Unchecked militia with murky past fights Islamic State with US weapons: Report

An unchecked militia group using American weapons reportedly has the best track record in beating the Islamic State in Iraq.

Just last week, the Badr Brigade ran the infamous terrorists out of the largely abandoned city of Al Muqdadiyah following a bloody four-day battle, according to reports.

These Shiite militiamen, who celebrated the victory in the streets Monday, have a shadowy past that highlights the complexity of the situation.

Iran created and trained the Badr Brigade, also known as the Badr Corps, in the 1980s. Its original goal was to fight the regime of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. It was composed of Iraqi defectors.

Iraq’s government has given extraordinary power to the militia group, despite its cloudy past, because of its success rate against the Islamic State.

Gen. Ali Al-Wazir, who commands the 20th Battalion of the Iraqi army, told CBS war correspondent Holly Williams that his men and their U.S.-supplied equipment are now under the command of the Badr Brigade’s leader.

Their success is not without controversy. The volunteer force’s suspected "death squads" have been connected to the murder and torture of thousands of Sunni Muslims, and they are accused of killing more than 70 unarmed Sunni men, just last week, CBS News reported.

Jane Arraf, an Al Jazeera journalist reporting from Baghdad, similarly says that Shiite and government forces have been accused of war crimes in the Diyala province, the location of Al Muqdadiyah.

"Around the capital of Diyala province, there is a town called Barwana, where survivors tell us that Shia militia forces along with Iraqi government forces killed unarmed civilians," Arraf said. "[Brigade leader Hadi] Al Amiri said the claims were being investigated, and any culprits would be brought to justice."

Cmdr. Essam Yahya Hussein, who joined the Badr Brigade six months ago, confirmed to CBS’ Williams that many of the weapons it uses were given to the Iraqi army by the United States.

He also denied the allegations that the Badr Brigade is abusing Sunni Muslims.

"The civilians are our brothers," he said.