Financial Times (London) March 25, 2003
Saddam praises 'Fedayeen' for leading fierce fighting
By Roula Khalaf
"Fedayeen Saddam", a paramilitary militia headed by the Iraqi leader's eldest son Uday, has been singled out by US and British military commanders as leading some of the fiercest resistance in southern Iraq.
US General Tommy Franks yesterday told reporters that troops were bypassing paramilitary forces and the Fedayeen as they concentrated on massing their armour around Baghdad. He suggested that the Iraqi leader had moved some Fedayeen, militiamen whose fate will be doomed with the collapse of the regime, from Baghdad to the south to cause trouble.
But some Gulf commanders expect that it is in the Iraqi capital, the base of the Fedayeen, that the militia is expected to put up its toughest fight.
Saddam Hussein praised the paramilitary force in his address yesterday, commanding it, along with the ruling Ba'ath party and other national security organisations, for the resistance. But the Fedayeen is only one element in a complex internal military and security apparatus charged with the specific task of protecting the Iraqi regime and counting several tens of thousands of troops.
Some seasoned observers of Iraq describe the Fedayeen as a "bunch of gangsters" who lack organisation and are therefore not considered the primary line of defence in Baghdad.
Far more organised are the Special Republican Guard headed by Qusay, Mr Hussein's youngest son, with the help of Abdel Hamid al-Tikriti, the Iraqi leader's private secretary and a distant cousin. Another potentially dangerous force is the Special Security Organisation, viewed as the most ruthless group and charged with policing other organisations. The SSO is also headed by Qusay.
The Fedayeen, however, is seen as the most unpopular of the so-called "popular militias" - one reason why it might be gaining attention at this time. Its involvement in the fighting against US troops could help discredit resistance.
Although it is difficult to distinguish myth from reality in Iraq, the Fedayeen's violence is legendary among residents of Baghdad. That it is controlled by Uday, whose reputation for human rights abuses rivals that of his father, has made it all the more feared.
Uday formed the Fedayeen - or "men of sacrifice" - in 1995 as his own private militia. He briefly lost control over the force to his brother a year later, amid reports that he had secretly given it weapons destined for the elite Republican Guard, but regained it.
According to Global Security.org, an international security website, the total strength of the Fedayeen is anywhere between 18,000 and 40,000 troops. But such figures are impossible to confirm.
The Fedayeen is said to be composed of young soldiers recruited from regions loyal to Mr Hussein. The website says that the Fedayeen reports directly to the presidential palace, bypassing army command. "They are supposed to protect the president and Uday and carry out much of the police's dirty work," it says.
The militia's primary responsibility has been to quell internal unrest. But there have been reports that it has also been active in the smuggling operations that have allowed the regime to circumvent UN sanctions.
Copyright © 2003, The Financial Times Limited
