31, 2017, https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2017/01/31/New-Iraqi-Minister-of-Interior-from-pro-Saddam-to-pro-Iran.html. Araji, a former member of the Quds Force, was twice arrested by U.S. forces for working with the anti-American insurgency during the U.S. war in Iraq. Prior to joining the Badr parliamentary bloc, Araji had been involved in smuggling and distributing explosives that were intended for use against U.S. forces, according to leaked documents.“New Iraqi Minister of Interior: from pro-Saddam to pro-Iran,” Al-Arabyia, January 31, 2017, https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2017/01/31/New-Iraqi-Minister-of-Interior-from-pro-Saddam-to-pro-Iran.html;
Emily Anagnostos, “The Campaign for Mosul: January 24-31, 2017,” Institute for the Study of War, January 31, 2017, http://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/campaign-mosul-january-24-31-2017;
Callum Patton, “Iraq’s Powerful Interior Minister, Now Leading Fight Against ISIS, Was Held Twice by U.S. Forces After 2003,” Newsweek, http://www.newsweek.com/trained-iran-and-arrested-smuggling-explosives-iraqs-interior-minister-was-us-596161.

In January 2018, Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH), Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), and the Badr Organization joined with other PMF units to form the Fatah Alliance political party in preparation for Iraq’s May 2018 elections.Ahmad Majidyar, “Iraqi Hezbollah calls on Baghdad government to set up US exit timeline,” Middle East Institute, March 6, 2018, http://www.mei.edu/content/io/iraqi-hezbollah-calls-baghdad-government-set-us-exit-timeline. Prior to the elections, Qais al-Khazali, secretary-general of AAH, claimed that “the next prime minister will be someone chosen by the Fateh Alliance or selected in accordance with conditions set by the Fateh Alliance.”Ahmad Majidiyar, “Iran-backed Fateh Alliance seeks to win or play kingmaker in upcoming Iraqi elections,” Middle East Institute, May 3, 2018, http://www.mei.edu/content/io/iran-backed-fateh-alliance-seeks-win-or-play-kingmaker-upcoming-iraqi-elections. In May, the alliance exceeded expectations, winning 47 parliamentary seats in the election. The following month, Iraq’s parliament ordered a manual recount of the 11 million votes amid claims of fraud.“Iraqi parliament orders manual election recount,” BBC News, June 6, 2018, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-44390092. Notwithstanding, on June 11, the Fatah Alliance formed a coalition government with Muqtada al-Sadr’s Sairoon Alliance, which received the largest number of parliamentary seats in the elections. The coalition placed Amiri and Fatah in a position to obtain high level government positions and have a final say in who will be Iraq’s next prime minister.Phillip Smyth, “Iranian Militias in Iraq's Parliament: Political Outcomes and U.S. Response,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, June 11, 2018, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/iranian-militias-in-iraqs-parliament-political-outcomes-and-u.s.-response; Ali Mamouri, “Sadr allies with Iran-backed coalition to form government in Iraq,” Al-Monitor, June 14, 2018, https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/06/iraq-election-muqtada-sadr-sairoon-fatah-hadi-amiri-iran.html. However, while Fatah as a whole made large electoral gains, Badr won only 22 parliamentary seats, the same number of seats it won in 2014.Phillip Smyth, “Iranian Militias in Iraq's Parliament: Political Outcomes and U.S. Response,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, June 11, 2018, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/iranian-militias-in-iraqs-parliament-political-outcomes-and-u.s.-response.

On June 1, 2020, Amiri resigned from parliament and as leader of the Fatah Alliance. He gave no reason for his resignation, but Iraqi sources suspected he was vying for the leadership of the PMF. Amiri was replaced in the parliament by his deputy, Abdulkarim Younis Elan.Zhelwan Z. Wali, “Shiite leader resigns from Iraqi parliament,” Rudaw, June 6, 2020, https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/060620201; Qassim Abdul-Zahra, “Iraqi Lawmakers Vote in New Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s Remaining Ministers,” Associated Press, June 6, 2020, https://apnews.com/a56773b538549d99db8477b8ccc89b06.

