Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KIRKUK27
2006-02-05 06:40:00
SECRET
REO Kirkuk
Cable title:
(S) KURDISH IA UNIT SPLITS OVER DEPLOYING OUT OF KIRKUK
how-toVZCZCXRO6298 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHMOS DE RUEHKUK #0027 0360640 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P R 050640Z FEB 06 FM REO KIRKUK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0508 RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0471 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE RUEHKUK/REO KIRKUK 0534
S E C R E T KIRKUK 000027
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
BAGHDAD FOR POLMIL, POL, STRATEFF, ORA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/5/2016
TAGS: MOPS PGOV KDEM PINS IZ
SUBJECT: (S) KURDISH IA UNIT SPLITS OVER DEPLOYING OUT OF KIRKUK
CLASSIFIED BY: Scott Dean, Regional Coordinator (Acting),REO
Kirkuk, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (a),(b),(d)
S E C R E T KIRKUK 000027
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
BAGHDAD FOR POLMIL, POL, STRATEFF, ORA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/5/2016
TAGS: MOPS PGOV KDEM PINS IZ
SUBJECT: (S) KURDISH IA UNIT SPLITS OVER DEPLOYING OUT OF KIRKUK
CLASSIFIED BY: Scott Dean, Regional Coordinator (Acting),REO
Kirkuk, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (a),(b),(d)
1. (S) The 101st tells REO that the MOD ordered the 4th BN,
2nd BDE, 4th Iraqi Army DIV to deploy from Kirkuk outside of
Kirkuk province to Bayji. We understand this IA unit is
composed of Kurds, but was not a former Peshmerga unit. After
the order was given, about half (50%) of the unit deserted, but
the rest have deployed to Bayji.
2. (C) Speaker of the Kurdistan National Assembly Adnan Mufti
and Deputy Speaker Kamal Kirkuki both raised the matter in
separate Feb. 2 meetings with the Regional Coordiator (Acting).
They both told RC(A) that the soldiers feared that leaving
Kirkuk would leave their families unprotected. That said, they
both agreed that Iraqi Army units had to obey MOD orders and
said they had so told Kurds.
3. (S) COMMENT: The brigade says some had predicted 80% of
the Kurds would desert, so only 50% desertion is good news by
Iraqi standards. Some may have returned because of lost pay.
We do not rule out that the soldiers might have worried about
the security effects on their immediate families if they left
Kirkuk. We suspect one major reason is that the Kurds joined
the army in preparation for Kirkuk's joining the Kurdistan
Regional Government. (KRG Peshmerga units cannot legally
establish themselves in Kirkuk.) Fighting insurgents in Arab
areas may not have been on these Kurds' personal agenda.
DEAN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
BAGHDAD FOR POLMIL, POL, STRATEFF, ORA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/5/2016
TAGS: MOPS PGOV KDEM PINS IZ
SUBJECT: (S) KURDISH IA UNIT SPLITS OVER DEPLOYING OUT OF KIRKUK
CLASSIFIED BY: Scott Dean, Regional Coordinator (Acting),REO
Kirkuk, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (a),(b),(d)
1. (S) The 101st tells REO that the MOD ordered the 4th BN,
2nd BDE, 4th Iraqi Army DIV to deploy from Kirkuk outside of
Kirkuk province to Bayji. We understand this IA unit is
composed of Kurds, but was not a former Peshmerga unit. After
the order was given, about half (50%) of the unit deserted, but
the rest have deployed to Bayji.
2. (C) Speaker of the Kurdistan National Assembly Adnan Mufti
and Deputy Speaker Kamal Kirkuki both raised the matter in
separate Feb. 2 meetings with the Regional Coordiator (Acting).
They both told RC(A) that the soldiers feared that leaving
Kirkuk would leave their families unprotected. That said, they
both agreed that Iraqi Army units had to obey MOD orders and
said they had so told Kurds.
3. (S) COMMENT: The brigade says some had predicted 80% of
the Kurds would desert, so only 50% desertion is good news by
Iraqi standards. Some may have returned because of lost pay.
We do not rule out that the soldiers might have worried about
the security effects on their immediate families if they left
Kirkuk. We suspect one major reason is that the Kurds joined
the army in preparation for Kirkuk's joining the Kurdistan
Regional Government. (KRG Peshmerga units cannot legally
establish themselves in Kirkuk.) Fighting insurgents in Arab
areas may not have been on these Kurds' personal agenda.
DEAN