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Peshmerga

January 09, 2023

The Peshmerga (Kurdish: پێشمەرگه, romanized: Pêşmerge, lit. 'those who face death')[25] is the Kurdish military forces of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq. According to the Constitution of Iraq, the Peshmerga, along with their security subsidiaries, are responsible for the security of Kurdistan Region, due to the fact that the Iraqi Armed Forces are forbidden by Iraqi law to enter Iraqi Kurdistan.[26][27][28][29][30][31][32] These subsidiaries include Asayish (intelligence agency), Parastin u Zanyarî (assisting intelligence agency) and the Zeravani (Gendarmerie). The history of Peshmerga dates back to 18th century, starting out as a strictly tribal pseudo-military border guard under the Ottomans and Safavids and later changing to a well-trained, disciplined guerrilla force in the 19th century.[33]

Peshmerga
پێشمەرگه
Pêşmerge
Flag of Kurdistan
Motto"Ey Reqîb"[1]
FoundedEarly 1920s/1946
Current form2003–present
HeadquartersErbil
Websitehttps://gov.krd/mopa
Leadership
Commander-in-chiefNechirvan Barzani
Minister of the PeshmergaShoresh Ismail Abdulla
Personnel
Military age21–41
ConscriptionNo enforced conscription
Active personnel300,000 Soldiers (disputed, see Structure)[2]
Industry
Domestic suppliers Iraq[3]
Foreign suppliers
List
Related articles
History

Formally, the Peshmerga are under the command of the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs. In reality, the Peshmerga force itself is largely divided and controlled separately by the two regional political parties: Democratic Party of Kurdistan and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. Unifying and integrating the Peshmerga has been on the public agenda since 1992, but the forces remain divided due to factionalism which has proved to be a major stumbling block.[34]

In 2003, during the Iraq War, Peshmerga played a key role in the mission to capture Saddam Hussein.[35][36] In 2004, they captured key al-Qaeda figure Hassan Ghul, who revealed the identity of Osama bin Laden's messenger, which eventually led to the killing of Osama bin Laden.[37][38][39]

Etymology

The word "Peshmerga" can be translated to "to stand in front of death",[40][41][42] and Valentine states it was first used by Qazi Muhammad in the short-lived Mahabad Republic (1946–47).[43] The word is understandable to Persian speakers.[44]

History

Main article: History of the Peshmerga
 
Mustafa Barzani was the primary political and military leader of the Kurdish cause until his death in 1979.

The Kurdish warrior tradition of rebellion has existed for thousands of years along with aspirations for independence, and early Kurdish warriors fought against the various Persian empires, the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire.[33][45]

Historically the Peshmerga existed only as guerrilla organizations, but under the self-declared Republic of Mahabad (1946–1947), the Peshmerga led by Mustafa Barzani became the official army of the republic.[46][47] After the fall of the republic and the execution of head of state Qazi Muhammad, Peshmerga forces reemerged as guerrilla organizations that would go on to fight the Iranian and Iraqi governments for the remainder of the century.[48]

In Iraq, most of these Peshmerga were led by Mustafa Barzani of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.[47] In 1975 the Peshmerga were defeated in the Second Iraqi–Kurdish War. Jalal Talabani, a leading member of the KDP, left the same year to revitalize the resistance and founded the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. This event created the baseline for the political discontent between the KDP and PUK that to this day divides Peshmerga forces and much of Kurdish society in Kurdistan.[49][50]

After Mustafa Barzani's death in 1979, his son Masoud Barzani took his position.[47] As tension increased between KDP and PUK, most Peshmerga fought to keep a region under their own party's control while also fighting off Iraqi Army incursions. Following the First Persian Gulf War, Iraqi Kurdistan saw the Kurdish Civil War between the two major parties, the KDP and the PUK, and Peshmerga forces were used to fight each other.[51] The civil war officially ended in September 1998 when Barzani and Talabani signed the Washington Agreement establishing a formal peace treaty.[52] In the agreement, the parties agreed to share revenue and power, deny the use of northern Iraq to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and not allow Iraqi troops into the Kurdish regions. By then, around 5,000 had been killed on both sides, and many more had been evicted for being on the wrong side.[53] In the years after, tension remained high, but both parties moved towards each other, and in 2003 they both took part in the overthrowing of the Baathist regime as part of the Iraq War. Unlike other militia forces, the Peshmerga were never prohibited by Iraqi law.[54]

 
Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighter (KDP) in 2003.

In 2014, the Peshmerga withdrew from the Nineveh Plains which was said by the locals as being a contributing factor of the quick Islamic State victory in the invasion, and the widespread massacre of Yazidis, who were rendered defenseless.[55]

Structure and capabilities

 
Peshmerga special unit near the Syrian border on June 23, 2014.

