Category Archives: Peshmerga

Peshmerga and the Ongoing Fight against ISIS

By Dr Simon Ross Valentine: One of the most significant “players” in the fight against ISIS (the Islamic State), is the Peshmerga, the Kurdish army of the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi-Kurdistan. “The Peshmerga are brave fighters who punch above their weight”, stated .Lt. Gen. Barbero, the former Head of US Training of the Iraqi Army….

Three Killed in Shingal Clash Between Yazidis and Kurds over ‘Stolen’ Sheep

By Dr. Amy L. Beam: In the afternoon of November 25, 2015, a clash over the ownership of sheep resulted in the death of two Yazidi Peshmerga and reportedly a Kurdish truck driver on the south side of Mount Sinjar (also called Shingal in Kurdish), just north of Shingal city. Leading up to this incident…

US Continues to Fail to Show Strategic Leadership in Fight Against ISIS

By Biza Barzo: Almost simultaneous terrorist attacks in France, Kuwait and Tunisia on June 26th killed dozens of people, barely 24 hours after massacres in and around Kobani. ISIS attacks against Kurds in and near Kobani served both tactical and propaganda goals. The Kurds, however, have by now become the most effective fighting force against…

The US Senate Fails Those Who Fight ISIS on Behalf of the World

By Dr. Rashid Karadaghi: While the Kurds applaud wholeheartedly the vote by the fifty-five Senators who supported arming the Kurdish Peshmerga directly in their courageous fight against one of the biggest evils facing humanity today, they deplore the vote by the forty-five who voted against the measure due to some totally indefensible reasoning. One wonders…

Gorran Movement: In Office But Without Power

By Arian Mufid: The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) international profile is more important now than ever. However, with the recent changes to the personnel of the KRG’s consulates and foreign offices, it is notable that no key posts were assigned to members of the Gorran movement, even though this party is a part of the…

The Hague Declaration: Joint Diplomatic Committee of Kurdistan Political Groups

By Joint Diplomatic Committee of Kurdistan Political Groups: Freedom-loving Kurdish nation, Political forces, Families and relatives of the martyrs of Kurdistan, In this crucial phase of our history in which the entire region of the Middle East and gulf states are suffering civil, ethnic, religious and regional war, with the big threat against the struggle of…

Peshmarga: The Only Effective Forces Fighting Daesh

By Arian Mufid: The USA and other Western powers are ‘backing the wrong horse’ by supporting the failed Iraqi army – instead they should be fully assisting and equipping the Peshmarga When Haider Abadi, the current Iraqi prime minister succeeded his notorious predecessor Nuri Maliki last September, two things were on everyone’s mind. First, how…

A Few Days’ Life of Revolution in Halabja

By Yasin Aziz: Published on Amazon, 24th April 2015 This is the story of my generation’s experience from the time of the 1961 September (Aylul) Revolution. As a child in Halabja I witnessed most of what was happening when the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown, with the hope of a democratic government and equality for all…

Will it be Winning the Battles and Losing the War for the Kurds?

By Dr. Rashid Karadaghi: I fear for Kurdistan. I fear for the future of my people — the Kurds. Given past experiences and current indications, I fear that, in the end, when this bloody war with ISIS is over — and it will be over some day — we will come away empty-handed despite the…

I do not know if I should say Happy Newroz to you!

By Dr Amir Sharifi: Some Reflections My wishes for the New Year may sound somber in this critical period of our history. I do not know if I should wish you a Happy Newroz. It is true that spring has returned in all its glory, fruit trees are in bloom and spring flowers have filled…

Hoshyar Byawelaiy: A Global Volunteering Symbol

By Ausama Anwar: The 16th of March is a landmark in the history of Iraqi Kurdistan: it takes us back to the hellish chemical bombardments of the former dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein on Halabja town. This attack left nearly 5000 civilian casualties with the complete destruction of the town. This date could never be…

Urgent Appeal to Chancellor Angela Merkel: Please Try to Save the 21 Kurd Hostages!  

By Tilman Zülch: Iraq: Islamists threaten to kill 21 Kurds by burning Dear Madam Chancellor, On March 21, our Kurdish fellow citizens will be celebrating their New Year’s Day, Newroz, together with all the other Kurdish people all over the world. This year’s spring celebrations, however, are overshadowed by fears that the so-called Islamic State…

This Newroz is Different

By Ramyar Hassani: On Saturday, the Kurdish new year will be celebrated all over Kurdistan. People will welcome the spring and the resurrection of the planet that wakes up from a deep winter sleep. Photos of its signs are already posted all over the social media. Although in exile, I can imagine that trees have got…

Kurdish Exile’s Brief Thoughts on His Visit Back Home

Yasin Aziz

By Yasin Aziz: This is my email to a British friend following my recent trip to the Kurdistan Region: Hi Judith, I am fine and my trip was nice to my beloved KRG . Even when I landed that morning at Slemani there was the IS terrorist attack around Kirkuk, and a few brave peshmarga lost…

ISIS (with Turkey’s help) MUST free ALL Kurdish hostages or face Peshmerga in Mosul+ and likely PKK in Ankara

By Steve Tataii: Kurdish people have run out of patience, when none of the captive Yezidis numbering in 10,000 Kurdish hostages taken from Sinjar (Shengal) held captive in Mosul, Talafar, Raqqa, and other locations, nor some 50 Pehsmerga, of which 17 or more recently shown in cages in Hawija, have been freed as apparent so…