View source for Peshmerga

{{Short description|Internal security forces of Iraq's Kurdistan Region}}
{{Use American English|date = February 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2019}}
{{Infobox national military
| name = Peshmerga
| native_name = {{lang|ku|پێشمەرگه|rtl=yes}}
| image = Flag of Kurdistan.svg
| caption = Flag of [[Kurdistan Region]]
| motto = ''[[Ey Reqîb]]''<ref>{{cite news |title=Hundreds of Christians join Peshmerga|url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/33ec84f9-5889-4d6e-8f97-affa72db3694/Hundreds-of-Christians-join-Peshmerga- |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=Kurdistan24 |date=19 February 2016}}</ref>
| founded = 1920s/1946
| current_form = 2003–present
| headquarters = [[Erbil]], [[Kurdistan Region]], Iraq
| commander-in-chief = [[Nechirvan Barzani|Nêçîrvan Barzanî]]
| commander-in-chief_title = [[President of Kurdistan Region]]
| chief minister = [[Şoreş Îsmaîl Abdulla|Ŝořiŝ îsmaâîl Âebidułah]]
| chief minister_title = Minister of Peshmerga Affairs
| conscription = None
| active = 150,000 (see [[Peshmerga#Structure and capabilities|§ Structure]])<ref>{{Citation |title=Iraq |date=2024-05-31 |work=The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/iraq/#military-and-security |access-date=2024-06-08 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency |language=en}}</ref>
| age = 21–41
| foreign_suppliers = {{Collapsible list
| title = Current:
|{{flag|Albania}}<ref name="jcpa">{{cite news |title=The Status of Western Military Aid to Kurdish Peshmerga Forces |url=http://jcpa.org/article/the-status-of-western-military-aid-to-kurdish-peshmerga-forces/ |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs}}</ref><br />{{flag|Australia}}<ref name="australia">{{cite news |last1=Pollard |first1=Ruth |title=Australian-supplied weapons have reached the Kurdish frontline |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/australiansupplied-weapons-have-reached-the-kurdish-frontline-20140911-10ffla.html |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=11 September 2014 |language=en}}</ref><br />{{flag|Austria}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Austria to provide Peshmerga with medical support |url=http://poland.gov.krd/austria-to-provide-peshmerga-with-medical-support/ |access-date=26 July 2019}}</ref><br />{{flag|Belgium}}<ref name="belgium">{{cite news |title=L'aide belge aux Peshmergas est prête à partir vers l'Irak |url=https://www.rtbf.be/info/belgique/detail_l-aide-belge-aux-peshmergas-est-prete-a-partir-vers-l-irak?id=9222692 |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=RTBF Info |date=24 February 2016 |language=fr}}</ref><br />{{flag|Bulgaria}}<ref>{{cite news |title=България е изпратила на кюрдите в Ирак автомати и патрони за 6 млн. лева |url=https://www.mediapool.bg/bulgaria-e-izpratila-na-kyurdite-v-irak-avtomati-i-patroni-za-6-mln-leva-news225406.html |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=Mediapool.bg |date=30 September 2014 |language=bg-BG}}</ref><br />{{flag|Canada}}<ref name="jcpa" /><br />{{flag|Croatia}}<ref name="jcpa" /><br />{{flag|Cyprus}}<ref name="cyprus">{{cite news |title=Cyprus could send more light arms, ammunition to Kurdistan: FM |url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/4c3de48d-b53f-4ae1-8602-8b0b28249879 |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=Kurdistan24 |date=11 November 2017 |language=en}}</ref><br />{{flag|Czech Republic}}<ref name="czechia">{{cite news |title=Czech Rifles and Ammunition for the Peshmerga. Prague Supporting the Fight Against Daesh Again – Defence24.com |url=https://www.defence24.com/czech-rifles-and-ammunition-for-the-peshmerga-prague-supporting-the-fight-against-daesh-again |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=www.defence24.com |date=27 January 2016 |language=cs}}</ref><br />{{flag|Denmark}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Forsvarsavisen 01 |url=https://www2.forsvaret.dk/omos/publikationer/forsvarsavisen/Documents/Forsvarsavisen_01_2015.pdf |publisher=Ministry of Defense |access-date=3 July 2019 |page=3 |language=da}}</ref><br />{{flag|Estonia}}<ref name="iss">{{cite journal |author1=Jan Joel Andersson and Florence Gaub |title=Adding fuel to the fire? Arming the Kurds |journal=Issue Alert |date=2015 |volume=37 |url=https://www.iss.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EUISSFiles/Alert_37_Kurds.pdf |access-date=3 July 2019}}</ref><br />{{flag|Finland}}<ref name="finland">{{cite news |title=Finland increases military support to Kurdistan |url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/35196208-14f6-41a2-888d-645dd997e9fd/Finland-increases-military-support-to-Kurdistan- |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=Kurdistan24 |date=16 September 2016 |language=en}}</ref><br />{{flag|France}}<ref name="jcpa" /><br />{{flag|Germany}}<ref name="jcpa" /><br />{{flag|Greece}}<ref name="greece" >{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/iraqi-kurdistan/145285/greece-to-send-ammunition-to-iraqi-kurds|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922174314/http://www.worldbulletin.net/iraqi-kurdistan/145285/greece-to-send-ammunition-to-iraqi-kurds|url-status=usurped|archive-date=September 22, 2015|title=Greece to send ammunition to Iraqi Kurds|access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref><br />{{flag|Hungary}}<ref name="iss" /><br />{{flag|India}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Assistant Head of DFR and Indian Ambassador discuss areas of cooperation |url=https://dfr.gov.krd/a/d.aspx?l=12&a=46772 |access-date=8 July 2019 |work=dfr.gov.krd |date=20 April 2017 |archive-date=June 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617100546/https://dfr.gov.krd/a/d.aspx?l=12&a=46772 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br />{{flag|Iran}}<ref name="israel" /><br />{{flag|Israel}}<ref name="israel" >{{cite book |author1=Arash Reisinezhad |title=The Shah of Iran, the Iraqi Kurds, and the Lebanese Shia |date=2018 |isbn=978-3319899473 |page=115|publisher=Springer }}</ref><br />{{flag|Italy}}<ref name="jcpa" /><br />{{flag|Netherlands}}<ref name="nlno" >{{cite web |title=Dutch and Norwegians train Peshmerga on basic soldier skills |url=https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/igphoto/2001689688/ |website=www.centcom.mil |access-date=3 July 2019}}</ref><br />{{flag|New Zealand}}<ref name="weiss" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mosul |first1=Martin Chulov near |title=Kurdish forces vow no retreat until Nineveh plains are retaken from Isis |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/20/kurdish-forces-vow-no-retreat-until-nineveh-plains-are-retaken-from-isis |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=20 October 2016}}</ref><br />{{flag|Norway}}<ref name="nlno" /><br />{{flag|Romania}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hasan |first1=H. A. |title=Romania Pledges Continuous Support for Peshmerga |url=http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/news/kurdistan/277154 |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=www.basnews.com |date=21 May 2016 |language=en-gb}}</ref><br />{{flag|Russia}}<ref name="russia">{{cite news |last1=Litovkin |first1=Nikolai |title=Russia delivers first weapons supplies to Iraqi Kurds |url=https://www.rbth.com/defence/2016/03/18/russia-delivers-first-weapons-supplies-to-iraqi-kurds_576809 |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=Russia Beyond |date=18 March 2016}}</ref><br />{{flag|Slovakia}}<ref name="weiss">{{cite news |author1=Guido Weiss |title=Global Support for Peshmerga Forces |url=http://kurdstrat.com/2015/07/08/global-support-for-peshmerga-forces/ |access-date=3 July 2019 |agency=Kurdstrat |date=8 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103141502/http://kurdstrat.com/2015/07/08/global-support-for-peshmerga-forces/|archive-date=3 January 2018}}</ref><br />{{flag|Slovenia}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Inherent Resolve in northern Iraq |url=http://www.slovenskavojska.si/en/international-cooperation/international-operations-and-missions/iraq-oir/#c3128 |access-date=3 July 2019 |archive-date=June 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617100619/http://www.slovenskavojska.si/en/international-cooperation/international-operations-and-missions/iraq-oir/#c3128 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br />{{flag|Sweden}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Sweden will continue support for Peshmerga forces in Kurdistan: Defense Minister |url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/6b8eab4f-fed9-4bb2-bfde-af7f47839295 |access-date=3 July 2019 |work=Kurdistan24 |date=10 May 2018 |language=en}}</ref><br />{{flag|United Kingdom}}<ref name="jcpa" /><br />{{flag|United States}}<ref name="jcpa" />
}}{{Collapsible list
| title = Former:
| {{flag|Czechoslovakia}}<ref name="Mitrokhin" >{{cite book |title=The Mitrokhin archive. II : the KGB and the world |date=2014 |publisher=Penguin |location=London |isbn=978-0141977980}}</ref><br />{{flag|Soviet Union}}<ref name="Mitrokhin" />}}
| imports = 
| exports = <!-- Related articles -->
| history = {{tree list}}
* '''Before 2003:'''
** [[Mahmud Barzanji revolts]]
** [[Ahmed Barzani revolt]]
** [[1943 Barzani revolt]]
** [[First Iraqi–Kurdish War]]
** [[Second Iraqi–Kurdish War]]
** [[PUK insurgency]]
** [[Iran–Iraq War]]
** [[1983–1986 Kurdish rebellions in Iraq|1983–1986 Kurdish rebellions]]
** [[Kurdistan Region–PKK conflict]]
** [[Anfal campaign]]
** [[Gulf War]]
** [[1991 Iraqi uprisings]]
** [[Battle of Sulaymaniyah (1991)|Battle of Sulaymaniyah]]
** [[Iraqi Kurdish Civil War|Kurdish Civil War]]
** [[Islamist insurgency in Iraqi Kurdistan|Islamist insurgency in Kurdistan]]
* '''After 2003:'''
** [[2003 invasion of Iraq]]
** [[Operation Viking Hammer]]
** [[Iraq War|First Iraq War]]
** [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)]]
** [[Iraqi civil war (2006–2008)]]
** [[Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013)]]
** [[War in Iraq (2013–2017)]]
** [[US intervention in the Syrian civil war]]
** [[2017 Iraqi–Kurdish conflict]]
**[[Islamic State insurgency in Iraq (2017–present)]]
** [[Kurdistan Region–PKK conflict]]
** [[Attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria (2023–present)]]
{{tree list/end}}
| website = {{URL|https://gov.krd/mopa}}
| domestic_suppliers = {{flag|Iraq|name=Republic of Iraq}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Iraq supplies Kurds with ammunition in unprecedented move, U.S. says |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-usa-ammunition/iraq-supplies-kurds-with-ammunition-in-unprecedented-move-u-s-says-idUSKBN0G82BP20140809 |access-date=26 July 2019 |work=Reuters |date=9 August 2014 |language=en}}</ref>
}} 
The '''Peshmerga''' ({{langx|ku|پێشمەرگه|Pêşmerge|lit='Those Who Face Death'}})<ref>{{cite web |title=Peshmerga and the Ongoing Fight against ISIS |url=https://kurdistantribune.com/peshmerga-and-the-ongoing-fight-against-isis/ |access-date=31 July 2018 |date=27 March 2016 |archive-date=July 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703183200/https://kurdistantribune.com/Peshmerga-and-the-ongoing-fight-against-isis/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> are the internal security forces of [[Kurdistan Region]]. According to the [[Constitution of Iraq]], regional governments are responsible for "the establishment and organization of the internal security forces for the region such as police, security forces, and guards of the region".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Iraq_2005.pdf?lang=en|title=Constitution of Iraq}}</ref> Other Kurdish security agencies include the [[Zeravani|Zêrevanî]] ([[gendarmerie]]), [[Asayish (Kurdistan Region)|Asayish]] ([[Security agency|security and]] [[counterterrorism]] service), and the ''[[Parastin u Zanyari|Parastin û Zanyarî]]'' ([[intelligence agency]]). The Peshmerga's history dates back to the 18th century, when they began as a tribal paramilitary border guard under the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Turks]] and the [[Safavid]] [[Kurds]]. By the 19th century, they had evolved into a disciplined and well-trained guerrilla force.<ref name="Lortz2015">{{cite thesis |last1=Lortz |first1=Michael G. |date=2005 |title=Willing to Face Death: A History of Kurdish Military Forces – the ''Peshmerga'' – from the Ottoman Empire to Present-Day Iraq |type=MA thesis |publisher=Florida State University |url=http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-1038 |language=en}}</ref>

