Popular Army (Iraq)
| Iraqi Popular Army | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1970–1991 |
| Disbanded | April 29, 1991 |
| Country | Ba'athist Iraq |
| Type | Paramilitary Gendarmerie Reserve army Auxiliary force |
| Role | Gendarmerie First Line of Defence (1980–88) Reserve army Internal security Light infantry |
| Size | Peaked at over 650,000 in 1987 |
| Garrison/HQ | Baqubah Basra Tikrit |
| Nickname(s) | Jaish al-Sha'abi (People's Army) |
| Patron | Saddam Hussein Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri |
| Equipment | Small arms, infantry fighting vehicles, light artillery, MANPADS |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Last commander | Taha Yassin Ramadan |
| Insignia | |
| Ba'ath party flag | |
The Iraqi Popular Army, also known as the People's Army or People's Militia (Arabic: الشعبي الجيش, romanized: Al Jaysh ash Shaabi), was a paramilitary and gendarmerie organization composed of civilian volunteers to protect the Ba'athist regime against internal opposition and serve as a counterbalance against any coup attempt by the regular Iraqi Army.
In 1987, the People's Army, standing at an estimated 650,000, approached the regular armed forces' manpower strength.