Escalating military situation in Kirkuk against the Kurds

Updated October 18, 2017

1. Iraqi military relies on Hashd Shaabi which was formed via a fatwa from a
senior religious leader. Hashd Shaabi (also known as Popular
Mobilization Forces PMF, or Popular Mobilization Units PMU) is
venomously anti-American, operates with disregard for human rights
and rule of law, and answers directly to Iran. Military advisor of PMF is
Qassem Soleimani. Soleimani is head of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards
Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, which President Trump designated as a terrorist
organization only days ago. The Quds Force is responsible for the IRGCs
operations outside of Iran (i.e. with Lebanese Hezbollah, supporting Bashar
Assad, etc.). Soleimani has been personally involved in this operation.

2. The PMF is made up mostly of a wide array of Shiite militias. A decision last
year officially brought them under the wing of the Iraqi Security Forces,
giving them some legitimacy akin to their mentors in the Iranian IRGC.
Several leaders/members of the various militias are wanted terrorists by the
US, and several have spent time in US custody for killing Americans during
the Iraq War.

3. The PMF is now in possession of the best American military equipment,

including Abram Tanks, Humvees, MRAPs and variety of heavy artillery and
machine guns that were given/bought by the Iraqi Army, then passed to the
PMF. You can see the image of Iranian Ayatollah Khamenei draped over some
American military equipment that was sent to Baghdad.

4. On October 16th, PMF + Iraqi army + IRGC together headed to Kirkuk, which
is a primarily-Kurdish city. When ISIS headed towards Kirkuk in 2014, the
Iraqi Army collapsed, and at that time the Kurdish Peshmerga took control
and guarded the city. The Iraqi and Iranian-supported militias have taken
control of Kirkuk using American weapons, dominating local fighters,
beheading some, and looting and pillaging houses.

5. The Iraqi military and the Iranian-backed PMF militias took over the airport,
the governors office, the oil fields, and a military base. The population of
Kirkuk has fled, leading to a grave humanitarian crisis.

6. There is serious concern that Iraqi military members and the PMF militia will
attack/seize further cities and towns in the disputed territories and beyond.

7. The Kurds and the Kurdistan Regional Government may not be perfect, but
they are strong pro-US allies and Washington and Erbil have a long
established relationship, borne from fighting against Saddam Hussein, the
insurgency, and against ISIS. During much of the war against ISIS, the KRGs
 Peshmerga did the heavy lifting in the fight against ISIS, liberating immense
amounts of territory, and offering nearly 2,000 Peshmerga martyrs, and
more than 10,000 wounded. Kurds are furious and perplexed why the
United States has abandoned them to be attacked by American weapons
in the hands of Iranian-backed forces. U.S. silence at this time is actually
a statement of support to the actions of Baghdad (Tehran).

8. The Kurds want the United States to press the Iraqi government. American
weapons should not be used against Kurds or against civilians, and
political differences must be resolved through dialogue. Most
importantly, the United States should be alarmed that Iraqi political
and security decision-making is occurring in Tehran, and that the IRGC
is in command and control of American weapons that were given to
Baghdad for the purpose of fighting ISIS. The use of these weapons
against Kurdistanis should be considered a red line.

9. Some media outlets have suggested the fight in Kirkuk was between two US
trained allies. In fact, only one of those involved is a US trained ally, and that
is the Peshmerga. The PMF are Iranian IRGC trained, and directly opposed to
the US presence in Iraq.

Events of 16 October 2017

October 16th marks a tragic day in the history of the people of Kurdistan. In the late
evening hours of 15 October and early morning hours of 16 October, the Iraqi army,
the Hashd Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces), and Irans IRGC conducted a multi-
pronged assault on the city of Kirkuk.

Kirkuk has a special place in the heart of Kurds. The people of Kurdistan will long
remember the images of PMF militias burning Kurdistans flags and desecrating
Kurdish images. Today the citizens of Kurdistan, of all parties and ethnicities, have
been severely wounded. The city center of Kirkuk, the governors office, oil fields,
the airport, and a military base were all overrun by the Iraqi forces and Iran-backed
militias.

The death of a significant and growing number of Peshmerga soldiers and civilians
took place with this military assault on Kirkuk. We have received disturbing reports
that the Iraqi forces and the PMF have beheaded a number of Peshmerga soldiers.
Sadly, casualties and injuries have mounted. In addition, there have been
widespread reports of the looting and pillaging of Kurdish households in the center
of Kirkuk and surrounding villages. For example Kurdish houses in the village of Tuz
Khurmato, which was overtaken by PMF forces, have been burnt to the ground. KRG
cannot immediately verify the full extent of these incidents.

In the disputed territories and elsewhere in Kurdistan, there is a fear of further

attacks from Iraqi, PMF, and IRGC forces, posing a grave threat to civilians. There
have also been reports that ISIS has attacked a village in South Kirkuk, called Daquq,
which is home to the minority Kakayi sect. The Peshmerga withdrew from the
village in the face of the Iraqi / PMF onslaught, where they were holding the line
against ISIS attacks, thus leaving a vacuum. An enormous number of civilians have
fled Kirkuk and surrounding areas, headed to the safety of Erbil and Sulemania city.

The KRG calls upon the United Nations, the United States government, and Senators
and members of Congress to urgently take an active role in de-escalating the
conflict.

The Iraqi and Iran-backed forces used American military equipment, including
Abram Tanks Humvees, Armored Personnel Carrier (APCs), MRAPs and heavy
weapons during the assault on Kirkuk and surrounding towns. Civilians and citizens
fear further attacks, and the KRG implores the United States and the international
community to immediately play a role in deescalating the situation.

Supporting images attached in the next page. Please be aware, graphic images.

Figure 1: PMF with Ford missiles using against Kurds instead of ISIS
 Figure 2: Iraqi Forces move Ford missiles to Kirkuk

Figure 3: IRGC with US hummer and photo of Ayatollah Khomeini

 Figure 4: Kurdish Peshmerga killed by PMF in Kirkuk

Figure 5: IRGS & PMF with lots of US-made Humvees a day before the assault on Kirkuk