Formally, the Peshmerga are under the command of the [[Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs]] of the [[Kurdistan Regional Government]]. In practice, however, the Peshmerga's structure is largely divided and controlled separately by the two Iraqi Kurdish political parties: the [[Kurdistan Democratic Party|Democratic Party of Kurdistan]] and the [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan]]. Though unifying and integrating the Peshmerga has been on the Kurdistan Region's public agenda since 1992, the individual forces remain divided due to factionalism, which has proved to be a major stumbling block.<ref name="CMEC">{{cite journal|last1=van Wilgenburg|first1=Wladimir|last2=Fumerton|first2=Mario|title=Kurdistan's Political Armies: The Challenge of Unifying the Peshmerga Forces.|journal=Carnegie Middle East Center|date=16 December 2015|url=http://carnegieendowment.org/files/ACMR_WilgenburgFumerton_Kurdistan_English_final.pdf|access-date=12 February 2018}}</ref>

Following the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]], the Peshmerga played a key role in helping the [[United States]] on the mission to capture deposed Iraqi president [[Saddam Hussein]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Manish |last=Rai |title=Kurdish Peshmerga Can Be a Game-changer in Iraq And Syria |url=http://www.khaama.com/kurdish-peshmerga-can-be-a-game-changer-in-iraq-and-syria-6802 |work=[[Khaama Press]] |date=6 October 2014 |access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Operation Red Dawn's eight-month hunt |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/15/1071336860245.html |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=15 December 2003 |access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref> In 2004, they captured Saudi-born Pakistani terrorist [[Hassan Ghul]], who was operating for [[al-Qaeda in Iraq]]. Ghul was turned over to American intelligence officers shortly afterwards, and revealed the identity of several key al-Qaeda figures during his interrogation, which eventually led to the [[killing of Osama bin Laden]] in a covert American military operation in [[Pakistan]] in 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://theweek.com/article/index/243389/how-the-cia-really-caught-bin-ladens-trail#axzz34IzUbxqb |last=Ambinder |first=Marc |title=How the CIA really caught Bin Laden's trail |newspaper=[[The Week]] |date=29 April 2013 |access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Arom |last=Roston |title=Cloak and Drone: The Strange Saga of an Al Qaeda Triple Agent |url=http://www.vocativ.com/usa/nat-sec/cloak-drone-strange-saga-al-qaeda-triple-agent/ |work=[[Vocativ]] |date=9 January 2014 |access-date=14 February 2015 |archive-date=June 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190625232507/https://www.vocativ.com/usa/nat-sec/cloak-drone-strange-saga-al-qaeda-triple-agent/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>Valentine, ''Peshmerga: Those who Face Death'', 2018, chapter five.</ref> One year later, in 2012, Ghul was assassinated by an [[Drone strikes in Pakistan|American drone strike in northwestern Pakistan]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-10-17 |title=NSA 'Working With CIA' On Drone Strikes |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/us-drone-cia-nsa/25139547.html |access-date=2025-05-22 |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |language=en}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The word "Peshmerga" can be translated to "to stand in front of death",<ref>{{cite web |first=Allegra |last=Stratton |title=Hero of the people |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/node/153517 |work=[[New Statesman]] |date=26 June 2006 |access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Koerner |first=Brendan |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2003/03/are_kurdish_soldiers_facing_death_or_seeking_death.html |title=What does the Kurdish word Peshmerga mean? |website=Slate.com |date=2003-03-21 |access-date=2016-10-18}}</ref><ref>From the [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]] ''{{lang|ku|pêş}}'' ({{lang|ckb|{{big|پێش}}}}) "before" and ''{{lang|ku|merg}}'' {{lang|ckb|{{big|مەرگ}}}} "death".</ref> and Valentine states it was first used by [[Qazi Muhammad]] in the short-lived [[Republic of Mahabad|Mahabad Republic]] (1946–47).<ref>Valentine, Those Who Face Death, KDP, 2018.</ref> The word is understandable to [[Persian language|Persian]] speakers.<ref>{{cite book |first=Donald |last=Stilo |title=Aspects of Iranian Linguistics |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nlkZBwAAQBAJ&q=pishmarg+word&pg=PA15|publisher =Cambridge Scholars Publishing |date=March 2008 |isbn=9781443810135 |access-date=19 October 2017}}</ref> Because, the name was also used to refer to an elite unit within the [[Military of the Sasanian Empire|Sassanid Empire's military]], specifically a sub-unit of the [[Pushtigban]], called the [[Gyan-Avspar|Gyan-avspar]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gyan-Avspar - The Sassanids (Empire Divided) - Total War: Rome II |url=https://www.honga.net/totalwar/rome2/unit.php?l=ja&v=rome2&f=3c_sassanid&u=3c_Sas_Gyan_Avspar_commander |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=Royal Military Academy}}</ref> These warriors were renowned for their unwavering loyalty and bravery, often serving as the last line of defense for the [[List of monarchs of the Sasanian Empire|Sassanid kings]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hughes |first=Ian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1bfNDwAAQBAJ&dq=Gyan-avspar+peshmerga&pg=PT45 |title=Belisarius: The Last Roman General |date=2009-01-15 |publisher=Pen and Sword |isbn=978-1-84468-941-5 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Farrokh |first=Kaveh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9SguvgAACAAJ |title=Sassanian Elite Cavalry AD 224–642 |date=2005-07-13 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=978-1-84176-713-0 |pages=6 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Russian Lead Miniatures.Heavy Armed Sassanid Knight. The Army of Gyan – Avspar P {{!}} #1758881952 |url=https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/russian-lead-miniatures-heavy-armed-1758881952 |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=Worthpoint |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Aladić |first=Dubravko |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374531936 |title=Roman-Sassanian Conflict in the Third Century Campaigns of Shapur I and the Battle of Edessa}}</ref> 