The Peshmerga are mostly divided among forces loyal to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and those loyal to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK),[56] while other, minor Kurdish parties such as the Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party also have their own small Peshmerga units.[57] The KDP and PUK do not disclose information about the composition of their forces with government or media.[56] Thus there is no reliable number of how many Peshmerga fighters exist.[56] Media outlets have speculated that there are between 150,000 and 200,000 Peshmerga, but this number is highly disputed.[58][59] Peshmerga have divided Kurdistan Region into a KDP-governed "yellow" zone covering Dohuk Governorate and Erbil Governorate and a PUK-governed "green" zone covering Sulaymaniyah Governorate and Halabja Governorate.[60][56][34] Each zone has its own branch of Peshmerga with their own governing institutions that do not coordinate with the other branch.[34][61]

As a result of the split nature of the Peshmerga forces, there is no central command center in charge of the entire force, and Peshmerga units instead follow separate military hierarchies depending on political allegiance.[62] Multiple unification and depoliticizing efforts of the Peshmerga have been made since 1992. But so far all deadlines have been missed,[34] reforms have been watered down,[56] and most of the Peshmerga are still under the influence of the KDP and the PUK, who also maintain their separate Peshmerga forces. Following the events of the Iraqi Civil War in 2014, the United States and several Europe nations pressured the PUK and KDP to set up mixed brigades of Peshmerga as a condition for aid and funding. The PUK and KDP united 12 to 14 brigades under the Regional Guard Brigades, which were then placed under the command of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.[56] However, officers continue to report to and take orders from their party leaders who also control the deployment of forces loyal to them and appoint front-line and sector commanders[34]

Both the KDP and the PUK rely heavily on irregulars in times of conflict to increase their ranks.[63] However, both maintain several professional military brigades. The following units have been identified within the Peshmerga force:

Force Estimated size Commander Party affiliation
Regional Guard Brigades[56][34] 40,000–43,000 Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs Supposedly apolitical
Hezekani Kosrat Rasul[34] 2,000–3,000 Kosrat Rasul Ali PUK
Anti-terror force[34] 5,000[64] Lahur Shekh Jangi PUK
Presidential Peshmerga brigades[34] unknown Hero Ibrahim Ahmed PUK
70 Unit[34][56] 60,000 Sheikh Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa PUK. Supposedly becoming incorporated into MPA[65]
Emergency Forces[34] 3,000[64] unknown PUK
PUK Asayish (security) force unknown unknown PUK
Presidential Guard (Iraqi Kurdistan )[34] unknown Nechirvan Barzani KDP
80 Unit[34][56] 70,000–90,000 Najat Ali Salih KDP. Supposedly becoming incorporated into MPA[65]
Zerevani[34] 51,000–120,000 active/250,000 reservists[66][67] Masoud Barzani KDP
  Êzîdxan Protection Force[68] 7,000[69]–8,000[70] Haydar Shesho Yazidi Democratic Party, Incorporated into Peshmerga Ministry[71]
  Nineveh Plain Guard Forces or "Christian Peshmerga"[72] 1,500 unknown Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council
KDP Asayish (security) force unknown unknown KDP

Due to limited funding and the vast size of the Peshmerga forces, the KRG has long planned to downsize its forces from large numbers of low-quality forces to a smaller but much more effective and well-trained force.[73] Consequently, in 2009, the KRG and Baghdad engaged in discussions about incorporating parts of the Peshmerga forces into the Iraqi Army in what would be the 15th and 16th Iraqi Army divisions.[74][75] However, after increasing tension between Erbil and Baghdad regarding the disputed areas, the transfer was largely put on hold. Some Peshmerga were already transferred but reportedly deserted again, and there are allegations that former Peshmerga forces remained loyal to the KRG rather than their Iraqi chain of command; regardless, thousands of members of the 80 Unit of KDP and the 70 Unit of PUK are based in Baghdad, and they have good cooperation with other Iraqi forces in Baghdad.[76][77][78]

The Peshmerga forces are secular with a Muslim majority and Assyrian and Yazidi units.[79][80]

 
Peshmerga soldiers stand in formation during the Modern Brigade Course graduation ceremony.
 
A Peshmerga American interpreter with US military, with a refugee during Operation Inherent Resolve, Duhok

Peshmerga forces largely rely on old arms captured from battles. The Peshmerga captured stockpiles of weapons during the 1991 Iraqi uprisings.[81] Several stockpiles of weapons were captured from the old Iraqi Army during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, in which Peshmerga forces were active. Following the retreat of the new Iraqi Army during the June 2014 Islamic State offensive, Peshmerga forces reportedly again managed to get hold of weapons left behind by the Army.[82] Since August 2014, Peshmerga forces have also captured weapons from the Islamic State.[83] In 2015, for the first time, Peshmerga soldiers received urban warfare and military intelligence training from foreign trainers, the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.[84]

The Peshmerga arsenal is limited and confined by restrictions because the Kurdish Region has to purchase arms through the Iraqi government. Due to disputes between the KRG and the Iraqi government, arms flows from Baghdad to Kurdistan Region have been almost nonexistent, as Baghdad fears Kurdish aspirations for independence.[85][86][56] After the Islamic State offensive of August 2014, multiple governments armed the Peshmerga with some light equipment such as light arms, night goggles, and ammunition.[87][88] However, Kurdish officials and Peshmerga stressed that they were not receiving enough. They also stress that Baghdad was blocking all arms from reaching the KRG, emphasizing the need for weapons to be sent directly to the KRG and not through Baghdad.[89][90] Despite this, the United States has maintained that the government of Iraq is responsible for the security of Iraqi Kurdistan and that Baghdad must approve all military aid.[56]

