Themes

Article highlights

• Operation Haven

• Arriving in Turkey

• Making ‘safe routes’

• Safe havens

• Food and medical supplies

• Re-establishing the Kurdish community - Zakho
  

• Re-establishing the Kurdish community -Quadish

• An end to the suffering

Arriving in Turkey

In 1990 Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion of Kuwait. The small country easily fell to the Iraqi Army, which then tried to invade Saudi Arabia. A United Nations force successfully halted this invasion and restored the balance of power.

The Kurdish guerrillas – the Peshmerga – saw the defeat of Iraq as an opportunity to rise up against Saddam Hussein. However, the Iraqi Army once again drove the Kurds back to the mountains and looted and burned their villages and towns.

Kuwani, typical of many small, deserted Kurdish villages. (RMM)

With half a million people in temporary camps and disease becoming prevalent, a speedy response was essential. The first step the Joint Forces took was to employ C-130 Hercules aircraft to drop supplies of food, water, shelter and medical goods. Although fairly crude this bought the forces time to bring personnel and equipment into the area and open supply routes.

All men and stores landed initially at the Turkish base of Diyarbakir. On 20 April the Advance and Reconnaissance Parties from 40 and 45 Commando and Commando Logistics Regiment arrived then travelled to Silopi, which became the first Headquarters and build-up area.

Central Development Committee HQ 3 CDO BDE RM Iraq. A weekly meeting, held to coordinate relief work by the various agencies working in the operational area was held. Shown here are representatives from a number of agencies including, in the centre with glasses Dr Peter Nabarro. Opposite him are Kurdish civilian and Peshmerga leaders. (RMM)

Next, the Commandos themselves arrived. 45 Commando crossed the border into Iraq only seven days after Major General Ross had answered the first telephone call warning him that the deployment could be necessary.

By this time 40 Commando’s Advance Party had joined Task Force Alpha, which mainly consisted of the US 10th Special Forces Group. Moving into south east Turkey, their main task was to reach the refugee camps and begin to bring in food and aid as quickly and effectively as possible.

To read the story of 40 and 45 Commando, select Next

To learn more about the role of the Royal Marines' Logistical Support, follow the link

To discover the role played by 3 Commando Brigade's Air Support, follow the link