== History ==
{{Main|History of the Peshmerga}}

The Kurdish warrior tradition of rebellion has existed for thousands of years along with aspirations for independence, and early Kurdish warriors fought against the various Persian empires, the [[Ottoman Empire]] and the [[British Empire]].<ref name="Lortz2015" /><ref>S. R. Valentine, ''Peshmerga: Those Who Face Death'', KDP, 2018, see the introduction and chapter one.</ref>

Historically the Peshmerga existed only as guerrilla organizations, but under the self-declared [[Republic of Mahabad]] (1946–1947), the Peshmerga led by [[Mustafa Barzani]] became the official army of the republic.<ref name="first mahabad source">{{cite web |first=Mufid |last=Abdulla |title=Mahabad – the first independent Kurdish republic |url=http://kurdistantribune.com/2011/mahabad-first-independent-kurdish-republic/ |work=The Kurdistan Tribune |date=12 June 2011 |access-date=14 February 2015 |archive-date=May 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528231328/http://kurdistantribune.com/2011/mahabad-first-independent-kurdish-republic/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="ma barzani" /> After the fall of the republic and the execution of head of state [[Qazi Muhammad]], Peshmerga forces reemerged as guerrilla organizations that would go on to fight the [[Iran]]ian and [[Iraq]]i governments for the remainder of the century.<ref>{{cite book |first=Susan |last=Meiselas |title=Kurdistan: In the Shadow of History |edition=2nd |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |date=2008 |isbn=978-0-226-51928-9}}</ref>

In Iraq, most of these Peshmerga were led by [[Mustafa Barzani]] of the [[Kurdistan Democratic Party]].<ref name="ma barzani">{{cite web |title=President |url=http://www.krgspain.org/government/profiles/english-president/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730010255/http://www.krgspain.org/government/profiles/english-president/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 30, 2014 |work=[[Kurdistan Regional Government]] Representation in Spain |date=2015 |access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref> In 1975 the Peshmerga were defeated in the [[Second Iraqi–Kurdish War]]. [[Jalal Talabani]], a leading member of the KDP, left the same year to revitalize the resistance and founded the [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan]]. This event created the baseline for the political discontent between the KDP and PUK that  divides Peshmerga forces and much of Kurdish society in Kurdistan.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3011925|title=The Kurds between Iran and Iraq|author=van Bruinessen, Martin|year=1986|journal=MERIP Middle East Report|issue=141|pages=14–27|doi=10.2307/3011925|jstor=3011925 | issn=0888-0328|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fpri.org/article/2017/05/getting-peshmerga-reform-right-helping-iraqi-kurds-help-post-isis-iraq/|title=Getting Peshmerga Reform Right: Helping the Iraqi Kurds to Help Themselves in Post-ISIS Iraq – Foreign Policy Research Institute|website=www.fpri.org}}</ref>

After Mustafa Barzani's death in 1979, his son [[Masoud Barzani]] took his position.<ref name="ma barzani" /> As tension increased between KDP and PUK, most Peshmerga fought to keep a region under their own party's control while also fighting off Iraqi Army incursions. Following the [[Iran–Iraq War|First Persian Gulf War]], Iraqi Kurdistan saw the [[Kurdish Civil War]] between the two major parties, the KDP and the PUK, and Peshmerga forces were used to fight each other.<ref>S. R. Valentine, Peshmerga: Those Who Face Death, KDP, 2018, chapter six.</ref> The civil war officially ended in September 1998 when Barzani and Talabani signed the Washington Agreement establishing a formal peace treaty.<ref>{{cite web |first=Frman |last=Abdulrahman |title=Never-ending mystery: what really happened to Kurdish civil war missing |url=http://www.niqash.org/articles/?id=3000 |work=niqash |date=23 February 2012 |access-date=22 February 2015}}</ref> In the agreement, the parties agreed to share revenue and power, deny the use of northern Iraq to the [[Kurdistan Workers' Party]] (PKK), and not allow Iraqi troops into the Kurdish regions. By then, around 5,000 had been killed on both sides, and many more had been evicted for being on the wrong side.<ref>{{cite web |first=Charles |last=McDermid |title=New force emerges in Kirkuk |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LB20Ak02.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100222221442/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LB20Ak02.html |url-status=unfit |archive-date=22 February 2010 |work=[[Asia Times Online]] |date=20 February 2010 |access-date=22 February 2015}}</ref> In the years after, tension remained high, but both parties moved towards each other, and in 2003 they both took part in the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|overthrowing of the Baathist regime]] as part of the [[Iraq War]]. Unlike other militia forces, the Peshmerga were never prohibited by Iraqi law.<ref name=WhoPeshmerga>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28738975 Profile: Who are the Peshmerga?] BBC News. Retrieved 19 December 2014.</ref>
[[File:Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighter in the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in 2003.jpg|thumb|Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighter (KDP) in 2003.]] In 2014, the Peshmerga withdrew from the [[Nineveh Plains]], which was said by the locals as being a contributing factor of the quick [[Islamic State]] victory in the invasion, and [[Genocide of Yazidis by ISIL|the widespread massacre]] of [[Yazidis]], who were rendered defenseless.<ref>{{cite web|last=van den Toorn|first=Christine|date=August 17, 2014|title=How the U.S.-Favored Kurds Abandoned the Yazidis when ISIS Attacked|url=https://auis.edu.krd/iris/staff-publications/how-us-favored-kurds-abandoned-yazidis-when-isis-attacked|access-date=June 27, 2020|website=Institute of Regional & International Studies|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627185938/https://auis.edu.krd/iris/staff-publications/how-us-favored-kurds-abandoned-yazidis-when-isis-attacked|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Structure and capabilities==
[[File:pershmega near Syria - June 23, 2014.jpg|thumbnail|right|Peshmerga special unit near the Syrian border on June 23, 2014.]]
The Peshmerga are mostly divided among forces loyal to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and those loyal to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK),<ref name="Helfont2017">{{cite journal|last1=Helfont|first1=Samuel|title=Getting Peshmerga Reform Right: Helping the Iraqi Kurds to Help Themselves in Post-ISIS Iraq.|journal=Foreign Policy Research Institute|date= 1 March 2017|volume=16|pages=13}}</ref> while other, minor Kurdish parties such as the [[Kurdistan Socialist Democratic Party]] also have their own small Peshmerga units.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/161020161 |title=Kaka Hama, head of Kurdish Socialist Party joins Mosul battle plan with force |agency=[[Rudaw Media Network]] |date=16 October 2016 |access-date=24 February 2018}}</ref> The [[Kurdistan Islamic Movement|Islamic Movement of Kurdistan]] also had its own Peshmerga unit, which became an official Peshmerga branch during the Iran-Iraq war, and was disarmed in 2003.<ref>Kurdish Islamists in Iraq from the Muslim Brotherhood to the So-Called Islamic State: Continuity or Departure?, Mohammed Shareef, 2015, pp. 25, {{ISBN|9786038032657}}</ref> The KDP and PUK do not disclose information about the composition of their forces with government or media.<ref name="Helfont2017" /> Thus there is no reliable number of how many Peshmerga fighters exist.<ref name="Helfont2017" /> Media outlets have speculated that there are between 150,000 and 200,000 Peshmerga, but this number is highly disputed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Over 150,000 enlisted as Peshmerga troops in Kurdistan Region, official data shows |agency=Rudaw |url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/03042017|access-date=13 August 2017|date=3 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Hawramy|first1=Fazel|title=Kurdish Peshmerga divisions hamper war effort|url=https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/01/iraq-kurdish-peshmerga-division-islamic-state.html|access-date=12 February 2018|work=Al-monitor|date=13 January 2015}}</ref> Peshmerga have divided Kurdistan Region into a KDP-governed "yellow" zone covering [[Dohuk Governorate]] and [[Erbil Governorate]] and a PUK-governed "green" zone covering [[Sulaymaniyah Governorate]] and [[Halabja Governorate]].<ref>Chapman, Dennis. ''Security Forces of Kurdistan Regional Government'', US Army War College. 2009, p. 3.</ref><ref name="Helfont2017" /><ref name="CMEC" /> Each zone has its own branch of Peshmerga with their own governing institutions that do not coordinate with the other branch.<ref name="CMEC" /><ref>S. R. Valentine, ''Peshmerga: Those Who Face Death'', KDP, 2018, chapter 9.</ref>

