Report of planned Iraq military purge (removal of Kurd military officers)

[sabra]

http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?StoryID=20051214-091545-1738r

Report of planned Iraq military purge

BAGHDAD, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Iraq's Shiite-majority government reportedly recently planned a purge of Kurdish military officers with the knowledge of U.S. and British officials.

The Kurdish Web site peyamner.com reported that Iraqi Defense Minister Saadoun Dulaimi signed a decree to remove a number of high-ranking Iraqi army officers but failed to follow through. Among those to be sacked were 13 high-ranking Kurdish officers, among them the chief of staff of the Iraqi armed forces, Babakir Zebari.

...

One Sunni Iraqi officer speaking on condition of anonymity said, "The Kurds are running the Ministry of Defense. The first thing they ask you when you want to become an officer is, 'Are you an Arab or a Kurd?'"

Lt. Col. Dan Kessler, commander of the U.S. Military Transitional Team Task Force 66, commented, "It is very frustrating, the sectarianism. Everyone has something for himself. The head of the staff is a Kurd, the commander of the (2nd) Division is a Kurd."

[MrMonk]

1. It's not a "coup d'etat".

The UPI reporter uses the word incorrectly.
It would be a coup d'etat if Dulamai assumed control of Iraq and dislodged the current government.
As you stated in your subject line, it is a plan for a purge, since it would remove a certain class of persons from their official posts.

[sabra]

2. good point, updated the headline.

thanks.

[liam_laddie]

3. Factionalism...

ethnicity, sectarianism, tribalism...all are burned into the DNA of the
Mid-East (or West Asia, if you prefer) peoples. I'm sure that the
post-war playbook prepared by State and other Departments - which
Rummy, Dickie, Wolfie and other brilliant (but closed) minds buried -
addressed these issues. No one should be surprised. The Shia
are just exacting their kilos of flesh and wealth, after eight decades
of Sunni domination.

In fact, there's quite a parallel between the Ba'ath/Sunni power base
in Iraq and the Rethug/fundie base here. Both are a minority (~20%)
of the population, but wielded power far beyond their numbers. Are we
not in the same situation here? Intimidation, corruption, politicized
decisions, dishonest elections, patriot act/martial law preparations?
You tell me...

[MidwestTransplant]

4. If true, I am sure they won't go quietly.