Peshmerga to Guard MPs: Mashhadani
The USG Open Source Center translates this item from the Kurdistan press:
'Iraqi Parliament To Entrust Kurdish Peshmerga With Guarding MPs
Unattributed report: "Al-Mashhadani recommends the peshmerga to guard Council of Representatives' members"
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan WWW-Text
Saturday, November 25, 2006 T20:56:20Z
Iraqi Speaker Mahmud al-Mashhadani recommended entrusting peshmargas with guarding members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives. Al-Mashhadani made his recommendation during the council's in camera session that discussed the members' safety, today 23 November 06. Al-Mashhadani's proposal comes following an unsuccessful assassination attempt against him in which his convoy was targeted by explosive devises.
Iraqi Council of Representatives' Member Azad Chalak told PUKmedia that Al-Mashhadani made the recommendation to entrust peshmargas with guarding council members during today's session. He added that nobody had voted against the proposal. Chalak added that the council decided to vote on a bill for preventing the guards of the council members from entering the parliament carrying guns.
On Al-Mashhadani's proposal, Minister of Region for Peshmerga Affairs Shaykh Ja'far Shaykh Mustafa told the PUKmedia that guarding council members was a patriotic mission; we were ready to discuss it.
(Description of Source: (Internet) Patriotic Union of Kurdistan WWW-Text in Sorani Kurdish -- Patriotic Union of Kurdistan media website) '
posted by Juan Cole @ 11/26/2006 12:08:00 AM
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3 Comments:
Very good news. The peshmerga should do it. Juan, I don't know why you are so down on the peshmerga, with respect to Ninevah and Al Tamin. They have been far more restrained, professional and respectful to sunni arabs and Turkman than the vast majority of national armies would have been in their place.
The 2nd and 4th Iraqi Army divisions (formed in 2003 with significant Peshmerga participation) have consistently performed better than expected.
Within three months, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Iraqi army divisions will control all of Al Tamin, Ninevah, Salahadin (4th Iraqi army division already controls Salahadin province) and the three kurdish provinces--allowing US GI's to redeploy to Baghdad and Al Anbar. This is an amazing achievement by any standards.
Its not just the peshmerga that's stepping up to the plate better and faster than expected.
Within six months, 9 of Iraq's 13 army divisions will be able to manage their own logistics without assistance from the multinational forces (5 currently do). (10 Iraqi army divisions will be able to do this in 9 months.) Each of these division headquarters will have two non-combat support battalions under their control that are fully operational. Each division will have a base support unit (BSU) and motorized transportation regiment (MTR).
All of us should congratulate the Iraqis on their remarkable achievements under very trying circumstances.
From whom do the Peshmerga take orders? What side do they take in melees between Kurd and Arab? Between Sunni and Shia? What role have they played in any "cleansing" in Kurdistan? What are the Peshmerga and other group quotients in the 2nd, 3rd & 4th army divisions said to be ready or near-ready to pacify the Sunni provinces? What are the roots of the officers? Does being "ready" mean able to operate without any US embeds whatever? Can they anticipate interdict insurgents on their own? Or do they respond only upon receving US orders? Or, worse, only a day late and a dollar short, when the civilians are dead and the insurgents gone? Does they relative efficiency of the Peshmerga bode well for the unity of Iraq or, perhaps more likely, for the inevitable independence of Kurdistan?
Peshmerga are Kurdish militia. So far, the former peshmerga who are in the Iraqi army have been loyal to the Iraqi government.
The 2nd and 4th Iraqi Army Divisions (IAD) started out as Northern regional national guards with heavy Kurdish representation.
The 4th Iraqi Army Division reports directly to the Iraqi PM through the Iraqi chain of command, manages its own logistics, and is arguably the best division in the Iraqi army (probably one of the best divisions in Arab world). They have multinational force advisors embedded, but those advisors describe the 4 IAD in glowing terms. The 4th IAD controls Salahadin province, and most of Al Tamin (Kirkuk) province.
The 4th IAD has already permitted a massive reduction of US forces in their area of operations.
The 3rd IAD--a multiethnic division--controls the western part of Ninevah province. The Iraqi PM takes control over it in a few days:
http://soldiersdad2.blogspot.com/2006/11/progress-in-iraq.html#links
It appears to be performing well in the field. There has been a major draw-down of US forces in its area of operations. 3rd IAD will probably be able to manage its on logistics within 3 months (can't do it yet).
2nd IAD is slightly behind 3rd IAD (Iraqi politics about arming a division with major Kurdish representation?), but it will probably assume command of its battlespace in less than 3 months (and be able to manage its own logistics in 6 months.)
To see a map of what Iraqi army brigades control what parts of Iraq, please see:
http://billroggio.com/archives/2006/11/the_future_of_the_ir.php
Here is a posting on the 1st IAD taking over its logistics:
http://www.dvidshub.net/pub_show.php?id=1567
For more information on the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), you can also check out:
http://billroggio.com/archives/2006/11/iraq_ramping_up_or_d.php#comments
Hope this helps.
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