Peshmerga
From Free net encyclopedia
Peshmerga, pesh merga, peshmarga or peshmerge (Kurdish: pêşmerge) is the term used by Kurds to refer to armed Kurdish fighters. Literally meaning "those who face death" (pêş front + merg death e is) the peshmerga forces of Kurdistan have been around since the advent of the Kurdish independence movement in the early 1920s, following the collapse of the Ottoman and Qajar empires which had jointly ruled over the area always known as Kurdistan. The term was coined by the Kurdish leader and writer Ibrahim Ahmed.
Peshmerga forces are often affiliated to prominent personalities such as Sheikh Mahmud or are affiliated to political parties such as the PUK, KDP.
The PKK forces are currently involved in a dispute with the military forces of Turkey. This conflict has resulted in 37,000 deaths since it started in 1984.
Peshmerga forces fought side by side with American troops in the 2003 Iraq War in Northern Iraq. Since that time the Peshmerga have assumed a role in the security of the Kurdish areas of Northern Iraq.
In early 2005 it was speculated by Newsweek magazine that Peshmerga forces could be trained by the US to take on Sunni rebels in Iraq.
In late 2004, when Arab Iraqi Police and ING (Iraqi National Guard) soldiers were ineffective against attacks from insurgents and the city of Mosul collapsed, Kurdish Peshmerga battalions, who'd recently been converted into ING forces, led the counter-attack alongside US military units. To this day, there are a number of Kurdish battalions of former Peshmerga in the Iraqi Army serving in Northern Iraq.
It is estimated that as of January, 2005 there were 80,000 Peshmerga fighters in Northern Iraq. A February 2005 The New York Times article mentioned that Massoud Barzani wants to retain the Peshmerga forces. The article estimates their number to be 100,000.
Peshmerga forces often wear traditional Kurdish garbs, e.g. shalwar {baggy trousers) and a plain jacket, with colourful sashes.
Unlike the other militias, the Peshmerga were not prohibited by the transitional government. They are usually armed with AK-47s and AK-74s, RPKs (light Soviet machine guns) and DShKs (heavy Soviet machine guns). During the American-led invasion the Peshmerga captured the rest of the arms of the Iraqi forces, consisting of more than 2000 armored vehicles (some hundred of them PT-76s and a smaller number of T-55s) and an unknown number of artillery guns. Peshmerga forces do make use of female fighters, making it one of only three states in the Middle East that actively uses female soldiers (others being Israel and Iran).
See also
- Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran
- Islamic Movement of Kurdistan
- Komalah
- Kurdistan Workers Party
- Khabat
External links
- Newsweek article speculating on Peshmerga involvement against the Iraqi rebellion
- The New York Times article about the current status of Peshmerga
- Kurds plan to Invade South -"'It doesn't matter if we have to fight the Arabs in our own battalion,' said Gabriel Mohammed, a Kurdish soldier in the Iraqi army... 'Kirkuk will be ours.'Template:Poli-stub