As a result of the split nature of the Peshmerga forces, there is no central command center in charge of the entire force, and Peshmerga units instead follow separate military hierarchies depending on political allegiance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lebanonwire.com/1409MLN/14091314STR.asp|title=Lebanonwire.com – Kurdish Peshmerga Forces Have Room to Grow|work=lebanonwire.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113050615/http://lebanonwire.com/1409MLN/14091314STR.asp|archive-date=2015-01-13}}</ref> Multiple unification and depoliticizing efforts of the Peshmerga have been made since 1992. But so far all deadlines have been missed,<ref name="CMEC" /> reforms have been watered down,<ref name="Helfont2017" /> and most of the Peshmerga are still under the influence of the KDP and the PUK, who also maintain their separate Peshmerga forces. Following the events of the [[Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)|Iraqi Civil War]] in 2014, the [[United States]] and several [[Europe]] nations pressured the PUK and KDP to set up mixed brigades of Peshmerga as a condition for aid and funding. The PUK and KDP united 12 to 14 brigades under the Regional Guard Brigades, which were then placed under the command of the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs.<ref name="Helfont2017" /> However, officers continue to report to and take orders from their party leaders who also control the deployment of forces loyal to them and appoint front-line and sector commanders.<ref name="CMEC" />

Both the KDP and the PUK rely heavily on [[Irregular military|irregulars]] in times of conflict to increase their ranks.<ref name="Howard2002">{{cite news|last1=Howard|first1=Michael|title=Revenge spurs women's army|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/nov/26/iraq.michaelhoward|access-date=13 February 2018|work=The Guardian|date=26 November 2002}}</ref> However, both maintain several [[military|professional military]] brigades. The following units have been identified within the Peshmerga force:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Force !! Estimated size !! Commander !! Party affiliation
|-
| Regional Guard Brigades<ref name="Helfont2017" /><ref name="CMEC" />  || 40,000–43,000 || Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs ||Supposedly apolitical
|-
| Hezekani Kosrat Rasul<ref name="CMEC" /> || 2,000–3,000 || [[Kosrat Rasul Ali]] || [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan|PUK]]
|-
| Anti-terror force<ref name="CMEC" /> || 5,000<ref name="kurdistanskyscrapers.com">{{Cite web|url=http://kurdistanskyscrapers.com/topic/9346414/1/|title=kurdistanskyscrapers.com|website=kurdistanskyscrapers.com}}</ref> || Lahur Shekh Jangi || PUK
|-
| Presidential Peshmerga brigades<ref name="CMEC" /> || unknown || [[Hero Ibrahim Ahmed]] || PUK
|-
| 70 Unit<ref name="CMEC" /><ref name="Helfont2017" /> || 60,000 || Sheikh Jaafar Sheikh Mustafa || PUK. Supposedly becoming incorporated into MPA<ref name="reform" >{{cite web |title=Peshmerga Ministry reforms launched to reunify PUK, KDP forces |url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/310720181 |access-date=31 July 2018}}</ref>
|-
| Emergency Forces<ref name="CMEC" /> || 3,000<ref name="kurdistanskyscrapers.com"/> || unknown || PUK
|-
| PUK Asayish (security) force || unknown || unknown || PUK
|-
| [[Presidential Guard (Iraqi Kurdistan )]]<ref name="CMEC" /> || unknown || [[Nechirvan Barzani]] || KDP
|-
| 80 Unit<ref name="CMEC" /><ref name="Helfont2017" /> || 70,000–90,000 || Najat Ali Salih || KDP. Supposedly becoming incorporated into MPA<ref name="reform" />
|-
| Zerevani<ref name="CMEC" /> || 51,000–120,000 active/250,000 reservists<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurds/3415.html|access-date=2008-06-06|title=Barzani: Düzenli ordu yakında|work=[[Milliyet]]|date=2007-07-20|first=İhsan|last=Dortkardes|language=ku|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110129060057/http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurds/3415.html|archive-date=January 29, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Lortz2015"/> || Masoud Barzani || KDP
|-
