The Iraqi Special Republican Guard (SRG) (Arabic: الحرس الجمهوري الخاص, romanized: al-Ḥaras al-ʿIrāq al-Jamhūrīy al-Khas), also known as the Special Forces Brigade of the Presidential Palace,[1] Republican Guard Special Protection Forces,[2] or the Golden Division,[1] was an elite praetorian guard unit founded in either early 1992 or March 1995 in Ba'athist-era Iraq.

[1] In order to prevent a coup d'état, Saddam Hussein forbade the Special Republican Guard (SRG) from coordinating with other forces, even the regular Republican Guard or any other units were ever allowed near the SRG.

By 2002, there were reportedly 12,000 members of the SRG, drawn primarily from clans loyal to Saddam Hussein and his regime.

As many as five brigades containing 14 battalions of 1,300–1,500 men each, and also included air defense, armored, and artillery were reported to be in existence at that time.

[5] Former members of the Special Republican Guard were later suspected of carrying out insurgent attacks on Coalition forces in Iraq after the invasion, while others went on to join Sons of Iraq home guard militias, funded, trained, equipped and operated by American forces.