36th Commando Battalion

On 25 November 2003, a decision was made between the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), the Commander United States Central Command (CDRCENTCOM), the Commander Combined Joint Task Force 7 (CDR CJTF-7), and the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC). These elements agreed to form a Baghdad-based, 500-man battalion by integrating militiamen from five (5) Political Parties: Iraqi National Accord (INA), Iraqi National Congress (INC), Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), and Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). The idea was to create a special forces unit that would be composed of Iraqis from various ethnic and religious groups. In late 2003, the CJSOTF-AP (Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula) made plans to put the 36th CDO BN under the control of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Force (ICTF). Initial recruits sent to be trained with the 36th CDO BN were given table tennis paddles to publicly hide their activities that they were going for SOF training. unlike other military units like the Iraqi Army's 2nd Division. ==Operations==

36th CDO BN forces were involved in Najaf in August 2004, nearly raiding Sadr's hideout if he did not choose to give up. taking control of a hospital from insurgents. They were also involved in Samarra, engaged in counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations in September 2004. The 36th CDO BN was involved in anti-ISIL operations, engaging ISIL fighters in Mosul in 2017. ==Organization==

The 36th CDO BN was organized based on the structure of the US Army Special Forces. As of 2023, the unit is under the command of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service. == References ==