US Training of Death Squads in Iraq? - War Is A Crime .org

which have raised sectarian tensions. Human-rights groups also accuse creators of thecounterterrorism television show of violating the Geneva Conventions by publicly humiliatingthe detainees. Among Shiites, however, there are patriotic songs devoted to the group. Thebrigade's fierceness has given it a mythical aura: Iraqi parents reportedly warn their childrenabout the "wolves."Are there other commando units?A growing number of counterterrorism commando units are cropping up in Iraq, experts say.Many of them are modeled after the Wolf Brigade, with names like the Tiger, Snake, or Scorpionbrigades, and operate out of makeshift quarters like a bombed-out bunker, a former girls' school,and an aircraft hangar, news reports say. It's not clear if these groups are under the aegis of theInterior Ministry.Are there any Sunni-led commando units?Yes. At least one counterinsurgency unit is headed by a former officer of Saddam Hussein'sBaath Party. The Special Police Commandos, like the Wolf Brigade, have a reputation forbrutality, but the group is also considered one of Iraq's most effective and well-disciplinedcounterinsurgency units. It was formed last September by General Adnan Thavit, a 63-year-oldSunni and former intelligence officer in the Iraqi Air Force who was thrown in prison for plottinga coup against Saddam Hussein in 1996. Armed by the Iraqi government, the brigade has heavyammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, and AK-47 assault rifles. Most of its 5,000 members arehand-selected by Thavit and are former members of Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard.Experts say they have been an effective fighting force because they are well-trained, know thelay of the land, and can gather quality intelligence in places like the Sunni triangle because oftheir close ties to neighborhood clans. In a May New York Times Magazine article on theSpecial Police Commandos, Peter Maass wrote, "The integration of the commandos into thesecurity forces staunches one flow of experienced fighters into the insurgency."Are the militia sanctioned by Iraq's government?Some are, but not all. Though largely autonomous, commando units like the Wolf Brigade areused in conjunction with Iraq's army and police forces, including special-ops units like the 36thCommando Battalion and 40th Brigade. Their funding and training come from the Iraqigovernment. Nominal control of these brigades falls under the ministries of Interior and Defense.The peshmerga, on the other hand, are under Kurdish authority. The extent of officialgovernment support for the Badr Organization is unclear, but may be growing. (Iraq's InteriorMinister Bayan Jabr is himself a former high-ranking official in the Badr Brigades.) Thegovernment is not believed to support the Mahdi Army and other private militia groups thatoppose the government's authority.Why does the Iraqi government support some militias?Part of the reason, experts say, is to fill in the security gaps left by the local police and army,who have a reputation for ineffectiveness and corruption. Their use also reflects a clear strategy93