The Badr Organization is an Iraqi political party, formed in 1982 and headed by Hadi al-Amiri. The organization it is a part of the Popular Mobilization Forces. It is controlled by the Iranian Regime and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Badr Organization currently leads the second largest political bloc in the Iraqi parliament.
From 1983 to 2003, the Badr Brigades continued to operate out of Iran, carrying out intermediary attacks in southern Iraq. Also is known that the IRGC-Qods Force supports Badr Organization with money, soldiers and weapons. The organization is led by men with close ties to the (now dead) general Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force and the architect of Tehran’s regional strategy.
The Badr Corps consists of infantry, armor, artillery, anti-aircraft, and commando units with an estimated strength of between 10,000-50,000 men (according to the Badr Organization).
Badr Organization infiltrated the Iraqi security forces and was carrying out a widespread campaign of terror and murder against the Sunnis.
During this period, Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri personally stands accused of ordering attacks on up to 2,000 Sunnis. 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.”
The group is implicated in the torture and murder of thousands of Sunni Muslims. 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 the Islamic State in Iraq.
In November 2017, Amiri called on U.S. forces to leave Iraq, warning that his group would not allow a single American to remain.