Peshmerga

Peshmerga
پێشمەرگه
Flag of Kurdistan Region
Motto	Ey Reqîb[1]
Founded	1920s/1946
Current form	2003–present
Headquarters	Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
Website	gov.krd/mopa
Leadership
President of Kurdistan Region	Nêçîrvan Barzanî
Minister of Peshmerga Affairs	Şoreş Îsmaîl Abdulla
Personnel
Military age	21–41
Conscription	None
Active personnel	150,000 (see § Structure)[2]
Industry
Domestic suppliers	Republic of Iraq[3]
Foreign suppliers	Current:  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] Former:  Czechoslovakia[24]  Soviet Union[24]
Related articles
History	Before 2003: Mahmud Barzanji revolts Ahmed Barzani revolt 1943 Barzani revolt First Iraqi–Kurdish War Second Iraqi–Kurdish War PUK insurgency Iran–Iraq War 1983–1986 Kurdish rebellions Kurdistan Region–PKK conflict Anfal campaign Gulf War 1991 Iraqi uprisings Battle of Sulaymaniyah Kurdish Civil War Islamist insurgency in Kurdistan After 2003: 2003 invasion of Iraq Operation Viking Hammer First Iraq War Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013) Second Iraq War 2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict Attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria (2023–present)

The Peshmerga (Kurdish: پێشمەرگه Pêşmerge, transl. 'Those Who Face Death')^[25] are the armed forces of Iraqi Kurdistan, an autonomous region in northern Iraq. According to the Constitution of Iraq, regional governments are responsible for "the establishment and organization of the internal security forces for the region such as police, security forces, and guards of the region".^[26] Other Kurdish defence and security agencies include the Zêrevanî (gendarmerie), Asayish (security and counterterrorism service), and the Parastin û Zanyarî (intelligence agency). The Peshmerga's history dates back to the 18th century, when they began as a tribal paramilitary border guard under the Ottoman Turks and the Safavid Iranians. By the 19th century, they had evolved into a disciplined and well-trained guerrilla force.^[27]

Formally, the Peshmerga are under the command of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs of the Kurdistan Regional Government. In practice, however, the Peshmerga's structure is largely divided and controlled separately by the two Iraqi Kurdish political parties: the Democratic Party of Kurdistan and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. Though unifying and integrating the Peshmerga has been on the Kurdistan Region's public agenda since 1992, the individual forces remain divided due to factionalism, which has proved to be a major stumbling block.^[28]

Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Peshmerga played a key role in helping the United States on the mission to capture deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.^[29][30] In 2004, they captured Saudi-born Pakistani terrorist Hassan Ghul, who was operating for al-Qaeda in Iraq. Ghul was turned over to American intelligence officers shortly afterwards, and revealed the identity of several key al-Qaeda figures during his interrogation, which eventually led to the killing of Osama bin Laden in a covert American military operation in Pakistan in 2011.^[31][32][33] One year later, in 2012, Ghul was assassinated by an American drone strike in northwestern Pakistan.

Etymology

The word "Peshmerga" can be translated to "to stand in front of death",^[34][35][36] and Valentine states it was first used by Qazi Muhammad in the short-lived Mahabad Republic (1946–47).^[37] The word is understandable to Persian speakers.^[38]

History

Main article: History of the Peshmerga

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.^[27][39]

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.^[40][41] 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.^[42]

In Iraq, most of these Peshmerga were led by Mustafa Barzani of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.^[41] 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 divides Peshmerga forces and much of Kurdish society in Kurdistan.^[43][44]

After Mustafa Barzani's death in 1979, his son Masoud Barzani took his position.^[41] 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.^[45] The civil war officially ended in September 1998 when Barzani and Talabani signed the Washington Agreement establishing a formal peace treaty.^[46] 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.^[47] 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.^[48]

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.^[49]

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),^[50] while other, minor Kurdish parties such as the Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party also have their own small Peshmerga units.^[51] The KDP and PUK do not disclose information about the composition of their forces with government or media.^[50] Thus there is no reliable number of how many Peshmerga fighters exist.^[50] Media outlets have speculated that there are between 150,000 and 200,000 Peshmerga, but this number is highly disputed.^[52][53] 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.^[54][50][28] Each zone has its own branch of Peshmerga with their own governing institutions that do not coordinate with the other branch.^[28][55]

