ANTHOLOGY AND ANNOrATED BIBLIOGRAPHY                                      199

cover over northern Iraq for much of PROVIDE COMFORT, was relieved on
station by the USS Forrestal (CV 59).    At Silopi, Thrkey, the Combined Sup-
port Command, under the direction of BGen Hal Burch, USA, was now func-
tioning as the logistical pivot for all supplies flowing into Iraq.
   On 8 June, JTF-A was deactivated and BGen Potter's troops began their
retrograde out of Thrkey.  On 12 June, the Civil Affairs Command was also
deactivated.
   The remaining days of coalition presence in northern Iraq were devoted to
continuing to stabilize the region and reassuring Kurdish leaders that although
coalition forces would soon be leaving, this act would not sigmfy a change in
the resolve of the allied forces to support the Kurdish people.  It was also a
period of planning for the allies, who were now tasked with retrograding their
forces and material from northern Iraq.   At this time the unannounced date for
coalition forces to be out of Iraq was 15 July. A second demarche was drawn
up and presented to the Iraqi government outlining the type of conduct coalition
forces expected of Iraq in the future.  In essence, its terms were as follows:

   Iraqi fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft were not to fly north of the 36th paral-
lel, which is approximately 60 kilometers south of Dahuk.

   The Iraqi Army and secret police were not to enter the security zone.

   A coalition ground combat force, composed of forces representing several
nations, would be maintained across the border in Silopi, Turkey.

   Coalition aircraft, both fixed- and rotary-wing, would continue to patrol the
skies above the security zone.

   The Military Coordination Committee would continue to monitor the security
zone and Iraqi compliance of the terms of the demarche.

   In the ensuing days, coalition forces continued their drawdown.    On the
morning of 15 July, Marines from BLT 2/8 along with paratroopers from 3/325
Airborne Combat Team were the last combat elements to withdraw from
northern Iraq. In the early afternoon, the American flag was lowered for the
last time at JFT-B headquarters at Zakhu.  Minutes later, U.S. military leaders,
who had entered Iraq on 20 April, walked across the bridge over the Habur
River, leaving Iraq for the last time.  Two Air Force F-16s followed by two
A-lOs made low passes over the bridge as the group made its way across the
bridge.   On  19 July, the 24th MEU(SOC), now back aboard amphibious
shipping watched as the city of Iskenderun and the Turkish horizon slipped into
the sea.  After a six-month deployment, it too was finally on its way home.

The author wishes to thank SSgt Lee J. flbbets for his assistance in preparing
this article.