| {{flagicon image|Flag of HPŞ.svg}} [[Êzîdxan Protection Force]]<ref name=orders>{{cite web|url=http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/84c02995-a87c-404f-b24b-94bf453380f3/Haider-Shesho--Ezidkhan-Units-take-orders-from-President-Barzani--peshmerga-Ministry-|title=Haider Shesho: Ezidkhan Units take orders from President Barzani, Peshmerga Ministry|agency=Kurdistan24|author=Baxtiyar Goran|date=9 March 2017}}</ref> || 7,000<ref>[http://ezidipress.com/blog/is-terror-in-shingal-wer-kaempft-gegen-wen-ein-ueberblick/ IS-Terror in Shingal: Wer kämpft gegen wen? Ein Überblick], ''Ezidi Press''. 12 October 2014</ref>–8,000<ref>[http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/12/iraq-kurdistan-sinjar-liberated-isis-hegemony.html# With the Islamic State gone from Sinjar, Kurdish groups battle for control], Al-Monitor. 27 March 2016</ref> || [[Haydar Shesho]]|| Yazidi Democratic Party, Incorporated into Peshmerga Ministry<ref>{{Cite web|author=Editorial Staff|date=2017-04-18|title=Haider Shesho resigns from PUK, to form new Yazidi Democratic Party|url=https://ekurd.net/haider-shesho-resigns-puk-2017-04-18|access-date=2021-06-21|website=Kurd Net – Ekurd.net Daily News|language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| {{flagicon image|Flag of the Assyrians.svg}} [[Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council#Military wing|Nineveh Plain Guard Forces]] or "Christian Peshmerga"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/confidence-and-security-building-measures-nineveh-plains|title=Confidence- and Security-Building Measures in the Nineveh Plains|website=The Washington Institute}}</ref> || 1,500 || unknown || [[Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council]]
|-
| KDP [[Asayish (Kurdistan Regional Government)|Asayish]] (security) force || unknown || Barzan Qassab || KDP
|}

Due to limited funding and the vast size of the Peshmerga forces, the KRG planned to downsize its forces from large numbers of low-quality forces to a smaller but much more effective and well-trained force.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S6oP3Y9ZM3sC&pg=PA129|title=Withdrawal from Iraq|isbn=9780892065530|access-date=20 March 2015|last1=Cordesman|first1=Anthony H.|last2=Mausner|first2=Adam|year=2009}}</ref> Consequently, in 2009, the KRG and Baghdad engaged in discussions about incorporating parts of the Peshmerga forces into the Iraqi Army in what would be the 15th and 16th [[Iraqi Army]] divisions.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KgEo2q76J_0C&pg=PA309|title=Iraq and the United States|isbn=9780892065950|access-date=20 March 2015|last1=Cordesman|first1=Anthony H.|last2=Mausner|first2=Adam|last3=Derby|first3=Elena|year=2010}}</ref><ref>Chapman, Dennis. ''Security Forces of Kurdistan Regional Government'', US Army War College. 2009, p. 112.</ref> However, after increasing tension between Erbil and Baghdad regarding the disputed areas, the transfer was largely put on hold. Some Peshmerga were already transferred but reportedly deserted again, and there are allegations that former Peshmerga forces remained loyal to the KRG rather than their Iraqi chain of command; regardless, thousands of members of the 80 Unit of KDP and the 70 Unit of PUK are based in Baghdad, and they have good cooperation with other Iraqi forces in Baghdad.<ref>{{cite news|title=Peshmerga, Iraqi Army form committees to start joint ops in disputed areas |agency=Rudaw |url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/06022019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/1000-kurdish-soldiers-desert-from-iraqi-army.aspx?pageID=238&nID=48701&|title=1,000 Kurdish soldiers desert from Iraqi army |work=Hurriyet Daily News|date=June 13, 2013 |access-date=20 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Iraq's army and Kurds will join forces to retake Mosul |agency=PRI |url=https://www.pri.org/stories/iraqs-army-and-kurds-will-join-forces-retake-mosul}}</ref>

The Peshmerga forces are secular with a Muslim majority and [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] and [[Yazidis|Yazidi]] units.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-sinjar-idUSKBN0JZ0QO20141221|title=Iraqi Kurds, Yazidis fight Islamic State for strategic town of Sinjar |work=Reuters|date=December 21, 2014 |access-date=20 March 2015|last1=Coles |first1=Isabel }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/070120151|title=Mosul Christians form army under Peshmerga direction |agency=Rudaw|access-date=20 March 2015}}</ref>

[[File:Task Force Talon advises, assists Ministry of Peshmerga July 28, 2016.jpg|thumbnail|right|Peshmerga soldiers stand in formation during the Modern Brigade Course graduation ceremony.]]

