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U.S.
Seeks To Disband Kurdish Peshmerga
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Kurdish
leaders are not happy with the dismantling of Peshmerga
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By
Hossam al-Sayed, IOL Chief Iraq Correspondent
SULEIMANIYA,
July 14 (IslamOnline.net) - The administrative coordinator of U.S.
troops in Iraq and the official in charge of northern Iraq Kurdistan
territory Henry Shot affirmed that U.S. troops seek to break up
Peshmerga forces of Kurdish factions and incorporate some of them into
the new Iraqi army.
Shot
also declared that demonstrations in Iraq will be restricted rather than
banned, as U.S. troops are keen to maintain the right of Iraqis to
"freedom of expression."
"U.S.
troops currently request to disband Kurdish Peshmerga forces," Shot
said in a special statement to IslamOnline.net Monday, July 14 in
Suleimaniya, on the future of Kurdish Peshmerga forces, a military
offshoot of Kurdish parties, amounting to more than 50.000.
"This
will be agreed upon, as part of those troops will join the new Iraqi
army and be deployed along the borders with Iran, Syria and Turkey,
while the remaining troops will be released."
U.S.
occupation forces have decided that the number of the new Iraqi army
would not exceed 40.000, in contrast to 400.000 during the reign of the
deposed President Saddam Hussein.
Kurdish
leaders do not welcome such efforts, particularly that Peshmerga forces
have assisted U.S. troops dominate northern Iraq, upon the U.S. invasion
on March 20.
Shot
reiterated that Peshmerga forces were intended to protect the Kurds from
the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and that the U.S. troops are currently
stationed in Iraq and will protect them; hence, the existence of such
Peshmerga forces are unjustifiable.
"The
new Iraqi army is currently under preparation," Shot said in a
press conference held Monday, July 14.
U.S.
Restrictions Over Iraqi Demonstrations
"New
conditions for demonstrations are to be set," Shot said on Iraqi
unstable security circumstances during the press conference.
He
elaborated that a notice should be given 24 hours prior to organizing
any demonstration, the use of any kind of weapons is to be banned and
timing of demonstrations should be between 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and
between 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Shot
pointed out that the occupation forces along with Kurdish police will
perform search operations of illicit weapons in Kurdistan territory.
Iraqis will be allowed to hold guns and rifles, provided they are
licensed.
It
is well known that such restrictions imposed by occupation forces on the
possession of weapons are virtually applied in Baghdad but not yet in
Kurdistan.
On
the huge number of stolen cars in Kurdistan territory, Shot said that
that would be examined to know how to deal with such thefts, given that
those cars are sold in Suleimaniya with one fifth of their actual
prices.
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