Information AboutPeshmerga |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PESHMERGA | |
| politics of iraq | |
| iraqi kurdistan | |
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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-47 s and AK-74 s, RPK s (light Soviet machine guns) and DShK s (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 Vehicle s (some hundred of them PT-76 s and a smaller number of T-55 s) 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
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