The Peshmerga lack a proper medical corps and communication units.[56] This became apparent during the Islamic State offensive in 2014 where the Peshmerga found itself lacking ambulances and frontline field hospitals, forcing wounded fighters to walk back to safety.[56] There is also a lack of communication tools, as Peshmerga commanders are forced to use civilian cellphones to communicate with each other.[56] Under the guidance of the US-led coalition the Peshmerga has started to standardize its weapons systems, replacing Soviet-era weapons with NATO firearms.[56]

Issues

The Peshmerga forces are plagued by frequent allegations of corruption, partisanship, nepotism, and fraud.[91][92][93][94] A common result of corruption in the Peshmerga are "ghost employees" which are employees on paper who either do not exist or do not show up for work but receive a salary. Those setting up such a scam split the salary of these employees.[56]

In addition the KDP and PUK have used the Peshmerga to exert or attempt to exert a monopoly on the use of force within their zones.[56] In 2011 KDP Peshmerga fired on anti-government protesters in Sulaymaniyah, and the PUK later used its own security forces to break up these protests,[34] leading to criticism from all of the opposition parties in the parliament. In 2014 the KDP used its Peshmerga to stop ministers from the Gorran Movement to enter Erbil and attend parliament.[56]

Outside of Kurdistan Region the Peshmerga has been accused of using force to exert control of local Arab, Yazidi and Assyrian communities, particularly after taking control of areas officially outside of Kurdistan Region during the Iraqi Civil War.[95]

Role of women

Main article: Kurdish women

Women have played a significant role in the Peshmerga since its foundation. The Kurdish Zand tribe was known for allowing women in military roles.[33] During the Iraqi–Kurdish conflict the majority of women served within the Peshmerga in supporting roles such as building camps, taking care of the wounded, and carrying munitions and messages.[63] Several women brigades served on the front lines. Margaret George Malik[96] was an iconic[97] Assyrian guerilla fighter who was given a leading position in important battles such as the battle of Zawita Valley.[98] The PUK started recruiting women during the Kurdish Civil War. Women were given a 45-day basic training that included parade drills and basic marksmanship with various rifles, mortars, and RPGs.[33]

In the months leading up to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, the United States launched Operation Viking Hammer which dealt a huge blow to Islamic terrorist groups in Iraqi Kurdistan and uncovered a chemical weapons facility.[99][100][101][102][103] The PUK later confirmed that female Kurdish fighters had participated in the operation.[63]

 
People's Defense Units' (YPG) woman volunteer with Peshmerga soldier

The modern Peshmerga is almost entirely made up of men, while having at least 600 women in their ranks.[104] In the KDP, these Peshmerga women have been refused access to the frontline and are mostly used in logistics and management positions,[105] but PUK Peshmerga women are deployed in the front lines and are actively engaged in combat.[106][107][33]

See also

References

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Further reading

  • Simon Ross Valentine, Peshmerga: Those Who Face Death: The Kurdish Army, its History, Development, and the Fight against ISIS, Kindle Direct Publishing, 2018, 300pp.[ISBN missing]
  • Chapman, Dennis P., Lieutenant Colonel USA, Security Forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Mohammed Najat, Costa Mesa, California: Mazda Publishers, 2011. ISSN 0026-3141 Reviewed by Michael M. Gunter in Middle East Affairs, Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2011.

