HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS IN NORTHERN IRAQ, 1991:

power to achieve this task. The 3-325 Airborne Combat Team was placed under
Colonel Jones' tactical control. The British 29th Commando Regiment's 18
105mm howitzers reinforced the guns of Battery H. Marine Sea Cobras were
reinforced by two Army attack helicopter companies from the 4th (Aviation)
Battalion, 3d Infantry Division, at Zakho. Air Force A-lOs and F-16s from
Incirlik and Navy F-14s, F-18s, and A-6s from the Roosevelt were "on call."
   Colonel Jones opted to use a pincer movement. The 3-325th Airborne
Combat Team would isolate Dohuk from the northeast moving down MSR
"Banzai."   Battalion Landing Team 2/8 would approach the city from the
northwest along MSR "Ninja."  Combined command post exercises, fire support
coordination exercises, and a sandtable exercise were used to prepare the attack.
Luckily, however, this plan never had to be executed.
        Three events loosened the logjam in the mountains and eased tensions at
Dohuk: 1) Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, meeting with Saddam Hussein,
arrived at a tentative agreement about Kurdish autonomy; 2) a new allied-Iraqi
agreement was reached; and 3) the Turks agreed to the establishment of a
multinational residual force to be stationed on Turkish soil. The first two events
opened the floodgates and Kurdish refugees began streaming south; the other one
settled questions about the allied commitment to stay and protect- the Kurds.
   On 18 May, Massoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdish Democratic Party and
the most influential spokesman for the Kurdish United Front, announced an
agreement in principle between the Kurdish rebels and the Iraqi government. It
called for restoration of democracy in Iraq and granted autonomy to the Kurds.
A Kurdish Autonomous Zone (KAZ) would be established in northern Iraq, but
it would remain part of Iraq. Kurdish would be the official language and the
Kurds would be responsible for legal and political matters inside the zone, but
would retain close economic ties with Baghdad. The Iraqi government would
continue to handle international diplomacy.'04 This announcement was linked
to further negotiations between the allied command and the Iraqi military. On 19
May, General Shalikashvili met with Iraqi Lieutenant General Abu Firas Saber
to discuss opening Dohuk. A agreement was reached whereby the city of Dohuk
was declared an "open" city. This agreement allowed limited humanitarian, civil
affairs, and logistics teams to enter Dohuk along with United Nations and non-
government relief agencies. Allied forces held positions north of Dohuk while the
Iraqis pulled back to positions about 15 kilometers southeast of the city. A small
convoy of coalition vehicles entered Dohuk carrying a strictly limited exploration
and observation- team on 20 May. This team established its command post in an
empty hotel in the heart of the city and began to restore city services. This
seemed to appease the Kurds and by 25 May most were on their way back to
Dohuk.
   Several hundred thousand Kurds left their mountain sanctuaries. They moved
on foot, on horseback, and by mule cart, tractor, car, truck, and bus. Brightly
colored civilian trucks, overflowed with happy Kurds as they returned home. A
gigantic serpent-like procession snaked its way south stopping at way stations at
Batufa, Kanimasi,  Kanibalav,  Daudiyah,   Sarsing, Qadish,  Deralok, and