The Republican Guard was the elite fighting force of the Iraqi ground units. Founded when Saddam Hussein acceded to power in 1979, they were originally intended to be used as a palace guard, but had grown into a superior offensive and defensive force by the time of the 2003 American invasion. They proved to be most valuable in the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1989), but ended up taking a pounding in the Gulf War (1991). Between then and the invasion, the Republican Guard was used to crush revolts in the Shi'ite Muslim south and the Kurdish north. They also proved to be an invaluable tool in dealing with the regular Iraqi Army's diminishing capability, fighting spirit, and support for the regime.

Many people often confuse the Republican Guard (RG) with the Special Republican Guard (SRG). Although they were both subordinated under the State Special Security Apparatus run by Saddam's late son, Qusay, they are two different entities. The SRG was tasked solely with presidential protection, whereas the RG had many more responsibilities.

The life of a republican guard was, on the average, much nicer than that of an Iraqi citizen or a member of the regular Iraqi Army. Members of the Republican Guard normally received plots of land, extra food, new cars, subsidized housing, free health care, monetary bonuses, and free education for their children. Not to mention they received the best training and equipment that Iraq has to offer. This was justifiable in the sense that all republican guards were all highly motivated, loyal volunteers, who are unlike the conscripts of the regular Iraqi Army. The officers of the Republican Guard, who were mostly Sunni Muslims from Saddam's home of Tikrit, also lived quite lavishly.

Loyalty to Saddam, however, hasn't always been absolute. In May of 1995, several military officers of the al-Dulaymi tribe from western Iraq attempted a coup. In response, Saddam maimed, tortured, and executed the traitors, then sent their bodies to family members. Outraged by this, a Republican Guard battalion that was led by officers from al-Dulaymik, attacked an Iraqi prison at Abu Gharayb. The rebellion was silenced by two other Republican Guard brigades, but Saddam suffered a permanent dent in his trust. Commanders were therefter closely watched by intelligence agents. Also, though this event may be correlation and not causation, the Republican Guard was not allowed in Baghdad.

History

When Saddam Hussein came into power on July 16, 1979, he was fully aware that he didn't have the full support of the Iraqi people. Pockets of resistance still existed, and they posed a great threat to his regime. In response, his first order of business was the "removal" of any military personnel who displayed signs of disloyalty. Saddam then reorganized the entire military structure and established units that would function as his personal guards. These small Republican Guard units stayed extremely close to Saddam, some even having barracks built for them within and around Saddam's presidential palace.

In 1980, when the Iran-Iraq war began, the Iraqi underwent changes yet again. Most notably, the Republican Guard units, previously in charge of protecting Saddam, now took the added responsibility of supporting Iraqi armored, mechanized, and infantry units. With this added responsibility came a massive expansion, and the strictness of recruitment was somewhat relaxed. Throughout the whole war (1980-1988), they proved to be quite successful in counter-attack movements against Iranian forces that broke through normal Iraqi Army lines.

In the Gulf War, the Republican Guard suffered a huge defeat. They were not prepared for the tactics and power that Coalition forces dished out, and the conflict was over in approximately 100 hours. Some divisions were scrapped and redistributed into to others, while others stayed on. Below, I have a detailed history of each division, starting from the Gulf War.

1st "Hammurabi" Division - Armored

The name originates from the great Babylonian leader, Hammurabi. The division was nearly destroyed as the Gulf War drew to an end, only to be saved by the bell. Their escape was blamed on Lt. Gen. Frederick Franks, but in reality, Norman Schwarzkopf was the one to blame. When President George H. W. Bush declared that the ground war would end at 8 a.m on February 28th, from 4 to 5 that morning, a large assault force was being amassed to destroy the remnants of the Hammurabi Division. But, Schwarzkopf decided to cease all offensive operations three hours before the President had required him to. This proved somewhat disastrous, as weeks later, the Hammurabi Division annihilated a Shi'ite rebellion around Basra, which could have potentially toppled Saddam's regime.