External links

  Media related to Kurdish Peshmerga at Wikimedia Commons

  • Official MPA site at Kurdish Regional Government site


January 09, 2023
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The Peshmerga Kurdish پێشمەرگه romanized Pesmerge lit those who face death 25 is the Kurdish military forces of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq According to the Constitution of Iraq the Peshmerga along with their security subsidiaries are responsible for the security of Kurdistan Region due to the fact that the Iraqi Armed Forces are forbidden by Iraqi law to enter Iraqi Kurdistan 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 These subsidiaries include Asayish intelligence agency Parastin u Zanyari assisting intelligence agency and the Zeravani Gendarmerie The history of Peshmerga dates back to 18th century starting out as a strictly tribal pseudo military border guard under the Ottomans and Safavids and later changing to a well trained disciplined guerrilla force in the 19th century 33 Peshmergaپێشمەرگه PesmergeFlag of KurdistanMotto Ey Reqib 1 FoundedEarly 1920s 1946Current form2003 presentHeadquartersErbilWebsitehttps gov krd mopaLeadershipCommander in chiefNechirvan BarzaniMinister of the PeshmergaShoresh Ismail AbdullaPersonnelMilitary age21 41ConscriptionNo enforced conscriptionActive personnel300 000 Soldiers disputed see Structure 2 IndustryDomestic suppliers Iraq 3 Foreign suppliersList Albania 4 Australia 5 Austria 6 Belgium 7 Bulgaria 8 Canada 4 Croatia 4 Cyprus 9 Czech Republic 10 Denmark 11 Estonia 12 Finland 13 France 4 Germany 4 Greece 14 Hungary 12 India 15 Iran 16 Israel 16 Italy 4 Netherlands 17 New Zealand 18 19 Norway 17 Romania 20 Russia 21 Slovakia 18 Slovenia 22 Sweden 23 United Kingdom 4 United States 4 Historically Czechoslovakia 24 Soviet Union 24 Related articlesHistoryFirst Iraqi Kurdish War Second Iraqi Kurdish War Iran Iraq War Persian Gulf War Kurdish Civil War Iraq War War on Terror Iraqi insurgency 2011 2013 War in Iraq 2014 2017 Other battles and warsFormally the Peshmerga are under the command of the Kurdistan Regional Government s Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs In reality the Peshmerga force itself is largely divided and controlled separately by the two regional political parties Democratic Party of Kurdistan and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Unifying and integrating the Peshmerga has been on the public agenda since 1992 but the forces remain divided due to factionalism which has proved to be a major stumbling block 34 In 2003 during the Iraq War Peshmerga played a key role in the mission to capture Saddam Hussein 35 36 In 2004 they captured key al Qaeda figure Hassan Ghul who revealed the identity of Osama bin Laden s messenger which eventually led to the killing of Osama bin Laden 37 38 39 Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Structure and capabilities 3 1 Issues 4 Role of women 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksEtymology EditThe word Peshmerga can be translated to to stand in front of death 40 41 42 and Valentine states it was first used by Qazi Muhammad in the short lived Mahabad Republic 1946 47 43 The word is understandable to Persian speakers 44 History EditMain article History of the Peshmerga Mustafa Barzani was the primary political and military leader of the Kurdish cause until his death in 1979 The Kurdish warrior tradition of rebellion has existed for thousands of years along with aspirations for independence and early Kurdish warriors fought against the various Persian empires the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire 33 45 Historically the Peshmerga existed only as guerrilla organizations but under the self declared Republic of Mahabad 1946 1947 the Peshmerga led by Mustafa Barzani became the official army of the republic 46 47 After the fall of the republic and the execution of head of state Qazi Muhammad Peshmerga forces reemerged as guerrilla organizations that would go on to fight the Iranian and Iraqi governments for the remainder of the century 48 In Iraq most of these Peshmerga were led by Mustafa Barzani of the Kurdistan Democratic Party 47 In 1975 the Peshmerga were defeated in the Second Iraqi Kurdish War Jalal Talabani a leading member of the KDP left the same year to revitalize the resistance and founded the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan This event created the baseline for the political discontent between the KDP and PUK that to this day divides Peshmerga forces and much of Kurdish society in Kurdistan 49 50 After Mustafa Barzani s death in 1979 his son Masoud Barzani took his position 47 As tension increased between KDP and PUK most Peshmerga fought to keep a region under their own party s control while also fighting off Iraqi Army incursions Following the First Persian Gulf War Iraqi Kurdistan saw the Kurdish Civil War between the two major parties the KDP and the PUK and Peshmerga forces were used to fight each other 51 The civil war officially ended in September 1998 when Barzani and Talabani signed the Washington Agreement establishing a formal peace treaty 52 In the agreement the parties agreed to share revenue and power deny the use of northern Iraq to the Kurdistan Workers Party PKK and not allow Iraqi troops into the Kurdish regions By then around 5 000 had been killed on both sides and many more had been evicted for being on the wrong side 53 In the years after tension remained high but both parties moved towards each other and in 2003 they both took part in the overthrowing of the Baathist regime as part of the Iraq War Unlike other militia forces the Peshmerga were never prohibited