Iraqi Officials Reject Demilitarization of Disputed Territories
North Iraq -- The latest attacks on police in Kirkuk demonstrate the lack of security in Iraq, especially in areas that are disputed between Kurds and Arabs. The International Crisis Group, in their last report, called for the demilitarization of ethnically mixed regions and the replacement of soldiers with police, but Iraqi officials rejected the idea because security in these areas is poor.
The report, which was released in March, advises the Iraqi army and Peshmarga (Kurdish soldiers) to leave the disputed territories, with the aim of turning these areas into demilitarized zones in which neither group is authorized to operate.
"As in the rest of Iraq, the police in the disputed territories should provide internal security, while the army should be responsible for protecting the country's coast, borders and airspace," Joost Hiltermann, of the International Crisis Group, told Rudaw.
Hiltermann recognized that maintaining a viable police force in the disputed regions is "particularly difficult, yet keeping military forces in charge of internal policing would be a tragic error. The challenge will be in managing the transition."
But Iraqi officials think it is too early for this kind of change. "In Mosul, the police cannot control the governorate. Not now. We still need the army in Mosul. The police will never control the city if the army is not here," said Khasro Gorran, the former deputy governor of Mosul and head of the Kurdish Brotherhood bloc. But he also said that they don't have any problems with the police in the disputed areas of Mosul, which are controlled by the police and Peshmarga.
Aziz Waysi, commander of the Zerevani forces, claims that the police "sometimes help terrorists for money and other reasons. Especially in Mosul, we have a lot of examples." He says the situation would worsen were the region demilitarized. "The balance would be demolished and the situation would turn bad."
Giving an example, he spoke of the anti-government protests in Kirkuk's Hawija district on February 25, which the police weren't strong enough to control. Waysi even accused the Iraqi army of bringing in 'terrorists'.
In Mosul, where there are tensions between the local Sunni Arab governor and the Iraqi army over who controls security, army officials say the police aren't strong enough to control the province.
Iraqi army Colonel Rewbar Younis from Mosul says the situation needs to improve first. "Maybe in the future, when security is better, the Iraqi army can leave. But for the moment the Iraqi army will control the city."
In the disputed region of Kirkuk the police themselves say they are not yet ready to take over. The General Director of the Kirkuk Police, Jamal Taher Baker, says the Iraqi police in Kirkuk have weekly meetings with both the Iraqi army and Kurdish Peshmarga forces.
Currently there is a plan to establish joint security forces of Kurds and Arabs by July of this year. These joint forces will take over security from U.S. troops and work to repel violence in Kirkuk. Called Golden Lion, the forces will consist of police, Peshmarga, and Iraqi soldiers.
Baker says Kirkuk will eventually need the Iraqi army outside the city only. "In the whole world this is the duty of the army [protecting borders], but the situation is different here. And when the terrorist attacks are finished and the situation has improved, then the Iraqi army will leave the province, but now we need them."
The Kurdish Minister of Peshmarga, Jaafar Mustafa, who is responsible for the Kurdish armed forces, agrees. He thinks the police are not strong enough. "The police cannot control the regions outside of the city of Kirkuk. The police are only within the city."
A few years ago there were fears that the presence of both the Iraqi army and Kurdish armed forces in this area could result in clashes or even a civil war, but the establishment of checkpoints and the joining of Kurdish and Iraqi forces prevented further clashes. Despite these conflict prevention measures, however, there was a clash between the Kurdish security agents and the Iraqi army on April 26 in Kirkuk. Local security officials quickly downplayed the event.
"Clashes in Kirkuk and along other parts of the trigger line are always possible, and could escalate in the absence of good-faith political negotiations aimed at determining the boundary of the Kurdistan region," said Hiltermann.
"As recent incidents have shown, each side may be testing the other's resolve - and persuade the U.S. that it is too early to withdraw its forces. This is playing with fire. What each side should do - and what they owe to future generations - is to make a genuine effort to reach across the table."
The recent insurgent attacks in Iraq will probably force the Iraqi army to continue to play an active role in combating insurgents in the hotbed of violence surrounding the so-called Sunni triangle.
Iraq's army chief, Babaker Zebari, warned in an interview with Rudaw that the Iraqi army won't be able to protect Iraq until 2020. This makes it unlikely that the ICG recommendation will be implemented by the Kurdish and Iraqi government.