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.^[56] Multiple unification and depoliticizing efforts of the Peshmerga have been made since 1992. But so far all deadlines have been missed,^[28] reforms have been watered down,^[50] 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.^[50] 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.^[28]

Both the KDP and the PUK rely heavily on irregulars in times of conflict to increase their ranks.^[57] 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[50][28]	40,000–43,000	Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs	Supposedly apolitical
Hezekani Kosrat Rasul[28]	2,000–3,000	Kosrat Rasul Ali	PUK
Anti-terror force[28]	5,000[58]	Lahur Shekh Jangi	PUK
Presidential Peshmerga brigades[28]	unknown	Hero Ibrahim Ahmed	PUK
70 Unit[28][50]	60,000	Sheikh Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa	PUK. Supposedly becoming incorporated into MPA[59]
Emergency Forces[28]	3,000[58]	unknown	PUK
PUK Asayish (security) force	unknown	unknown	PUK
Presidential Guard (Iraqi Kurdistan )[28]	unknown	Nechirvan Barzani	W
80 Unit[28][50]	70,000–90,000	Najat Ali Salih	KDP. Supposedly becoming incorporated into MPA[59]
Zerevani[28]	51,000–120,000 active/250,000 reservists[60][27]	Masoud Barzani	KDP
Êzîdxan Protection Force[61]	7,000[62]–8,000[63]	Haydar Shesho	Yazidi Democratic Party, Incorporated into Peshmerga Ministry[64]
Nineveh Plain Guard Forces or "Christian Peshmerga"[65]	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 planned to downsize its forces from large numbers of low-quality forces to a smaller but much more effective and well-trained force.^[66] 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.^[67][68] 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.^[69][70][71]

The Peshmerga forces are secular with a Muslim majority and Assyrian and Yazidi units.^[72][73]

Peshmerga soldiers stand in formation during the Modern Brigade Course graduation ceremony.

Peshmerga forces largely rely on old arms captured from battles. The Peshmerga captured stockpiles of weapons during the 1991 Iraqi uprisings.^[74] 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.^[75] Since August 2014, Peshmerga forces have also captured weapons from the Islamic State.^[76] 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.^[77]

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.^[78][79][50] After the Islamic State offensive of August 2014, multiple governments armed the Peshmerga with light arms, night goggles, and ammunition.^[80][81] However, Kurdish officials and Peshmerga stressed that they were not receiving enough and Baghdad was blocking arms from reaching the KRG, emphasizing the need for weapons to be sent directly and not through Baghdad.^[82][83] 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.^[50]

The Peshmerga lack a proper medical corps and communication units.^[50] 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.^[50] There is also a lack of communication tools, as Peshmerga commanders are forced to use civilian cellphones to communicate with each other.^[50] Under the guidance of the US-led coalition the Peshmerga started to standardize its weapons systems, replacing Soviet-era weapons with NATO firearms.^[50]

Inventory

Small arms

Name	Origin	Type	Caliber	Notes
Pistols
P1	Germany	Semi-automatic pistol	9×19mm Parabellum	[84]
Rifles and carbines
AK-47	Soviet Union	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	[85]
AKM	Soviet Union	Assault rifle	7.62×39mm	[86]
M16	United States	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	M16A4 variant used.[87]
M4	United States	Assault carbine	5.56×45mm NATO	[88]
H&K G36	Germany	Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	[84]
H&K G3	Germany	Battle rifle	7.62×51mm NATO	[84]
SVD	Soviet Union	Designated marksman rifle	7.62×54mmR	[86]
Zijiang M99	China	Anti-materiel rifle	12.7×108mm	[89]
Machine guns
PKM	Soviet Union	General-purpose machine gun	7.62×54mmR	[90]
M240B	United States	General-purpose machine gun	7.62×51mm NATO	[87]
MG3	Germany	General-purpose machine gun	7.62×51mm NATO	Includes the Beretta MG 42/59 variant.[84]
DShK	Soviet Union	Heavy machine gun	12.7×108mm	[91]
M2 Browning	United States	Heavy machine gun	12.7×99mm NATO	[84][87]
Grenade launchers
Neopup PAW-20	Grenade launcher	South Africa	20×42mm	[92]
Denel Y3 AGL	Automatic grenade launcher	South Africa	40×53mm	[92]
QLZ-87	Automatic grenade launcher	China	35×32mmSR	[89]
Anti-tank weapons
RPG-7	Soviet Union	Rocket-propelled grenade	40 mm	[85]
SPG-9	Soviet Union	Recoilless gun	73 mm	[93]
Carl Gustaf	Sweden	Recoilless rifle	84 mm	[93]
M40	United States	Recoilless rifle	105 mm	[93]
HJ-8	China	Anti-tank guided missile	120 mm	[93]
9M14 Malyutka	Soviet Union	Anti-tank guided missile	125 mm	[93]
9M113 Konkurs	Soviet Union	Anti-tank guided missile	135 mm	[93]
9M133 Kornet	Russia	Anti-tank guided missile	152 mm	[93]
MILAN	France / Germany	Anti-tank guided missile	115 mm	[93]
BGM-71 TOW	United States	Anti-tank guided missile	152 mm	[93]