by Iraqi law 54 Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighter KDP in 2003 In 2014 the Peshmerga withdrew from the Nineveh Plains which was said by the locals as being a contributing factor of the quick Islamic State victory in the invasion and the widespread massacre of Yazidis who were rendered defenseless 55 Structure and capabilities Edit Peshmerga special unit near the Syrian border on June 23 2014 The Peshmerga are mostly divided among forces loyal to the Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP and those loyal to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK 56 while other minor Kurdish parties such as the Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party also have their own small Peshmerga units 57 The KDP and PUK do not disclose information about the composition of their forces with government or media 56 Thus there is no reliable number of how many Peshmerga fighters exist 56 Media outlets have speculated that there are between 150 000 and 200 000 Peshmerga but this number is highly disputed 58 59 Peshmerga have divided Kurdistan Region into a KDP governed yellow zone covering Dohuk Governorate and Erbil Governorate and a PUK governed green zone covering Sulaymaniyah Governorate and Halabja Governorate 60 56 34 Each zone has its own branch of Peshmerga with their own governing institutions that do not coordinate with the other branch 34 61 As a result of the split nature of the Peshmerga forces there is no central command center in charge of the entire force and Peshmerga units instead follow separate military hierarchies depending on political allegiance 62 Multiple unification and depoliticizing efforts of the Peshmerga have been made since 1992 But so far all deadlines have been missed 34 reforms have been watered down 56 and most of the Peshmerga are still under the influence of the KDP and the PUK who also maintain their separate Peshmerga forces Following the events of the Iraqi Civil War in 2014 the United States and several Europe nations pressured the PUK and KDP to set up mixed brigades of Peshmerga as a condition for aid and funding The PUK and KDP united 12 to 14 brigades under the Regional Guard Brigades which were then placed under the command of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs 56 However officers continue to report to and take orders from their party leaders who also control the deployment of forces loyal to them and appoint front line and sector commanders 34 Both the KDP and the PUK rely heavily on irregulars in times of conflict to increase their ranks 63 However both maintain several professional military brigades The following units have been identified within the Peshmerga force Force Estimated size Commander Party affiliationRegional Guard Brigades 56 34 40 000 43 000 Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs Supposedly apoliticalHezekani Kosrat Rasul 34 2 000 3 000 Kosrat Rasul Ali PUKAnti terror force 34 5 000 64 Lahur Shekh Jangi PUKPresidential Peshmerga brigades 34 unknown Hero Ibrahim Ahmed PUK70 Unit 34 56 60 000 Sheikh Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa PUK Supposedly becoming incorporated into MPA 65 Emergency Forces 34 3 000 64 unknown PUKPUK Asayish security force unknown unknown PUKPresidential Guard Iraqi Kurdistan 34 unknown Nechirvan Barzani KDP80 Unit 34 56 70 000 90 000 Najat Ali Salih KDP Supposedly becoming incorporated into MPA 65 Zerevani 34 51 000 120 000 active 250 000 reservists 66 67 Masoud Barzani KDP Ezidxan Protection Force 68 7 000 69 8 000 70 Haydar Shesho Yazidi Democratic Party Incorporated into Peshmerga Ministry 71 Nineveh Plain Guard Forces or Christian Peshmerga 72 1 500 unknown Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular CouncilKDP Asayish security force unknown unknown KDPDue to limited funding and the vast size of the Peshmerga forces the KRG has long planned to downsize its forces from large numbers of low quality forces to a smaller but much more effective and well trained force 73 Consequently in 2009 the KRG and Baghdad engaged in discussions about incorporating parts of the Peshmerga forces into the Iraqi Army in what would be the 15th and 16th Iraqi Army divisions 74 75 However after increasing tension between Erbil and Baghdad regarding the disputed areas the transfer was largely put on hold Some Peshmerga were already transferred but reportedly deserted again and there are allegations that former Peshmerga forces remained loyal to the KRG rather than their Iraqi chain of command regardless thousands of members of the 80 Unit of KDP and the 70 Unit of PUK are based in Baghdad and they have good cooperation with other Iraqi forces in Baghdad 76 77 78 The Peshmerga forces are secular with a Muslim majority and Assyrian and Yazidi units 79 80 Peshmerga soldiers stand in formation during the Modern Brigade Course graduation ceremony A Peshmerga American interpreter with US military with a refugee during Operation Inherent Resolve Duhok Peshmerga forces largely rely on old arms captured from battles The Peshmerga captured stockpiles of weapons during the 1991 Iraqi uprisings 81 Several stockpiles of weapons were captured from the old Iraqi Army during the 2003 U S invasion of Iraq in which Peshmerga forces were active Following the retreat of the new Iraqi Army during the June 2014 Islamic State offensive Peshmerga forces reportedly again managed to get hold of weapons left behind by the Army 82 Since August 2014 Peshmerga forces have also captured weapons from the Islamic State 83 In 2015 for the first time Peshmerga soldiers received urban warfare and military intelligence training from foreign trainers