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IRREGULAR FORCES The Fedayeen Saddam was not part of Iraq's regular armed forces but rather operated as a paramilitary unit of Irregular Force s. The Fedayeen reported directly to the Presidential Palace , rather than through the Army Chain Of Command . The Fedayeen were not an Elite Military Force , often having been poorly Trained and without heavy Weapon s. The Fedayeen were among the most loyal organizations to the Government of Saddam Hussein and were a politically reliable force against domestic opponents. The Fedayeen conducted widespread campaigns of Assassination and Intimidation s, as well as organized Smuggling and other Illegal efforts along Iraq's Borders . They committed some of the most brutal acts while the Ba'athist regime was in power in Iraq. The Fedayeen has been reported to operate a Death Squad that conducted extra-judicial Killing s. The Fedayeen were widely reported to have conducted an alleged anti- Prostitution Campaign in which more than 200 women were beheaded. Many of the Victims were charged to have been Political Opponent s rather than prostitutes. HISTORY Early years It was formed by Uday Hussein , one of Saddam Hussein's sons, in 1995 . It began as a 10,000-15,000 strong Rag Tag force recruited from young men living in the regions most loyal to the Ba'ath Party (primarily Central Iraq). Uday used the Fedayeen for personal ends such as smuggling and Suppression of opponents. He was removed from command of the militia in 1996 for diverting sophisticated weapons from the Iraqi Republican Guard . The control was temporarily placed to Qusay Hussein . Before Saddam was removed from power, the force was placed back under Uday's control. The deputy commander of the Fedayeen Saddam was Staff Lieutenant General Mezahem Saab Al Hassan Al-Tikriti. In 1998 the ''Ashbal Saddam'' (Saddam's Lion Cubs) was created to Recruit and train young children for membership in the Fedayeen. The Ashbal recruited boys aged 10 to 15 for training in small arms and Infantry Tactics as well as Loyalty conditioning. 2003 invasion of Iraq The Fedayeen Saddam did not arise to major International attention, however, until the 2003 Invasion Of Iraq by U.S. led Coalition forces. Whereas the Iraqi Regular forces, as well as the Republican Guard , melted away before the coalition, Fedayeen forces put up stiff and often Fanatic al resistance to the coalition invasion. The U.S. Strategy was to bypass the cities and head straight to Baghdad . In response, Fedayeen fighters entrenched themselves in the cities and launched guerilla-style strikes on rear Supply Convoy s attempting to sustain the rapid advance. The Fedayeen also used intimidation to strengthen the resolve of the Iraqi Army and keep civilians from Rebel ling. The multinational coalition was forced to turn its attention to the slow task of rooting out Irregular Forces from the southern cities, delaying the advance by two weeks. During the invasion, Fedayeen fighters wielded AK-47 assault rifles, Rocket Propelled Grenades , Machine Guns , and Truck -mounted Artillery and Mortars . They made extensive use of subterfuge in an attempt to blunt the overwhelming technological advantage enjoyed by the invading forces. The Irregular fighters often wore Civilian clothes to confuse coalition forces, and falsely Surrender ed as a pretext for Ambush ing advancing multinational soldiers, among other incidents. By the end of the first week of April, Coalition forces had mostly succeeded in rooting out Fedayeen forces from the southern cities. The Shiite population was very unsupportive of the fighters, although many were intimidated. This factor, coupled with overwhelming firepower, quickly gave U.S. forces in the area a decisive edge. This reduced the pressure on the stretched supply lines, enabling the advance to continue. On April 9 , Baghdad fell to American forces with only sporadic resistance by Fedayeen irregulars, foreign Volunteers , and remnants of the Special Republican Guard , effectively ending the regime of Saddam Hussein. Tikrit , the last city to fall, was taken on April 15 . Iraqi insurgency The fall of Baghdad effectively ended the existence of the Fedayeen Saddam as an organized paramilitary. Several of its members died during the war. A large number survived, however, and were willing to carry on the fight even after the fall of Saddam Hussein from power. Many former members joined guerilla organizations, collectively known as the Iraqi Insurgency that began to form to Resist the U.S-led occupation. By June, an insurgency was clearly underway in the central and northern Iraq, especially in an area known as the Sunni Triangle . Some units of the Fedayeen also continued to operate independently of other insurgent organizations in the Sunni areas of Iraq. On November 30 , 2003 , a U.S. convoy traveling through the town of Samarra in the Sunni Triangle was ambushed by over 100 Iraqi guerillas, reportedly wearing trademark Fedayeen Saddam uniforms. Exactly how much influence they have in the resistance, especially following Saddam Hussein's capture on December 13 , 2003 , is a source of Controversy . SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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