PESHMERGA COMMANDER ACCUSES PUK OFFICIAL OF BEING 'TRAITOR' AMID BAGHDAD-ERBIL CRISIS

PESHMERGA COMMANDER ACCUSES PUK OFFICIAL OF BEING 'TRAITOR' AMID BAGHDAD-ERBIL CRISIS

KIRKUK – The retreat of Peshmerga forces in the face of the Iraqi military advance into Kirkuk was “tactical” and aimed to reduce casualties, senior Peshmerga commander said Saturday (October 21).

The head of Peshmerga’s 70th division, Sheikh Jaafar Mustafa is a senior commander of the Kurdish forces who has claimed responsibility for coming up with the decision to order the “tactical” withdrawal.

During an interview with Kuwaiti daily Al Rai, Jaafar said “our move was a tactical withdrawal to keep our [Peshmerga] forces safe,” and he accused Iran and Turkey of "giving the green light to the Iraqi army to enter the Kurdish areas under the supervision of Tehran."

Jaafar said Kurdish Peshmerga forces will retake posts seized by the Iraqi forces and Iranian backed Shia militia whose aggression was in retaliation to the independence vote by the Kurdistan Region.

Jaafar accused Bafel Talabani (son of the late Iraqi President Jalal Talabani) of being “a traitor, with only a small faction,” referring to certain officials from Bafel’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).

Jaafar further said he had been given guidance by Masoud Barzani to organize and unite Peshmerga forces and resistance to the “occupation” army.

"We are ready to fully defend our lands, our homes and our people, and we will never give up that right under any circumstances," he added.

On Monday, the federal government troops and Hashid al-Shaabi took down the Kurdistan flag that had flown over the Kirkuk government premises after Kurds withdrew with minimal fighting.

The Iraqi forces advanced on Tuesday into the areas which are outside the Kurdistan Region’s administration, taking control of Sinjar, Jalawla and Khanaqin.

(NRTtv)