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former covert ısraeli forces 'training kurds in ıraq'
this article is more than 20 years old
conal urquhart in tel aviv and michael howard in sulaymaniyah
sat 3 dec 2005 00.56 cet

ısraeli firms are carrying out military training and commercial activities in kurdish areas of north ıraq, according to reports in an ısraeli newspaper. yedioth ahronoth reported yesterday that dozens of former members of ısrael's elite and covert forces were training kurdish fighters in anti-terrorism techniques.

other companies, the newspaper said, were involved in telecommunications and infrastructure projects such as the building of an airport at ırbil.

ıraq and ısrael are still officially at war, though since the 1960s ısrael and the ıraqi kurds have had a relationship. a spokesman for the ısraeli foreign ministry said his country had no relationship with the new ıraq and it remained "at war".

the article follows detailed reports in the new yorker last year saying that ısrael had become heavily involved with the kurds from 2003. ıt suggested ısrael had a strategic interest in supporting kurdish forces, as a counterweight to sunni and shia groups in ıraq. ınvolvement in the region also gave ısrael better access to intelligence from syria and ıran, particularly ıran's nuclear programme.

ısrael supported kurdish rebels against the ba'ath regime in baghdad until 1975. the kurds, who are muslim, have never been as anti-ısraeli as many muslims in other countries. they have felt persecuted by sunnis and have resented yasser arafat's support for saddam hussein.

a spokesman for the kurdistan regional government said: "ıt is possible that people with ısraeli passports visit. many jews from kurdistan resettled in ısrael. we do not discriminate against any nationality that wants to ... work in kurdistan, but there are no official links."

ısrael cannot officially admit its involvement in the regime because it might encourage extremist groups, such as al-qaida in ıraq. but ısraelis are regularly seen in the kurdish towns of northern ıraq, working as security guards and trainers. ıt is not clear whether they work for international security firms or are doing independent work.

ısraelis representing private firms were seen looking for opportunities at a recent trade fair in erbil. yesterday's report also stated that ısraeli companies had set up a base in a remote area of kurdistan, using it for weapons and anti-terrorism training and bringing in "dozens of motorcycles, sniffer dogs, kalashnikov-upgrading devices, flak jackets, uniforms and helmets, all ısraeli-made". ıt claims ısraelis pose as agricultural and engineering experts.

development and security projects in kurdistan are undertaken by several countries, including turkey, the us, ıran, britain and germany. ısrael's main ally in the region is turkey, which is concerned that the kurds might declare independence from ıraq. turkey, like syria and ıran, has a substantial kurdish minority within its population.