54                            HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS IN NORTHERN IRAQ, 1991:

Hope. They distributed informational leaflets, used loud speakers, made radio
announcements, conducted informational briefings, held meetings with Kurdish
elders, and contacted Christian and Muslim religious leaders at Zakho. These
teams sought to inspire Kurdish self-reliance, to inform Iraqi soldiers that the
multinational force had the capability and the will to protect humanitarian
Operations, to discourage the PKK (a Kurdish anti-Turkish splinter group), and
to convince skeptical non-Kurdish civilians that humanitarian efforts were legally
and morally correct.65
    The United States Office of Disaster Assistance sent two Disaster Assistance
Relief Teams (DARTs) to Turkey. The team assigned to Encourage Hope was
headed by Mr. Frederick C. Cuny. The fact he was a former Marine gave him
a common bond with the Marines in Kurdistan and meant that he understood the
principles of military necessity.  Colonel Jones credited Cuny's service as
"invaluable."66


                          Encourage Hope Begins

    In mid-April, American Secretary of State James A. Baker III informed Iraqi
Arnbassador to the United Nations Abdul Amir Al-Anbari that allied forces
intended to initiate humanitarian operations at the Iraqi town of Zakho "in the
immediate future." He specified the following actions: 1) that Iraq withdraw all
its armed forces 30 kilometers south of Zakl~o, 2) that a consultative meeting
between U.S. military personnel and an Iraqi military team take place, and 3)
that the meeting be held in Zakho at noon, Friday, 19 April 1991. The purpose
of the meeting was to avoid unfortunate incidents between allied and Iraqi forces,
to inform the Iraqis about future relief Operations, and to discuss any other
matters of mutual interest 67

                    Issues Facing the 24th MEU (SOC)

    On 16 April, the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff issued the order to begin
security operations  in northern Iraq.  The next day Encourage Hope was
launched. General Garner moved Joint Task Force Bravo Headquarters to Silopi
on 17 April. Task Force Bravo included a skeleton headquarters and a few Army
helicopter air and ground crews, but General Garner would have to rely on the
24th MEU Headquarters to act as the command element until reinforcements
arrived. Joint Task Force Bravo's initial maneuver element was the 24th MEU
(SOC). When General Garner opened shop, the 24th MEU (SOC) Forward was
already operating from Silopi, Colonel Jones and the Alpha Command Group
flew in, some of BLT 2/8 was already in place and the rest was in transit,
HMM-264 was Operating the Silopi landing zones, and MSSG-24 was unloading
the ships of Phibron 8 at Iskenderun Harbor.
    General Garner tasked Colonel Jones to move the 24th MEU (SOC) into
northern Iraq on 20 April to secure the town of Zakho. In preparation, a flight
of two MH-53J Pave Low helicopters from the USAF 21st Special Operations