US Forces Attack and Disarm Kurdish Peshmerga In Mosul To Protect Turkish Interests

U.S. forces identified three roadblocks in the city manned by "peshmerga" fighters loyal to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and moved in hundreds of soldiers to take them over.

The guerrillas refused at first to yield to the Americans but finally backed down.

In one incident, dozens of peshmerga were seen moving toward one roadblock to reinforce their fellow fighters. But they turned away when a Kiowa attack helicopter swooped down low over them and more U.S. troops and firepower approached.

One Army captain told a peshmerga commander that if he did not tell his men to pull back "you will see more firepower than you would dare dream about."

In negotiations with army officers which followed, both sides agreed a deal under which some 20 weapons were seized from peshmerga vehicles trying to flee the area. But the KDP was allowed to keep guns it uses to protect its party compound.

TENSE CITY

Thousands of U.S. troops moved into the center of Mosul this week and they have made clear they intend to disarm the peshmerga or push them out of town as they try to set up a city government and calm tensions between the Kurds and majority Sunni Muslims.

"Our intention is to disarm them. I do not want confrontation. I'd rather we can negotiate and they give up their weapons," said Lieutenant Colonel Chris Holden of the Army's 101st Airborne Division.

"However, we are not going to back down. We want the peshmerga to leave and we will continue raising the bar on their compliance until they have left the city."

In a sign of continuing instability, sporadic gunfire could be heard coming from the city center late on Saturday, but the shooting could be linked to acts of looting.

Hundreds of peshmerga have been in Mosul since the fall of Saddam Hussein two weeks ago. They took control of the city before U.S. troops arrived.

Many Kurds consider this relatively wealthy city to be part of their area of control. The KDP and other Kurdish parties have rushed to establish a presence here, mainly in eastern areas where the city's Kurdish minority is strongest.

Mosul was hit by widespread looting when Saddam's rule collapsed and many people fear it could become a focus of unrest if U.S. attempts to install a new government in Iraq get bogged down.

U.S. troops have begun joint patrols with a local police force made up mainly of former police commanders and officers.

They have also sent troops out to protect truck convoys bringing oil into the city, and army officers are negotiating with schools, hospitals and utility services to get them working again.

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=2635748