History

  • 1990, July 16 - A brigade of the Hammurabi Division moves into southern Iraq.
  • 1990, July 17 - Satellite imagery shows that the entire Hammurabi Division has amassed along the Iraqi/Kuwaiti border.
  • 1990, August 2 - Iraq invades Kuwait. The Hammurabi, alongside the Nebuchadnezzer Division, attacked from the north, down the Basra highway.
  • 1990, September - The invasion is a success, and the Hammurabi Division, being replaced by regular Army divisions, moves to its original position in southern Iraq.
  • 1991, January - As Coalition forces invaded southern Iraq, the Hammurabi is given orders to move towards Basra.
  • 1991, February 27 - A massive attack was launched against Iraqi mechanized and armored divisions. The Tawakalna Division was destroyed, prompting Iraqi High Command to order the Hammurabi Division to head north, across the Euphrates River. Some units stood their ground at the west side of Basra, while others escaped over the river. As the remaining Hammurabi in western Basra were facing imminent doom, the ground war was called off.
  • 1994, October - The Hammurabi Division was one among the 70,000 troops and 1,000 tanks that were amassed on the Iraqi/Kuwaiti border. As US forces were promptly built up, Iraqi forces eventually retreated.
  • 1999, January - During Operation Desert Fox, it was reported that the Al-'Amer armory of the Hammurabi Division was destroyed. The armory was estimated to contain 560 assault rifles, 600 chemical weapons masks, 7000 hand grenades, 105 cases of land mines, 31 batches of ammunition, and an unconfirmed number of anti-aircraft guns.
  • 1999, June - The Iraqi National Congress reported that the Hammurabi Division attacked the town of Rumaitha after residents protested the misdistribution of food and medicine. Fourteen villagers were killed, and over 100 people were arrested. Forty homes were destroyed also.
  • 2000, October - In a show of military muscle and Palestinian support, the Hammurabi Division moved west of Baghdad to the Iraqi/Jordanian border.
  • 2003, April - United States Brigadier General Vincent Brooks reported that the republican guard had been "destroyed."

2nd "Al-Medina" Division - Armored

This Division took take heavy losses in the very early stages of the Gulf War. In fact, it lost 61 tanks and 34 APCs in less than an hour. in that same day, they would go on to lose 82 tanks, three APCS, 11 artillery guns, 48 trucks and 3 anti-aircraft batteries.

In the US invasion of 2003, it is believed that Coalition forces have already come in contact with the Medina division in southern Iraq. Intelligence reports that Medina is one of the divisions that will be defending Baghdad.

History

  • 1990, July 17 - Satellite imagery shows that the Medina Division is among the large Iraqi force that is amassed at the Iraqi/Kuwaiti border.
  • 1990, August 2 - Iraq invades Kuwait. The Medina, along with the Tawakalna division, attacks from the West, going across the Wadi al-Batin.
  • 1990, September - The invasion is a success, and the Medina Division, being replaced by regular Army divisions, moves to its original position in southern Iraq.
  • 1991, January - As Coalition forces invaded southern Iraq, the Medina, along with the Hammurabi Division, is given orders to move towards Basra.
  • 1991, February 27 - A massive attack was launched against Iraqi mechanized and armored divisions. The Medina, along with the Tawakalna and Adnan Division, were engaged by Coalition forces about 50 miles east of Al Busayyah. The Medina Devision took on heavy damage, losing approximately 61 tanks and 34 APCs in less than one hour. After retreating, the remnants of the Medina moved just a little north of the Iraqi/Kuwaiti and staged an unsuccessful attempt to repel advancing US forces.
  • 1999, January - During Operation Desert Fox, it is reported that an armory used by the Al Medina forces was destroyed.

3rd "Tawakalna" Division - Mechanized - (Defunct)

The name of the Tawakalna Division is derived from the Arabic phrase "Tawakalna Ala Allah," which can literally be translated to: "depending on God," "God help us," or "In God we trust." This phrase has appeared in campaigns that were waged against Iran in the late 1980s. It could also be heard on the voice recorder tape of EgyptAir Flight 990 when the co-pilot deliberately pushed the aircraft into a dive on October 31, 1999.

In the Gulf War, the Tawakalna Division was used as a shield to enable the safe passage of the Medina and Hammurabi divisions to Basra. Because of this, the Tawakalna division sustained the most damage. After the war was over, Saddam Hussein reallocated the remaining forces of the Tawakalna to other divisions.

History

  • 1990, July 17 - Satellite imagery shows that the Tawakalna Division is among the large Iraqi force that is amassed at the Iraqi/Kuwaiti border.
  • 1990, August 2 - Iraq invades Kuwait. The Tawakalna, along with the Medina division, attacks from the West, going across the Wadi al-Batin.
  • 1990, September - The invasion is a success, and the Tawakalna Division, being replaced by regular Army divisions, moves to its original position in southern Iraq.
  • 1991, January - As Coalition forces invaded southern Iraq, the Tawakalna is assigned a rear guard position that will allow the Medina and Hammurabi armored divisions to withdrawal to Basra.
  • 1991, February 25 - In fierce clash with Coalition forces, the Tawakalna loses an entire brigade. Additional losses are felt after a night assault.
  • 1991, February 26 - Coalition forces, under extremely adverse weather, pounded the Tawakalna with artillery. This rendered them incapable of operating as a coherent fighting force.
  • 1991, February 27 - A massive attack was launched against Iraqi mechanized and armored divisions. The the remnants of the Tawakalna, along with the Medina and Adnan Division, were engaged by Coalition forces about 50 miles east of Al Busayyah. Though, the Tawakalna never ceased fighting, they were swiftly annihilated.

