Kurdistan: We have a force equivalent to a regular army armed with tanks and guns
Kurdistan: We have a force equivalent to a regular army armed with tanks and guns
Posted 04/07/2012 08:43 AM
Babinaoz (Reuters) – Kurdistan Regional Government confirmed that it has a force equivalent to a regular army armed with tanks and guns, its numbers 190 thousand fighters, but they do not seek to break away from Iraq, federal federal.
He accused the minister of Peshmerga in Kurdistan Regional Government of Sheikh Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa, told the newspaper “Life” the federal government to cease paying balancing the Regional Corps (Peshmerga) since 2007, despite the approval by Parliament.
He said the rumors about attempts to get the helicopter gunships and other weapons as attempts to “allegations of chauvinism and to mobilize anti-Kurd.”
Mustafa said that “the Iraqi Constitution grants the right for each region to form a guard force, as part of the system of national defense. And Kurdistan is the only region in the country.” And the reality of his troops now in terms of several agreements with the federal government said, “So far there is no agreement between Erbil and the federal government on many elements of the Peshmerga. But our forces now 190 thousand people.” The Minister of Peshmerga “There were conversations and principles of the agreement with the Centre over the past years, to reduce this large number of transmit 90 thousand of them to retire, and the transfer of 30 thousand to the Federal Ministry of Defense to form two divisions in the army Eetmrkzan within the region, and takes the remainder job security, aided by the forces of Homeland Security to impose the rule of law within cities if requested by the police support, and support of federal forces in the prevention of external threats in the event that the region to attacks from neighboring countries. ”
The Minister of Peshmerga, the level of “arming the army less than and higher than the police.” He added that the role of his ministry, “not only to maintain security in Kurdistan and their participation in the face of security challenges in other provinces but the Peshmerga involved the central government in enforcing security and stability beyond the borders of Kurdistan and we have the great sacrifices in Baghdad, Samarra and other cities.” He accused the minister of Peshmerga Baghdad not to pay dues and his ministry of the federal budget, pointing out that “the central budget of the Peshmerga (about billion dollars) to be paid by Baghdad since 2007, but has not fulfilled their obligations so far in spite of the parliamentary vote.” The Minister of Peshmerga and the presence of experts, training of U.S. forces with the knowledge center and said, “Yes, there is in Kurdistan, a number of U.S. trainers to serve as experts for the training of our troops and their presence is part of the troop withdrawal agreement with the knowledge of Baghdad.”
Source: babnews
