Peshmerga forces take over security of Kurdistan in agreement with govt.

[ECH1969]

The Peshmerga ministry in Iraq's Kurdistan region reached an initial agreements with the Iraqi government, under US and British sponsorship, by which security of Kurdistan in northern Iraq would be handed over to Peshmerga forces.

Press statements by the Peshmerga ministry said an initial agreement was reached by the Kurdish Peshmerga ministry and the Iraqi defense ministry under the sponsorship of the US and British ambassadors in Baghdad, by which the Peshmerga forces take over responsibility of the security in Iraq's Kurdistan region.

The initial agreement will shortly be presented to the head of Kurdistan Masoud Barzani for official approval, the statement added.

http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=913244

[endarkenment]

1. If this is true then the partition is now an accomplished fact.

A few months ago the Lords of the Green Zone were officially attempting to de-militia the Iraqi 'Army'. It would appear that at least for Kurdistan that effort has been abandoned and the de facto separation of Kurdistan from Iraq proper is a large step closer to being de jure.

[Kagemusha]

2. Not that it hasn't been de facto true for 3+ years

this is just the central government giving up the ghost on not granting the situation permanent legitimacy.

[endarkenment]

3. Actually 15 years - it goes back to Gulf Farce I.

As far as I am concerned the realization of the national aspirations of the Kurdish people is the only good thing to come out of our 15 year colonial misadventure in mesopotamia.

[WCGreen]

4. And then some more instbility in Syria, Iraq and Turkey...

Yah Boy howdy...

[endarkenment]

6. Well there is that problem, Iran too.

Historically the solution has always been to kill a lot of Kurds.

[Kagemusha]

5. I have sympathy for the Kurds as a people...

I'm not sure the practical consequences of their national aspirations will serve US or Western interests. It's kind of besides the point since there's little that can be done to stop the momentum as it stands now. We'll have to live with the consequences, no matter what they may or may not be.

[Nickster]

7. Thanks. I was thinking it was just my memory. I always thought the Peshmer

ga been in charge of Kurd security for awhile and were the defacto military for Kurdistan. Thanks for letting me know that I haven't gone crazy just quite yet.

While I do empathize with the Kurds, their becoming an official break away state is not going to be a good thing for us at least. The Turks aren't going to sit around and let that happen. Do we attack a NATO member when they come across the border into Kurdistan? Not to mention the rumours of the Kurds being courted quite heavily by Israel and supposedly receiving military training from the Israelis. The Kurds breaking away has all the ingredients for a real war.