4th "Al-Faw" Division - Motorized Infantry - (Defunct)

Not much is officially known about the Al-Faw division. The name originates from the city of Al Faw in the Al Basrah province of Iraq. The city's oil facilities made it a prime target of enemy forces, and in 1986, Iranian units captured the city. Saddam Hussein declared that the city must be taken "at all costs." On April of 1988, the Iraqis regained control of the city.

History

  • 1990, July 17 - Satellite imagery shows that the Al-Faw Division is among the large Iraqi force that is amassed at the Iraqi/Kuwaiti border.
  • 1990, August 2 - Iraq invades Kuwait. The Al-Faw, along with the Medina and Tawakalna divisions, attacks from the West, going across the Wadi al-Batin.
  • 1990, September - The invasion is a success, and the Al-Faw Division, being replaced by regular Army divisions, moves to its original position in southern Iraq.
  • 1991, February 27 - A massive attack was launched against Iraqi mechanized and armored divisions. Little is known, but the Al-Faw sustained heavy damage and was rendered combat ineffective.

5th "Baghdad" Division - Mechanized

The Baghdad Division hasn't been given much attention until the recent war (March, 2003). Their involvement in the Gulf War was minimal, as they mainly stuck around the capital, Baghdad.

In the current war (March, 2003), the Baghdad Division has already encountered US forces on many occasions. Various sources have named this division the most likely to use chemical weapons (if they exist).

History

  • 1999, January - During Operation Desert Fox, the Al-Rasheed armory that belongs to the Baghdad Division was destroyed. The armory housed huge amounts of ammunitions and medium to light weapons. Several mobile radar vehicles were also destroyed in this attack.

6th "Nebuchadnezzar" Division - Mechanized

Named after Nebuchadnezzar II, the Neo-Babylonian king. His Babylonian name was Nabu-kudur-usur which literally means "O Nebo, defend my crown." During the Gulf War, the Nebuchadnezzar attacked from the north with the Hammurabi Division. They were later pounded by US artillery in a heavy sandstorm.

Currently (March, 2003), the Nebuchadnezzar is sticking close to the capital, Baghdad. There is also various units stationed in Mosul to monitor the Kurds in the north.

History

  • 1990, July 17 - Satellite imagery shows that the Nebuchadnezzar Division is among the large Iraqi force that is amassed at the Iraqi/Kuwaiti border.
  • 1990, August 2 - Iraq invades Kuwait. The Nebuchadnezzar, along with the Hammurabi division, attacks from the North, down the Basra Highway..
  • 1990, September - The invasion is a success, and the Nebuchadnezzar Division, being replaced by regular Army divisions, moves to its original position in southern Iraq.
  • 1991, February 26 - Coalition forces, under extremely adverse weather, pounded the Nebuchadnezzar with artillery.
  • 1999, January - During Operation Desert Fox, the Nebuchadnezzar suffered 113 men killed, and 181 wounded. The armory that belonged to the Nebuchadnezzar, which contained 350 assualt rifles and 1240 crates of ammunition, was destroyed. 6 155-mm cannons and 23 artillery cannons were also destroyed in the attack.

7th "Adnan" Division - Motorized Infantry

The Adnan Division was not a part of the Kuwaiti invasion, instead it fought with the Medina nad Tawakalna after the US invasion.

The Adnan division was "destroyed" in the 2003 US invasion.

History

  • 1991, February 27 - A massive attack was launched against Iraqi mechanized and armored divisions. The Adnan division fought along with units of the Medina and Tawakalna about 50 miles east of Al Busayyah.
  • 1999, January - During Operation Desert Fox, the Adnan suffered 48 men killed, and 151 wounded. A light and medium weapons armory was destroyed. It contained approximately 720 assault rifles, 56 mortar cannons, and 2470 crates of ammunition. 22 Tanks and 6 surface-to-air missiles were also destroyed in this attack.

"Al-Abed" Division - Motorized Infantry - (Defunct)

Nothing significant of this Division could be found. If you can find or know anything about this Division, please tell me.

"Al-Nida" Division - Armored

This division was not involved in the Gulf War, though it was active (and routed) during the 2003 US invasion.

History

Note: Considering the times, this information is pretty volatile. Please /msg me with updates and additions.

Sources

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,921334,00.html
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/114071_iraqguard25.shtml
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030228-065255-5159r
http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=IRAQ-CONFLICT-03-19-03&cat=II
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5944-623867,00.html
http://members.tripod.com/collinsj/iraqi_organisations_1990.htm
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1997/iraq/guard/
http://content.miw.com.sg/LifeStyle/Military/ls_military01_20020802.asp
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2511765.stm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/rg.htm
http://www.fas.org/irp/world/iraq/rg/

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