Financing:

The Badr Organization is backed by Iran, and Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri has confirmed that his group receives support from Iran.“Islamic State torches oil field east of Tikrit—witness,” Reuters, March 5, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/05/mideast- crisis-iraq-idUSL5N0W727220150305; Loveday Morris, “Appointment of Iraq’s new interior minister opens door to militia and Iranian influence,” Washington Post, October 18, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/appointment-of-iraqs-new-interior-minister-opens-door-to-militia-and-iranian- influence/2014/10/18/f6f2a347-d38c-4743-902a-254a169ca274_story.html. Senior Badr official Muen al-Kadhimi has said that Iran “helped the group with everything from tactics” to “drone and signals capabilities, including electronic surveillance and radio communications.”Ned Parker, Babak Dehghanpisheh, and Isabel Coles, “Special Report: How Iran's military chiefs operate in Iraq,” Reuters, February 24, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/24/us-mideast-crisis-committee-specialrepor- idUSKBN0LS0VD20150224. Badr-controlled areas of Diyala province have also reportedly served as transit points for Iranian arms supplies entering Iraq.“Iraq: Turning a Blind Eye: the Arming of the Popular Mobilization Units,” Amnesty International, January 2017, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde14/5386/2017/en/.

After ISIS was expelled from Iraq, Badr reportedly took control of the Safra border crossing between the Baghdad-controlled parts of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government. Local sources claim that the Badr Organization receives between $12 and $15 million each month in customs tariffs and taxes on the goods traded through Safra.Ahmed Rasheed, Babak Dehghanpisheh, Michael Georgy, “In Iraq’s parliament, Shi’ite militia leaders plan to call the shots,” Reuters, November 13, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-militias-insight/in-iraqs-parliament-shiite-militia-leaders-plan-to-call-the-shots-idUSKCN1NI1DI.

Recruitment and Training:

Since April 2014, the Badr Organization has established numerous city-based “popular committees” to recruit fighters for its military wing.Phillip Smyth, “Iranian Proxies Step Up Their Role in Iraq,” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, June 13, 2014, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy- analysis/view/iranian-proxies-step-up-their-role-in-iraq. After Iraq’s most influential Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, issued a fatwa in July 2014 calling on Iraqis to fight ISIS, one Badr Organization recruiter claimed to have received 7,000 applications.Maggie Fick, “Underage fighters drawn into Iraq sectarian war,” Reuters, July 11, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/11/us-iraq-security-teenagers-insight- idUSKBN0FG1UG20140711. The militia reportedly operates training facilities in Hillah, central Iraq.Farzan Nadimi, “Iran Appoints Seasoned Qods Force Operative as Ambassador to Iraq,” Washington Institute, January 18, 2017, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/iran-appoints-seasoned-qods-force-operative-as-ambassador-to-iraq.

Also Known As:

• Badr BrigadeSusannah George, “Breaking Badr,” Foreign Policy, November 6, 2014, http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/11/06/breaking-badr/.
• Badr BrigadesGlenn Kessler, “An Iranian ‘terrorist’ in the White House?” Washington Post, December 20, 2011, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/an-iranian-terrorist-in-the-white- house/2011/12/19/gIQA6t2K5O_blog.html.
• Badr CorpsMatt Bradley and Ghassan Adnan, “Shiite Militias Win Bloody Battles in Iraq, Show No Mercy,” Wall Street Journal, December 5, 2014, http://www.wsj.com/articles/shiite-militias-win-bloody-battles-in-iraq-show-no-mercy-1417804464.
• Badr Organization of Reconstruction and Development“Badr Organization of Reconstruction and Development,” Stanford University, last modified August 11, 2014, http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/435.
• Badr Organisation in Iraq“List of groups designated terrorist organisations by the UAE,” National (Abu Dhabi), November 16, 2014, http://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/list-of-groups-designated-terrorist-organisations-by-the-uae.
• Martyr Mohamed Baqir al-Sadr ForcesAaron Y. Zelin, “Who Are the Foreign Fighters in Syria?” Washington Institute for Near East Policy, December 5, 2013, http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/who-are-the-foreign-fighters-in-syria.
• Martyr Muhammed Baqir al-Sadr ForcesTerrorist Groups in Syria: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade of the Committee on Foreign Affairs House of Representatives, 113th Cong. 17-24 (2013) (statement of Phillip Smyth, Middle East research analyst, University of Maryland), http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-113hhrg85643/pdf/CHRG-113hhrg85643.pdf.
• Munathamat Badr“Iraq: Turning a Blind Eye: the Arming of the Popular Mobilization Units,” Amnesty International, January 2017, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde14/5386/2017/en/.
• Quwet Shahid Baqir Sadr (BOQSBS)Phillip Smyth, “Khamenei’s Cannon: .50 Caliber Anti-Material Rifles & Shia Fighters in Syria,” Jihadology, December 24, 2013, http://jihadology.net/category/quwet-al-shahid-muhammed-baqir-al-sadr/.