the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve 84 The Peshmerga arsenal is limited and confined by restrictions because the Kurdish Region has to purchase arms through the Iraqi government Due to disputes between the KRG and the Iraqi government arms flows from Baghdad to Kurdistan Region have been almost nonexistent as Baghdad fears Kurdish aspirations for independence 85 86 56 After the Islamic State offensive of August 2014 multiple governments armed the Peshmerga with some light equipment such as light arms night goggles and ammunition 87 88 However Kurdish officials and Peshmerga stressed that they were not receiving enough They also stress that Baghdad was blocking all arms from reaching the KRG emphasizing the need for weapons to be sent directly to the KRG and not through Baghdad 89 90 Despite this the United States has maintained that the government of Iraq is responsible for the security of Iraqi Kurdistan and that Baghdad must approve all military aid 56 The Peshmerga lack a proper medical corps and communication units 56 This became apparent during the Islamic State offensive in 2014 where the Peshmerga found itself lacking ambulances and frontline field hospitals forcing wounded fighters to walk back to safety 56 There is also a lack of communication tools as Peshmerga commanders are forced to use civilian cellphones to communicate with each other 56 Under the guidance of the US led coalition the Peshmerga has started to standardize its weapons systems replacing Soviet era weapons with NATO firearms 56 Issues Edit The Peshmerga forces are plagued by frequent allegations of corruption partisanship nepotism and fraud 91 92 93 94 A common result of corruption in the Peshmerga are ghost employees which are employees on paper who either do not exist or do not show up for work but receive a salary Those setting up such a scam split the salary of these employees 56 In addition the KDP and PUK have used the Peshmerga to exert or attempt to exert a monopoly on the use of force within their zones 56 In 2011 KDP Peshmerga fired on anti government protesters in Sulaymaniyah and the PUK later used its own security forces to break up these protests 34 leading to criticism from all of the opposition parties in the parliament In 2014 the KDP used its Peshmerga to stop ministers from the Gorran Movement to enter Erbil and attend parliament 56 Outside of Kurdistan Region the Peshmerga has been accused of using force to exert control of local Arab Yazidi and Assyrian communities particularly after taking control of areas officially outside of Kurdistan Region during the Iraqi Civil War 95 Role of women EditMain article Kurdish women Women have played a significant role in the Peshmerga since its foundation The Kurdish Zand tribe was known for allowing women in military roles 33 During the Iraqi Kurdish conflict the majority of women served within the Peshmerga in supporting roles such as building camps taking care of the wounded and carrying munitions and messages 63 Several women brigades served on the front lines Margaret George Malik 96 was an iconic 97 Assyrian guerilla fighter who was given a leading position in important battles such as the battle of Zawita Valley 98 The PUK started recruiting women during the Kurdish Civil War Women were given a 45 day basic training that included parade drills and basic marksmanship with various rifles mortars and RPGs 33 In the months leading up to the 2003 U S invasion of Iraq the United States launched Operation Viking Hammer which dealt a huge blow to Islamic terrorist groups in Iraqi Kurdistan and uncovered a chemical weapons facility 99 100 101 102 103 The PUK later confirmed that female Kurdish fighters had participated in the operation 63 People s Defense Units YPG woman volunteer with Peshmerga soldier The modern Peshmerga is almost entirely made up of men while having at least 600 women in their ranks 104 In the KDP these Peshmerga women have been refused access to the frontline and are mostly used in logistics and management positions 105 but PUK Peshmerga women are deployed in the front lines and are actively engaged in combat 106 107 33 See also Edit Kurdistan portalList of armed groups in the War in Iraq 2013 2017 Kurdish rebellion of 1983 and Al Anfal campaign Sinjar massacre and Genocide of Yazidis by ISIL YPG YPJ PKK PDKI Zaytun DivisionReferences Edit Hundreds of Christians join Peshmerga Kurdistan24 February 19 2016 Retrieved July 3 2019 The Kurdistan Region of Iraq Access Possibility of Protection Security and Humanitarian Situation PDF p 41 Retrieved July 3 2019 Iraq supplies Kurds with ammunition in unprecedented move U S says Reuters August 9 2014 Retrieved July 26 2019 a b c d e f g h The Status of Western Military Aid to Kurdish Peshmerga Forces Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs Retrieved July 3 2019 Pollard Ruth September 11 2014 Australian supplied weapons have reached the Kurdish frontline The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved July 3 2019 Austria to provide Peshmerga with medical support Retrieved July 26 2019 L aide belge aux Peshmergas est prete a partir vers l Irak RTBF Info in French February 24 2016 Retrieved July 3 2019 Blgariya e izpratila na kyurdite v Irak avtomati i patroni za 6 mln leva Mediapool bg in Bulgarian September 30 2014 Retrieved July 3 2019 Cyprus could send more light arms ammunition to Kurdistan FM Kurdistan24 November 11 2017 Retrieved July 3 2019 Czech Rifles and Ammunition for the Peshmerga Prague Supporting the Fight Against Daesh Again Defence24 com www defence24 com in Czech January 27 2016 Retrieved July 3 2019 Forsvarsavisen 01 PDF in Danish Ministry of Defense p 3 Retrieved July 3 