So the Badr Brigade is being upgraded to a “political entity” from its status as a militia.

"Badr is a patriotic group that works for Iraq's interest and it will not be dragged into sectarian or any other kind of conflict," said Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, SCIRI's leader and the former commander of the Badr Brigade. "Badr is for all Iraqis," he added.

*cough* *cough* bullshit*cough*

May we all please sit down and remind ourselves of who and what Badr is?
The Badr Brigade was (is?) to Iran what the Mujahdeen Khalq was to Iraq. A paramilitary group made of people who have defected from the other side and were being used as a political pressure group and a force to perform covert military operations.
Saddam harbored and funded the Mujahdeen Khalq not because he believed in their cause but because they were good for intelligence and were involved unofficially in the Iraq-Iran war, they fought with the Iraqi side. And the Badr Brigade did the same thing for Iran.

Until now Badr has been operating as the military arm of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution [SCIRI] which until after the war was based in Iran and is now one of the two main parties forming the Iraqi Coalition, the group of parties which holds more than half the seats at the Iraqi national assembly. SCIRI and to some extent the Dawa party don’t exactly make it a secret that they are quite chummy with Iran.

In a surprisingly good interview in al-shraqiya the Badr organization's leader, Hadi al-Amiri was asked how were all the men fighting with the brigade paid. He first said they were all volunteers but when the interviewer gave him the “c’mon!!” look he said that it is not too difficult for Mr. al-Hakim (head of SCIRI) to pay a $100 a month for the fighters. When she pressed the point and asked how from where did he have money to pay for an estimated 30,000 fighters if not more Mr. al-Amiri replied “Mr. Hakim has his sources”. And I am going to be a bit reckless here and say the sources come in the shape of Iranian rials.

There was a point that I was trying to make which I lost now.

Badr.
Militia.
“Badr is for all Iraqis”.

Right.

So a couple of days ago tip-top politicians in our current government were falling over themselves congratulating Badr on this wise move. And our current president, Mr. Talabani, said during this joyous event:

"May those who describe the heroes of Badr and their Kurdish brothers as militia be doomed to failure"

ex-squeeze my insolence Sir, but Badr and the Kurdish Peshmerga are a militia by definition and you are getting me all confused here. And allow me also to add that it has been a while since the issue of the Kurdish Peshmerga’s been discussed. Any chance of them becoming a “political party” as well.

And Mr. Hakim is also demanding for a bigger role for the Badr brigade and the Peshmerga

“It is necessary to give them precedence in bearing administrative and governmental responsibilities, especially in the security fields.”

Rrrright! So let me get this straight. You want to give a militia which is really the military arm of *your* party more power?
Hmm somehow I smell a fish.

As to how an armed group serving the purpose of a single party can become an independent party on its own is a mystery that I have yet to ponder upon.

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and for the musical link I would like to offer a Bjork-an Alarm Call edited by someone french and galloping at about 128 beats per minute.

It shouldn't scare you at alllllll, woo woo wooooo.