Peshmerga forces largely rely on old arms captured from battles. The Peshmerga captured stockpiles of weapons during the [[1991 uprisings in Iraq|1991 Iraqi uprisings]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/06/iraq-asks-krg-for-pre-saddam-weapons.html#|title=Iraqi Defense Ministry Asks KRG To Return Saddam-Era Weapons |work=Al-Monitor|date=June 28, 2013 |access-date=20 March 2015}}</ref> Several stockpiles of weapons were captured from the old Iraqi Army during the 2003 U.S. [[invasion of Iraq]], in which Peshmerga forces were active. Following the retreat of the new Iraqi Army during the June 2014 Islamic State offensive, Peshmerga forces reportedly again managed to get hold of weapons left behind by the Army.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenational.ae/world/middle-east/as-isil-retreats-iraqi-kurds-gain-new-ammunition#page1|title=As ISIL retreats, Iraqi Kurds gain new ammunition|author=Hugh Naylor|work=The National|date=September 18, 2014|access-date=20 March 2015}}</ref> Since August 2014, Peshmerga forces have also captured weapons from the Islamic State.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/10/03/kurdish-forces-captured-a-isis-base-after-a-two-day-siege-but-the-isis-fighters-inside-somehow-slipped-away/|title=Kurdish forces captured an ISIS base after a two-day siege – but the ISIS fighters inside somehow slipped away|author=Richard Spencer, The Telegraph|date=3 October 2014|work=National Post|access-date=20 March 2015}}</ref> In 2015, for the first time, Peshmerga soldiers received urban warfare and military intelligence training from foreign trainers, the [[Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve]].<ref>{{cite news|title= Coalition helps Peshmerga muscle up on urban warfare|url=http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/160420155|access-date=17 April 2015|work=Rudaw|date=16 April 2015}}</ref>

The Peshmerga arsenal is limited and confined by restrictions because the Kurdish Region has to purchase arms through the Iraqi government. Due to disputes between the KRG and the Iraqi government, arms flows from Baghdad to Kurdistan Region have been almost nonexistent, as Baghdad fears Kurdish aspirations for independence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/03/iraq-peshmerga-desperate-for-us-arms-in-fight-against-isis/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103073335/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/03/iraq-peshmerga-desperate-for-us-arms-in-fight-against-isis/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 3, 2015|title=Iraq's Peshmerga desperate for US arms in fight against ISIS|author=Hollie McKay|publisher=Fox News|access-date=20 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.de/arms-for-kurdish-peshmerga-to-affect-military-balance/a-17853077|title=Arms for Kurdish Peshmerga to affect military balance|work=Deutsche Welle|access-date=20 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="Helfont2017" /> After the Islamic State offensive of August 2014, multiple governments armed the Peshmerga with  light arms, night goggles, and ammunition.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/14/uk-britain-arms-supply-kurdish-forces-iraq-isis|title=UK prepares to supply arms directly to Kurdish forces fighting Isis|author=Nicholas Watt|work=The Guardian|date=August 14, 2014|access-date=23 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2014/8/state8392.htm|title=Seven western states join US to arm Iraqi Kurdistan: Pentagon|website=ekurd.net}}</ref> However, Kurdish officials and Peshmerga stressed that they were not receiving enough and Baghdad was blocking  arms from reaching the KRG, emphasizing the need for weapons to be sent directly  and not through Baghdad.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/iraqs-kurds-appeal-for-new-us-arms-to-combat-islamic-state/2014/11/12/d2a0fe28-6aa6-11e4-9fb4-a622dae742a2_story.html|title=Iraq's Kurds appeal for new U.S. arms to combat Islamic State|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=20 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-barzani-idUSKCN0J30ON20141119|title=Iraqi Kurds say West not providing enough arms to defeat Islamic State|work=Reuters|date=November 19, 2014|access-date=20 March 2015}}</ref> Despite this, the United States has maintained that the government of Iraq is responsible for the security of Iraqi Kurdistan and that Baghdad must approve all military aid.<ref name="Helfont2017" />

The Peshmerga lack a proper medical corps and communication units.<ref name="Helfont2017" /> This became apparent during the [[Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)|Islamic State offensive in 2014]] where the Peshmerga found itself lacking ambulances and frontline field hospitals, forcing wounded fighters to walk back to safety.<ref name="Helfont2017" /> There is also a lack of communication tools, as Peshmerga commanders are forced to use civilian cellphones to communicate with each other.<ref name="Helfont2017" /> Under the guidance of the [[Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve|US-led coalition]] the Peshmerga started to standardize its weapons systems, replacing Soviet-era weapons with [[List of 5.56×45mm NATO firearms|NATO firearms]].<ref name="Helfont2017" />

== Inventory ==

{{main|List of current equipment of the Peshmerga}}

==Issues==
Peshmerga has been accused of corruption, partisanship, nepotism and fraud.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Peshmerga of Iraq |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insideiraq/2008/03/2008525185811788617.html |work=[[Aljazeera.com]] |date=1 March 2008 |access-date=22 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=KRG and the 'godfathers': 2006 secret US cable on Wikileaks |url=http://kurdistantribune.com/2014/krg-godfathers-2006-secret-cable-on-wikileaks/ |work=The Kurdistan Tribune |date=8 May 2014 |access-date=22 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Jacqueline |last=Devigne |title="Iraqoncilable" Differences? The Political Nature of the Peshmerga |url=http://tiglarchives.org/sites/default/files/resources/nimep/v5/NIMEP_Insights_2011_48-64.pdf |work=NIMEP Insights |date=2011 |access-date=22 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2014/3/state7820.htm|title=PUK official warns Peshmerga will not take orders from anyone else: Iraqi Kurdistan|access-date=20 March 2015}}</ref>  Peshmerga is accused of listing
"ghost employees" who do not exist or do not show up for work but receive a salary. Those setting up such a scam split the salary of these employees.<ref name="Helfont2017" />

In addition the KDP and PUK have used the Peshmerga to exert  a monopoly on the use of force within their zones.<ref name="Helfont2017" /> In 2011 KDP Peshmerga fired on anti-government protesters in Sulaymaniyah, and the PUK later used its own security forces to break up these protests,<ref name="CMEC" /> leading to criticism from all of the opposition parties in the parliament. In 2014 the KDP used its Peshmerga to stop ministers from the [[Gorran Movement]] to enter Erbil and attend parliament.<ref name="Helfont2017" />

Outside of [[Kurdistan Region]] the Peshmerga has been criticized for using force to exert control of local [[Arab]], [[Yazidi]] and [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] communities, particularly after taking control of areas officially outside of Kurdistan Region during the [[Iraqi Civil War (2014–2017)|Iraqi Civil War]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/11/13/marked-x/iraqi-kurdish-forces-destruction-villages-homes-conflict-isis|title=Marked With An "X" {{!}} Iraqi Kurdish Forces' Destruction of Villages, Homes in Conflict with ISIS|date=2016-11-13|publisher=Human Rights Watch|access-date=2018-04-24|language=en}}</ref>