2019 a b Jan Joel Andersson and Florence Gaub 2015 Adding fuel to the fire Arming the Kurds PDF Issue Alert 37 Retrieved July 3 2019 Finland increases military support to Kurdistan Kurdistan24 September 16 2016 Retrieved July 3 2019 Greece to send ammunition to Iraqi Kurds Retrieved September 27 2014 Assistant Head of DFR and Indian Ambassador discuss areas of cooperation dfr gov krd April 20 2017 Retrieved July 8 2019 a b Arash Reisinezhad 2018 The Shah of Iran the Iraqi Kurds and the Lebanese Shia p 115 ISBN 978 3319899473 a b Dutch and Norwegians train Peshmerga on basic soldier skills www centcom mil Retrieved July 3 2019 a b Guido Weiss July 8 2015 Global Support for Peshmerga Forces Kurdstrat Archived from the original on January 3 2018 Retrieved July 3 2019 Mosul Martin Chulov near October 20 2016 Kurdish forces vow no retreat until Nineveh plains are retaken from Isis The Guardian Retrieved July 3 2019 Hasan H A May 21 2016 Romania Pledges Continuous Support for Peshmerga www basnews com Retrieved July 3 2019 Litovkin Nikolai March 18 2016 Russia delivers first weapons supplies to Iraqi Kurds Russia Beyond Retrieved July 3 2019 Inherent Resolve in northern Iraq Retrieved July 3 2019 Sweden will continue support for Peshmerga forces in Kurdistan Defense Minister Kurdistan24 May 10 2018 Retrieved July 3 2019 a b The Mitrokhin archive II the KGB and the world London Penguin 2014 ISBN 978 0141977980 Peshmerga and the Ongoing Fight against ISIS March 27 2016 Retrieved July 31 2018 Constitution of Iraq PDF Summary of the most important tasks of the Ministry of Peshmerga Ministry of Peshmerga November 12 2012 Archived from the original on January 12 2015 Retrieved February 13 2015 Newton Small Jay December 31 2012 Destination Kurdistan Is This Autonomous Iraqi Region a Budding Tourist Hot Spot Time Retrieved February 13 2015 Druzin Heath September 29 2013 Rare terrorist attack in peaceful Kurdish region of Iraq kills 6 Stars and Stripes Retrieved February 13 2015 Krajeski Jenna March 20 2013 The Iraq War Was a Good Idea If You Ask the Kurds The Atlantic Retrieved February 14 2015 Iraqi PM criticizes Kurdish region for barring army from Syrian border area Xinhua News Agency July 28 2012 Archived from the original on July 31 2012 Retrieved February 13 2015 Information about Kurdistan Kurdistan Development Organization 2014 Retrieved February 13 2015 a b c d e Lortz Michael 2005 Willing to Face Death A History of Kurdish Military Forces the Peshmerga From the Ottoman Empire to Present Day Iraq Electronic Theses Treatises and Dissertations 1038 108 Archived from the original on July 27 2015 Retrieved July 3 2019 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o van Wilgenburg Wladimir Fumerton Mario December 16 2015 Kurdistan s Political Armies The Challenge of Unifying the Peshmerga Forces PDF Carnegie Middle East Center Retrieved February 12 2018 Rai Manish October 6 2014 Kurdish Peshmerga Can Be a Game changer in Iraq And Syria Khaama Press Retrieved February 14 2015 Operation Red Dawn s eight month hunt The Sydney Morning Herald December 15 2003 Retrieved February 14 2015 Ambinder Marc April 29 2013 How the CIA really caught Bin Laden s trail The Week Retrieved February 14 2015 Roston Arom January 9 2014 Cloak and Drone The Strange Saga of an Al Qaeda Triple Agent Vocativ Retrieved February 14 2015 Valentine Peshmerga Those who Face Death 2018 chapter five Stratton Allegra June 26 2006 Hero of the people New Statesman Retrieved February 14 2015 Koerner Brendan March 21 2003 What does the Kurdish word Peshmerga mean Slate com Retrieved October 18 2016 From the Kurdish pes پێش before and merg مەرگ death Valentine Those Who Face Death KDP 2018 Stilo Donald March 2008 Aspects of Iranian Linguistics Cambridge Scholars Publishing ISBN 9781443810135 Retrieved October 19 2017 S R Valentine Peshmerga Those Who Face Death KDP 2018 see the introduction and chapter one Abdulla Mufid June 12 2011 Mahabad the first independent Kurdish republic The Kurdistan Tribune Retrieved February 14 2015 a b c President Kurdistan Regional Government Representation in Spain 2015 Retrieved February 14 2015 Meiselas Susan 2008 Kurdistan In the Shadow of History 2nd ed University of Chicago Press ISBN 978 0 226 51928 9 van Bruinessen Martin 1986 The Kurds between Iran and Iraq MERIP Middle East Report 141 14 27 doi 10 2307 3011925 JSTOR 3011925 via JSTOR Getting Peshmerga Reform Right Helping the Iraqi Kurds to Help Themselves in Post ISIS Iraq Foreign Policy Research Institute www fpri org S R Valentine Peshmerga Those Who Face Death KDP 2018 chapter six Abdulrahman Frman February 23 2012 Never ending mystery what really happened to Kurdish civil war missing niqash Retrieved February 22 2015 McDermid Charles February 20 2010 New force emerges in Kirkuk Asia Times Online Archived from the original on February 22 2010 Retrieved February 22 2015 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Profile Who are the Peshmerga BBC News Retrieved 19 December 2014 van den Toorn Christine August 17 2014 How the U S Favored Kurds Abandoned the Yazidis when ISIS Attacked Institute of Regional amp International Studies Retrieved June 27 2020 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Helfont Samuel March 1 2017 Getting Peshmerga Reform Right Helping the Iraqi Kurds to Help Themselves in Post ISIS Iraq Foreign Policy Research Institute 16 13 Kaka Hama head of Kurdish Socialist Party joins Mosul battle plan with force Rudaw Media Network October 16 2016 Retrieved February 24 2018 Over 150 000 enlisted as Peshmerga troops in Kurdistan Region official data shows Rudaw April 3 2017 Retrieved August 13 2017 Hawramy Fazel January 13 2015 