Hiring Kurd Militia Mercenaries

It has been revealed that Korean troops in Arbil in southern Iraq are using Kurd militia fighters as mercenary soldiers to guard Korean civilians in the area.

An official in the National Defense Ministry said on August 8, “About 40 Korean civilians are in Arbil to build the military quarters for the Iraq Peace Rebuilding Division (the Zaytun unit). A Kurd militia unit called the “Peshumelga” organized a guard unit consisting of about 60 soldiers to protect those Koreans, and Korean troops are paying them for their services.”

After setting up a camp near the Zaytun unit’s military quarters, mercenaries in “Peshumelga” are dispatched to Turkey as well as Arbil city on guard whenever they are asked by Koreans who work in construction, supply of goods and services to the military and communications facilities.

Korean troops are paying officers $200 to $400 a month, and soldiers about $100 a month.

An official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, “Because Korean troops in Arbil didn’t have reserve strength due to the construction of the Zaytun unit’s military quarters, we asked a local militia force to be charged with guarding civilians. They cannot be officially hired troops as they are not under the military command and control system of the army.”