Written question asked by Lord Acton (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Triesman (Labour) on Monday, 19 February 2007.

Iraq: Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution

Question: asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their assessment of the relationship between the Badr Brigade militia and the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq.

Answer: The Badr Brigade originated as an armed wing of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). In 2003, the Badr Brigade declared itself to be a political party and renamed itself the Badr Organisation. We welcomed the promise by SCIRI’s leader, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, that it would disarm. However, we believe that some Badr members have either failed to lay down their arms or have infiltrated the Iraqi security forces and are engaging in sectarian violence. SCIRI and Badr remain closely linked and we believe that SCIRI leaders could do more to reduce violence by Badr elements. We continue to impress on all Iraq’s political leaders that armed militias have no place in a democratic Iraq.

Secondary information