Combat vehicles

Name	Origin	Variant	Quantity	Notes
Main battle tanks
T-55	Soviet Union	T-54 T-55		[93]
T-62	Soviet Union			[93]
T-72	Soviet Union			[93]
Reconnaissance
EE-9 Cascavel	Brazil			[93]
Armoured personnel carriers
MT-LB	Soviet Union			[93]
EE-11 Urutu	Brazil		2+[93]
Type 63	China			[93]
MRAPs
Cougar	United States	6×6		[93]
IAG Guardian	United Arab Emirates			[93]
STREIT Group Spartan	United Arab Emirates			[93]
BAE Caiman	United States			[93]
Maxxpro	United States			[93]
Reva	South Africa			[93]
Wer'wolf MKII	Namibia			[93]
Utility vehicles
Humvee	United States	M1151		36 Humvees and 77 up-armored Humvees supplied by the US in 2017[87]
ATF Dingo	Germany	Dingo 1	Up to 18[93]
M1117	United States			[93]
Otokar APV	Turkey			[93]
Armoured recovery vehicle
Type 653 ARV	China		1+[93]

Artillery

Name	Origin	Type	Caliber	Quantity	Notes
Self-propelled artillery
2S1 Gvodzika	Soviet Union	Self-propelled howitzer	122 mm		[93]
Towed artillery
M119	United States	Howitzer	105 mm		36 M119A2 supplied by the US in 2017.[87]
D-30	Soviet Union	Howitzer	122 mm	6+[93]
M-46	Soviet Union	Field gun	130 mm		[93]
Type 59	China	Field gun	130 mm		[93]
D-20	Soviet Union	Gun-howitzer	152 mm		[93]
Multiple rocket launchers
Type 63	China	Towed MRL	107 mm		Mounted on technicals.[94]
BM-21 Grad	Soviet Union	Self-propelled MRL	122 mm		[94]
HM20	Iran	Self-propelled MRL	122 mm		[94]
Mortars
M224	United States	Light mortar	60 mm		[85]
M252	United States	Medium mortar	81 mm		[94]
M120	United States	Heavy mortar	120 mm		[94]

Air defense

Name	Origin	Caliber	Variant	Notes
Anti-aircraft guns
ZPU	Soviet Union	14.5×114mm	ZPU-1 ZPU-2 ZPU-4	Some mounted on technicals.[94]
53T2 Tarasque	France	20 mm		Some mounted on technicals.[94]
AZP S-60	Soviet Union	57 mm		Some mounted on technicals.[94]
Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns
ZSU-57-2	Soviet Union	57 mm		[94]

Aircraft

Aircraft	Origin	Type	In service	Notes
Helicopters
Airbus H135	France	Transport	3+[94]
MD Helicopters MD-350F	United States	Transport	2+[94]

Issues

Peshmerga has been accused of corruption, partisanship, nepotism and fraud.^{[95][96][97][98]} Peshmerga is accused of listing "ghost employees" who 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.^[50]

In addition the KDP and PUK have used the Peshmerga to exert a monopoly on the use of force within their zones.^[50] 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,^[28] 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.^[50]

Outside of Kurdistan Region the Peshmerga has been criticized for 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.^[99]

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.^[27] 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.^[57] Several women brigades served on the front lines. Margaret George Malik^[100] was an iconic^[101] Assyrian guerilla fighter who was given a leading position in important battles such as the battle of Zawita Valley.^[102] 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.^[27]

