On Wednesday, the parliament of Iraq's largely autonomous Kurdish region voted overwhelmingly to send a contingent of peshmerga fighters to help the Syrian Kurds defending the town of Kobani from an ISIS siege. The obvious route for the peshmerga fighters is through Turkey, which offered passage to Iraqi Kurdish fighters earlier this week, though the details are vague.
This will be the first time the Iraqi peshmerga have been deployed outside of Iraq, though Syrian and Iraqi Kurds worked together in August to create a safe passage for ISIS-hunted Yazidi refugees. "This is a big turning point in Kurdish history," said Youssef Mohammed, the speaker of the Iraqi Kurdish parliament. "Troops used to be sent to occupy Kurdish lands, but now we are sending soldiers to protect our Kurdish brothers abroad." The timing and strength of the peshmerga deployment have yet to be determined.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
The best dog-friendly hotels around the UKThe Week Recommends Take a break with your four-legged friend in accommodation that offers you both a warm welcome
-
Shopping trolleys: the new must-have accessorySpeed Read Sales are soaring as new designs help shed that old-fashioned image
-
5 ways to help the environment while on vacationThe Week Recommends An afternoon of planting trees could be the best part of your trip
-
Israel proposes two-month pause in Gaza war in exchange for all Hamas hostagesSpeed Read Deal doesn't include an agreement to end war, but might be 'the only path that could lead to a ceasefire', said US officials
-
Nato official warns of all-out war with Russia in next 20 yearsSpeed Read Civilians must prepare for life-changing conflict and mass mobilisation, says military chief
-
Rishi Sunak visits Kyiv to announce £2.5 billion in military support for UkraineSpeed Read Surprise trip comes amid increased Russian bombardment and escalation of Middle East crisis
-
British warship repels 'largest Houthi attack to date' in the Red SeaSpeed read Western allies warn of military response to Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels if attacks on ships continue
-
Israel preparing to flood Hamas tunnels with seawaterSpeed Read IDF pumps could drive out terrorists but critics warn of danger to hostages and Gaza water supply
-
Houthi rebels claim Red Sea ship attacksspeed read Iran-backed Yemeni group vows to escalate aggression towards Israel-linked vessels in revenge for Gaza war
-
Israel plans next phase of Gaza war as first hostages releasedSpeed read After four-day ceasefire 'we will not stop' until destruction of Hamas, says Israel
-
Mob storms Russian airport 'looking for Jews'Speed Read Plane from Israel surrounded by rioters chanting antisemitic slogans after landing in Russia's Dagestan region