Kurdish Peshmerga divisions hamper war effort Al monitor Retrieved February 12 2018 Chapman Dennis Security Forces of Kurdistan Regional Government US Army War College 2009 p 3 S R Valentine Peshmerga Those Who Face Death KDP 2018 chapter 9 Lebanonwire com Kurdish Peshmerga Forces Have Room to Grow lebanonwire com Archived from the original on January 13 2015 a b c Howard Michael November 26 2002 Revenge spurs women s army The Guardian Retrieved February 13 2018 a b kurdistanskyscrapers com kurdistanskyscrapers com a b Peshmerga Ministry reforms launched to reunify PUK KDP forces Retrieved July 31 2018 Dortkardes Ihsan July 20 2007 Barzani Duzenli ordu yakinda Milliyet in Kurdish Archived from the original on January 29 2011 Retrieved June 6 2008 Willing to face Death A History of Kurdish Militia Forces the Peshmerga from the Ottoman Empire to Present Day Iraq Archived October 29 2013 at the Wayback Machine Michael G Lortz Baxtiyar Goran March 9 2017 Haider Shesho Ezidkhan Units take orders from President Barzani Peshmerga Ministry Kurdistan24 IS Terror in Shingal Wer kampft gegen wen Ein Uberblick Ezidi Press 12 October 2014 With the Islamic State gone from Sinjar Kurdish groups battle for control Al Monitor 27 March 2016 Editorial Staff April 18 2017 Haider Shesho resigns from PUK to form new Yazidi Democratic Party Kurd Net Ekurd net Daily News Retrieved June 21 2021 Confidence and Security Building Measures in the Nineveh Plains The Washington Institute Cordesman Anthony H Mausner Adam 2009 Withdrawal from Iraq ISBN 9780892065530 Retrieved March 20 2015 Cordesman Anthony H Mausner Adam Derby Elena 2010 Iraq and the United States ISBN 9780892065950 Retrieved March 20 2015 Chapman Dennis Security Forces of Kurdistan Regional Government US Army War College 2009 p 112 Peshmerga Iraqi Army form committees to start joint ops in disputed areas Rudaw 1 000 Kurdish soldiers desert from Iraqi army Hurriyet Daily News Retrieved March 20 2015 Iraq s army and Kurds will join forces to retake Mosul PRI Coles Isabel December 21 2014 Iraqi Kurds Yazidis fight Islamic State for strategic town of Sinjar Reuters Retrieved March 20 2015 Mosul Christians form army under Peshmerga direction Rudaw Retrieved March 20 2015 Iraqi Defense Ministry Asks KRG To Return Saddam Era Weapons Al Monitor Retrieved March 20 2015 Hugh Naylor September 18 2014 As ISIL retreats Iraqi Kurds gain new ammunition The National Retrieved March 20 2015 Richard Spencer The Telegraph October 3 2014 Kurdish forces captured an ISIS base after a two day siege but the ISIS fighters inside somehow slipped away National Post Retrieved March 20 2015 Coalition helps Peshmerga muscle up on urban warfare Rudaw April 16 2015 Retrieved April 17 2015 Hollie McKay Iraq s Peshmerga desperate for US arms in fight against ISIS Fox News Retrieved March 20 2015 Arms for Kurdish Peshmerga to affect military balance Deutsche Welle Retrieved March 20 2015 Nicholas Watt August 14 2014 UK prepares to supply arms directly to Kurdish forces fighting Isis The Guardian Retrieved October 23 2014 Seven western states join US to arm Iraqi Kurdistan Pentagon ekurd net Iraq s Kurds appeal for new U S arms to combat Islamic State Washington Post Retrieved March 20 2015 Iraqi Kurds say West not providing enough arms to defeat Islamic State Reuters November 19 2014 Retrieved March 20 2015 The Peshmerga of Iraq Aljazeera com March 1 2008 Retrieved February 22 2015 KRG and the godfathers 2006 secret US cable on Wikileaks The Kurdistan Tribune May 8 2014 Retrieved February 22 2015 Devigne Jacqueline 2011 Iraqoncilable Differences The Political Nature of the Peshmerga PDF NIMEP Insights Retrieved February 22 2015 PUK official warns Peshmerga will not take orders from anyone else Iraqi Kurdistan Retrieved March 20 2015 Marked With An X Iraqi Kurdish Forces Destruction of Villages Homes in Conflict with ISIS Human Rights Watch November 13 2016 Retrieved April 24 2018 Assyrians in Iraq Vahram Petrosian PDF Vindheim Jan Bojer 2016 Kurdistan stiger fram Kolofon Forlag p 71 ISBN 978 82 300 1494 3 Sankey Margaret D 2018 Women and War in the 21st Century A Country by Country Guide ABC CLIO p 172 ISBN 978 1 4408 5766 9 Plan of Attack Bob Woodward Simon and Schuster 2004 Tucker Mike Charles Faddis 2008 Operation Hotel California The Clandestine War inside Iraq The Lyons Press ISBN 978 1 59921 366 8 An interview on public radio with the author Archived from the original on September 30 2011 Chalk Peter Encyclopedia of Terrorism Volume 1 2012 ABC CLIO Ansar al Islam Federation of American Scientists Retrieved August 8 2012 Meet the Kurdish women fighting the Islamic State Telegraph November 8 2014 Archived from the original on January 12 2022 Retrieved March 20 2015 No Frontline Deployment for Female Kurdish Troops Rudaw Retrieved March 20 2015 KRG halts recruiting of female Peshmerga Rudaw Meet the female Peshmerga forces fighting IS Al Monitor Further reading EditSimon Ross Valentine Peshmerga Those Who Face Death The Kurdish Army its History Development and the Fight against ISIS Kindle Direct Publishing 2018 300pp ISBN missing Chapman Dennis P Lieutenant Colonel USA Security Forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government Mohammed Najat Costa Mesa California Mazda Publishers 2011 ISSN 0026 3141 Reviewed by Michael M Gunter in Middle East Affairs Vol 65 No 3 Summer 2011 External links Edit Media related to Kurdish Peshmerga at Wikimedia Commons Official MPA site at Kurdish Regional Government site Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Peshmerga amp oldid 1130677214, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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