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.^{[103][104][105][106][107]} The PUK later confirmed that female Kurdish fighters had participated in the operation.^[57]

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.^[108] In the KDP, these Peshmerga women have been refused access to the frontline and are mostly used in logistics and management positions,^[109] but PUK Peshmerga women are deployed in the front lines and are actively engaged in combat.^{[110][111][27]}

See also

• List 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 Division

References

1. "Hundreds of Christians join Peshmerga". Kurdistan24. February 19, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
2. "Iraq", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, May 31, 2024, retrieved June 8, 2024
3. "Iraq supplies Kurds with ammunition in unprecedented move, U.S. says". Reuters. August 9, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
4. "The Status of Western Military Aid to Kurdish Peshmerga Forces". Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
5. Pollard, Ruth (September 11, 2014). "Australian-supplied weapons have reached the Kurdish frontline". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
6. "Austria to provide Peshmerga with medical support". Retrieved July 26, 2019.
7. "L'aide belge aux Peshmergas est prête à partir vers l'Irak". RTBF Info (in French). February 24, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
8. "България е изпратила на кюрдите в Ирак автомати и патрони за 6 млн. лева". Mediapool.bg (in Bulgarian). September 30, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
9. "Cyprus could send more light arms, ammunition to Kurdistan: FM". Kurdistan24. November 11, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
10. "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.
11. "Forsvarsavisen 01" (PDF) (in Danish). Ministry of Defense. p. 3. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
12. Jan Joel Andersson and Florence Gaub (2015). "Adding fuel to the fire? Arming the Kurds" (PDF). Issue Alert. 37. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
13. "Finland increases military support to Kurdistan". Kurdistan24. September 16, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
14. "Greece to send ammunition to Iraqi Kurds". Retrieved September 27, 2014.
15. "Assistant Head of DFR and Indian Ambassador discuss areas of cooperation". dfr.gov.krd. April 20, 2017. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
16. Arash Reisinezhad (2018). The Shah of Iran, the Iraqi Kurds, and the Lebanese Shia. Springer. p. 115. ISBN 978-3319899473.
17. "Dutch and Norwegians train Peshmerga on basic soldier skills". www.centcom.mil. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
18. Guido Weiss (July 8, 2015). "Global Support for Peshmerga Forces". Kurdstrat. Archived from the original on January 3, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
19. 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.
20. Hasan, H. A. (May 21, 2016). "Romania Pledges Continuous Support for Peshmerga". www.basnews.com. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
21. Litovkin, Nikolai (March 18, 2016). "Russia delivers first weapons supplies to Iraqi Kurds". Russia Beyond. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
22. "Inherent Resolve in northern Iraq". Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
23. "Sweden will continue support for Peshmerga forces in Kurdistan: Defense Minister". Kurdistan24. May 10, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
24. The Mitrokhin archive. II : the KGB and the world. London: Penguin. 2014. ISBN 978-0141977980.
25. "Peshmerga and the Ongoing Fight against ISIS". March 27, 2016. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
26. "Constitution of Iraq" (PDF).
27. Lortz, Michael G. (2005). Willing to Face Death: A History of Kurdish Military Forces – the Peshmerga – from the Ottoman Empire to Present-Day Iraq (MA thesis). Florida State University.
28. 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.
29. Rai, Manish (October 6, 2014). "Kurdish Peshmerga Can Be a Game-changer in Iraq And Syria". Khaama Press. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
30. "Operation Red Dawn's eight-month hunt". The Sydney Morning Herald. December 15, 2003. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
31. Ambinder, Marc (April 29, 2013). "How the CIA really caught Bin Laden's trail". The Week. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
32. Roston, Arom (January 9, 2014). "Cloak and Drone: The Strange Saga of an Al Qaeda Triple Agent". Vocativ. Archived from the original on June 25, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
33. Valentine, Peshmerga: Those who Face Death, 2018, chapter five.
34. Stratton, Allegra (June 26, 2006). "Hero of the people". New Statesman. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
