Security Forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government
Abstract
Since 1991, the Kurdistan has enjoyed autonomy from the rest of Iraq. Despite upheavals and setbacks, during this period the Kurds of northern Iraq have established viable government institutions including legally constituted legislative, executive, judiciary, and security entities. These structures were the only state elements in Iraq to remain intact in the aftermath of the 2003 U.S. invasion, and have continued to develop in the intervening 6 years. Their existence and authority was ratified on an interim basis by the Transitional Administrative Law and permanently by the terms of the 2005 Constitution of Iraq. This paper examines a segment of this Kurdistan Regional Government that has been heretofore little noted and poorly understood by the world at large: The large and well-developed security sector. The KRG security sector consists of military forces (the Peshmerga), investigative and policing entities (the Municipal Police and the Asayish), intelligence services (Parastin and Dazgay Zanyari), the Judiciary, and the penal system. Related to the KRG security sector are Government of Iraq forces operating inside the KRG, or consisting of personnel and units formerly part of the Peshmerga.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 26, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA510826
Entities
People
- Dennis P. Chapman
Organizations
- Center for Strategic and International Studies