==Role of women==
{{main|Kurdish women}}
Women have played a significant role in the Peshmerga since its foundation. The Kurdish [[Zand tribe]] was known for allowing women in military roles.<ref name="Lortz2015" /> During the [[Iraqi–Kurdish conflict]] the majority of women served within the Peshmerga in supporting roles such as building camps, taking care of the wounded, and carrying munitions and messages.<ref name="Howard2002" /> Several women brigades served on the front lines. [[Margaret George Shello|Margaret George Malik]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aina.org/articles/assyriansiniraq.pdf|title=Assyrians in Iraq, Vahram Petrosian}}</ref> was an iconic<ref name="Vindheim2016">{{cite book |last1=Vindheim |first1=Jan Bojer |title=Kurdistan stiger fram |date=2016 |publisher=Kolofon Forlag |isbn=978-82-300-1494-3 |pages=71 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hlBfDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT71}}</ref> [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] guerilla fighter who was given a leading position in important battles such as the [[Battle of Zawita Valley]].<ref name="Sankey2018">{{cite book |last1=Sankey |first1=Margaret D. |title=Women and War in the 21st Century: A Country-by-Country Guide |date=2018 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-4408-5766-9 |pages=172 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HxqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA172}}</ref> The PUK started recruiting women during the [[Iraqi-Kurdish Civil War|Kurdish Civil War]]. Women were given a 45-day basic training that included parade drills and basic marksmanship with various rifles, mortars, and RPGs.<ref name="Lortz2015" />

In the months leading up to the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq]], the United States launched [[Operation Viking Hammer]] which dealt a huge blow to Islamic terrorist groups in Iraqi Kurdistan and uncovered a [[Chemical warfare|chemical weapons]] facility.<ref>''Plan of Attack'', [[Bob Woodward]], Simon and Schuster, 2004.</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Operation Hotel California: The Clandestine War inside Iraq |first=Mike |last=Tucker |author2=Charles Faddis |year=2008 |publisher=The Lyons Press |isbn=978-1-59921-366-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/operationhotelca00tuck }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wamu.org/audio/dr/08/10/r2081007-22101.asx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930081326/http://wamu.org/audio/dr/08/10/r2081007-22101.asx |url-status=dead |title=An interview on public radio with the author|archive-date=September 30, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Chalk, Peter 2012">Chalk, Peter, Encyclopedia of Terrorism Volume 1, 2012, ABC-CLIO</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fas.org/irp/world/para/ansar.htm |title=Ansar al-Islam |publisher=Federation of American Scientists |access-date=2012-08-08}}</ref> The PUK later confirmed that female Kurdish fighters had participated in the operation.<ref name="Howard2002" />
[[File:Peshmerga & YPG.jpg|thumb|[[People's Defense Units]]' (YPG) woman volunteer with Peshmerga soldier]]
The modern Peshmerga is almost entirely made up of men, while having at least 600 [[Women in the military|women in their ranks]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11216064/Meet-the-Kurdish-women-fighting-the-Islamic-State.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11216064/Meet-the-Kurdish-women-fighting-the-Islamic-State.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Meet the Kurdish women fighting the Islamic State |date=8 November 2014|work=Telegraph|access-date=20 March 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In the KDP, these Peshmerga women have been refused access to the frontline and are mostly used in logistics and management positions,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/28092014|title=No Frontline Deployment for Female Kurdish Troops|work=Rudaw|access-date=20 March 2015}}</ref> but PUK Peshmerga women are deployed in the front lines and are actively engaged in combat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/220620151|title=KRG halts recruiting of female Peshmerga|agency=Rudaw}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/08/iraq-kurdistan-female-regiment-peshmerga-fight-is.html|title=Meet the female Peshmerga forces fighting IS |date=August 11, 2014 |publisher=Al-Monitor}}</ref><ref name="Lortz2015" />

==See also==
{{Portal|Kurdistan}}
* [[List of armed groups in the War in Iraq (2013–2017)]]
* [[Kurdish rebellion of 1983]] and [[Al-Anfal campaign]]
* [[Sinjar massacre]] and [[Genocide of Yazidis by ISIL]]
* {{ annotated link |YPG}}
* {{ annotated link |YPJ}}
* {{ annotated link |PKK}}
* {{ annotated link |PDKI}}
* {{ annotated link |Zaytun Division}}
* {{ annotated link |Barzani (tribe)}}
* [[Moshe Barazani]] – Kurdish Zionist militant, in the Lehi.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Simon Ross Valentine, ''Peshmerga: Those Who Face Death: The Kurdish Army, its History, Development, and the Fight against ISIS'', Kindle Direct Publishing, 2018, 300pp. {{ISBN?}}
* Chapman, Dennis P., Lieutenant Colonel USA, ''Security Forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government'', ''Mohammed Najat'', Costa Mesa, California: Mazda Publishers, 2011. {{ISSN|0026-3141}} Reviewed by Michael M. Gunter in ''Middle East Affairs'', Vol. 65, No. 3, Summer 2011.

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Kurdish Peshmerga}}
* [http://mope.gov.krd/English/ Official MPA site at Kurdish Regional Government site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710200404/http://mope.gov.krd/English/ |date=July 10, 2020 }}

{{Iraqi Kurdistan}}
{{Kurdish nationalist organisations}}
{{Security (Kurdistan Regional Government)}}
{{Military of the Arab world}}

[[Category:Peshmerga| ]]
[[Category:Anti-ISIL factions in Iraq]]
[[Category:Kurdistan Region (Iraq)]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in the 1920s]]
[[Category:Organizations of the 1991 Iraqi uprisings]]
[[Category:Military history of Kurdistan Region (Iraq)]]
[[Category:Armies by country]]
[[Category:1920s establishments in Iraq]]
[[Category:Kurdish words and phrases]]