35. Koerner, Brendan (March 21, 2003). "What does the Kurdish word Peshmerga mean?". Slate.com. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
36. From the Kurdish pêş (پێش) "before" and merg مەرگ "death".
37. Valentine, Those Who Face Death, KDP, 2018.
38. Stilo, Donald (March 2008). Aspects of Iranian Linguistics. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 9781443810135. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
39. S. R. Valentine, Peshmerga: Those Who Face Death, KDP, 2018, see the introduction and chapter one.
40. Abdulla, Mufid (June 12, 2011). "Mahabad – the first independent Kurdish republic". The Kurdistan Tribune. Archived from the original on May 28, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
41. "President". Kurdistan Regional Government Representation in Spain. 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
42. Meiselas, Susan (2008). Kurdistan: In the Shadow of History (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-51928-9.
43. van Bruinessen, Martin (1986). "The Kurds between Iran and Iraq". MERIP Middle East Report (141): 14–27. doi:10.2307/3011925. ISSN 0888-0328. JSTOR 3011925.
44. "Getting Peshmerga Reform Right: Helping the Iraqi Kurds to Help Themselves in Post-ISIS Iraq – Foreign Policy Research Institute". www.fpri.org.
45. S. R. Valentine, Peshmerga: Those Who Face Death, KDP, 2018, chapter six.
46. Abdulrahman, Frman (February 23, 2012). "Never-ending mystery: what really happened to Kurdish civil war missing". niqash. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
47. 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.
48. Profile: Who are the Peshmerga? BBC News. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
49. van den Toorn, Christine (August 17, 2014). "How the U.S.-Favored Kurds Abandoned the Yazidis when ISIS Attacked". Institute of Regional & International Studies. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
50. 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.
51. "Kaka Hama, head of Kurdish Socialist Party joins Mosul battle plan with force". Rudaw Media Network. October 16, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
52. "Over 150,000 enlisted as Peshmerga troops in Kurdistan Region, official data shows". Rudaw. April 3, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
53. Hawramy, Fazel (January 13, 2015). "Kurdish Peshmerga divisions hamper war effort". Al-monitor. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
54. Chapman, Dennis. Security Forces of Kurdistan Regional Government, US Army War College. 2009, p. 3.
55. S. R. Valentine, Peshmerga: Those Who Face Death, KDP, 2018, chapter 9.
56. "Lebanonwire.com – Kurdish Peshmerga Forces Have Room to Grow". lebanonwire.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2015.
57. Howard, Michael (November 26, 2002). "Revenge spurs women's army". The Guardian. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
58. "kurdistanskyscrapers.com". kurdistanskyscrapers.com.
59. "Peshmerga Ministry reforms launched to reunify PUK, KDP forces". Retrieved July 31, 2018.
60. Dortkardes, İhsan (July 20, 2007). "Barzani: Düzenli ordu yakında". Milliyet (in Kurdish). Archived from the original on January 29, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
61. Baxtiyar Goran (March 9, 2017). "Haider Shesho: Ezidkhan Units take orders from President Barzani, Peshmerga Ministry". Kurdistan24.
62. IS-Terror in Shingal: Wer kämpft gegen wen? Ein Überblick, Ezidi Press. 12 October 2014
63. With the Islamic State gone from Sinjar, Kurdish groups battle for control, Al-Monitor. 27 March 2016
64. 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.
65. "Confidence- and Security-Building Measures in the Nineveh Plains". The Washington Institute.
66. Cordesman, Anthony H.; Mausner, Adam (2009). Withdrawal from Iraq. ISBN 9780892065530. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
67. Cordesman, Anthony H.; Mausner, Adam; Derby, Elena (2010). Iraq and the United States. ISBN 9780892065950. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
68. Chapman, Dennis. Security Forces of Kurdistan Regional Government, US Army War College. 2009, p. 112.
69. "Peshmerga, Iraqi Army form committees to start joint ops in disputed areas". Rudaw.
70. "1,000 Kurdish soldiers desert from Iraqi army". Hurriyet Daily News. June 13, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
71. "Iraq's army and Kurds will join forces to retake Mosul". PRI.
72. Coles, Isabel (December 21, 2014). "Iraqi Kurds, Yazidis fight Islamic State for strategic town of Sinjar". Reuters. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
73. "Mosul Christians form army under Peshmerga direction". Rudaw. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
74. "Iraqi Defense Ministry Asks KRG To Return Saddam-Era Weapons". Al-Monitor. June 28, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
75. Hugh Naylor (September 18, 2014). "As ISIL retreats, Iraqi Kurds gain new ammunition". The National. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
76. 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.
77. "Coalition helps Peshmerga muscle up on urban warfare". Rudaw. April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
78. Hollie McKay. "Iraq's Peshmerga desperate for US arms in fight against ISIS". Fox News. Archived from the original on January 3, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
79. "Arms for Kurdish Peshmerga to affect military balance". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
80. Nicholas Watt (August 14, 2014). "UK prepares to supply arms directly to Kurdish forces fighting Isis". The Guardian. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
81. "Seven western states join US to arm Iraqi Kurdistan: Pentagon". ekurd.net.
82. "Iraq's Kurds appeal for new U.S. arms to combat Islamic State". Washington Post. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
83. "Iraqi Kurds say West not providing enough arms to defeat Islamic State". Reuters. November 19, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
84. Holtom & Rigual 2015, p. 110.
85. Bender, Jeremy (June 30, 2014). "As The Kurds Mobilize In Iraq, Here's A Look At What They Have In Their Arsenal". Business Insider. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
86. McNab 2023, p. 61.
87. Mehta, Aaron (April 19, 2017). "State OKs Humvees, howitzers for Iraqi peshmerga in ISIS fight". Defense News. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
88. Stewart, Phil; Spetalnick, Matt (June 5, 2015). "U.S. quietly starts channeling arms from $1.6 billion fund to Iraq". Reuters. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
89. Smallwood, Michael (August 9, 2023). "Kurdish Forces with Chinese QLZ87 Automatic Grenade Launcher & M99 Anti-materiel Rifle – Small Arms Defense Journal". Small Arms Defense Journal. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
90. Ackerman, Elliot (November 17, 2014). "Eight Men, and One Gun, on the Iraqi Front". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
91. Bosch, Marius (November 7, 2016). "The Kurdish gun fixer taking aim at Islamic State". Reuters. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
92. "The South African Defence Industry Database". Archived from the original on March 6, 2019.
93. IISS 2017, p. 563.
94. IISS 2017, p. 564.
95. "The Peshmerga of Iraq". Aljazeera.com. March 1, 2008. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
96. "KRG and the 'godfathers': 2006 secret US cable on Wikileaks". The Kurdistan Tribune. May 8, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
97. Devigne, Jacqueline (2011). ""Iraqoncilable" Differences? The Political Nature of the Peshmerga" (PDF). NIMEP Insights. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
98. "PUK official warns Peshmerga will not take orders from anyone else: Iraqi Kurdistan". Retrieved March 20, 2015.
99. "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.
100. "Assyrians in Iraq, Vahram Petrosian" (PDF).
101. Vindheim, Jan Bojer (2016). Kurdistan stiger fram. Kolofon Forlag. p. 71. ISBN 978-82-300-1494-3.
102. 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.
103. Plan of Attack, Bob Woodward, Simon and Schuster, 2004.
104. Tucker, Mike; Charles Faddis (2008). Operation Hotel California: The Clandestine War inside Iraq. The Lyons Press. ISBN 978-1-59921-366-8.
105. "An interview on public radio with the author". Archived from the original on September 30, 2011.
106. Chalk, Peter, Encyclopedia of Terrorism Volume 1, 2012, ABC-CLIO
107. "Ansar al-Islam". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
108. "Meet the Kurdish women fighting the Islamic State". Telegraph. November 8, 2014. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
109. "No Frontline Deployment for Female Kurdish Troops". Rudaw. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
110. "KRG halts recruiting of female Peshmerga". Rudaw.
111. "Meet the female Peshmerga forces fighting IS". Al-Monitor. August 11, 2014.

Bibliography

• Holtom, Paul; Rigual, Christelle (June 14, 2015). "CHAPTER 4. Trade Update: After the 'Arab Spring'". Small Arms Survey 2015: Weapons and the World. Cambridge University Press: 84−123. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 13, 2017). "Chapter Ten: Country comparisons and defence data". The Military Balance. 117 (1). Taylor & Francis: 549–564. doi:10.1080/04597222.2017.1271217. ISSN 0459-7222. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
• McNab, Chris (2023). The SVD Dragunov Rifle. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-5599-2.

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 Archived July 10, 2020, at the Wayback Machine