Iranian Army deserters train Kurd guerrillas

          
          Tebran (Renter)—ln the mountains of
          Kurdistan, a group of officers wbo re-
          cently deserted from the Iranian armed
          forces are busy training Kurdish rebels to
          fight government troops.
          It is part of the new guerrilla war that
          became Inevitable after the regular Army
          and Islamic Revolutionary Guards recap
          tured all the towns held by Kurdish Insur-
          gents , forcing them to take to the hills.
          months ago, Cci. Fniall Allar a
          as a staff officer in Tehran. Since
          e has discarded his special forces
          uniform as an Iranian ranger to don the
          typical outfit of the Kurdish PS Merga
          (those who face death) guerrillas—a Sovi-
          et-made Kalashnlkov, a black-and-whIte
          bead scarf, and baggy trousers.
          What makes Colonel Allar even more
          exceptional Is that be was one of the few
          officers to have formed part of Ayatollah
          Ruhollali Khomeini's military committee
          during the February revolution. The corn-
          rnittee took over the monarch s shattered
          armed forces In the name of Iran's new
          revolutionary leader.
          Rapidly disillusioned with the course of
          revolution, Colonel Altar quit as one of the
          assistants to former Chief of Staff C l an.
          Nasser Parbod three months ago.
          Now be IS on the military staff of the
          banned Kurdish Democratic party (ED ?),
          which Is leading the underground Kurdish
          resistance movement on Iran 's western
          border. lie was spendint the night In one
          of the many Kurdish hillside villages kept
          under observation by government belicop '
          tart
          With him were two other officers, his
          brother—a major—and a Colonel Itabt'I,
          whosaidhehaddeserted tO days before.
          The Kurdlsb Insurgents lost the conven-
          tional war against the government forces
          in iS days.
          But considering that Ayatollah
          Khomeini had to proclaim himself su-
          preme commander, order a general mobi-
          lization and send all available troops to
          the Kurdish front to achieve victory, the
          Insurgents consider they held out remark-
          sblylong.
          After the fall of the last Kurdish
          stronghold, the border town of Sardasht,
          the Insurgents disappeared Into the moun-
          tains and abandoned armaments, Includ-
          ing field guns.
          In the freshly recaptured barracks In
          the former rebel capital of Mahshad,
          Army officers estimated there were still
          50,000 armed Kurds hiding In the moun-
          W a
          One of Iran's most wanted men, Abdur-
          Rabman Qassernloo, the ED? secretary
          general, said In an interview in another
          village near Sardasht that this was proba-
          bly an exaggeration. “Many of our villag-
          ers have guns. It is a tradition among the
          Kurds. We probably have tens of thou-
          sands of armed men, although we have not
          yet counted the precise numbert he told
          reporters.
          “Wehave not been del eatS. The lall of
          the towns Is not the end of the war, It Is
          the beginning of a new stage. We have not
          even begun our wart Dr. Qasseniloo said,
          relaxingintheopen air.
          The KDP has established a secret base
          for guerrilla operations somewhere in the
          Kurdish mountains, according to Dr Qas-
          semi®, who said the party planned to
          Iaunchguerrilla raids on towns.
          Much of the Lnsurgen& confidence is
          derived from the success of their kinsmen
          across the Iraqi border who have fought a
          guerrilla war against the Soviet-armed
          Baghdad government since 1981.
          Some of the lower rank KDP officials,
          however, appear less sanguine about their
          chancesof victory against the government
          forces. They hope the new lslarnlcadmln'-
          Istratlon will fall before winter
          “If winter comes, we must find caves.
          We are not ready yet, and It will be very
          difficult,” onesald.
          Onlj' a tiny proportion of the thousands
          of armed men who have flocked to the in-
          surgents' banner seem to be properly
          trained guerrillas who could fight effec-
          tively in winter.
          According to some ED? estimates,
          there are only a few hundred teat Posh
          Merga. Most of the others are volunteers
          quartered in villages where winter always
          brings supply problems. They also tack
          radio communications, making large-
          scaie cuoromareti actions a near ampossl
          bility.
          Asked whether the Kurdish rebels wets
          ready for a winter war, Dr. Qasaemho
          salt “We are certainly more ready than:
          the Army. Armor cannot move In winter
          here, and the helicopters will be grounded
          by bad weather most of the time. Winter Is
          onoursidet
          ‘the KDYs strategy Is, In Its leader 's
          words, “to have armed men everywhere
          and nowhere.” Dr. Qassemloo, at least, is
          pre*arlnt foralong-term war.
          While columns of Army tanks and self.
          propelled guns are parked around Maha-
          bad, lightly armed guerrillas will control
          the main road to Sardasth afew miles
          from the mIlitary 's protective rIng.
          The hills near the iraqi border appear
          to be teemIng with guerrillas. Some are
          just village mIlitias. In daytime, they
          haunt the tea shops and lovingly clean
          thelrguns.Atnlght, they move,
          Some of the armed men are political
          e JugeeshldlngIntheh IlIs,fUr i g0f1icla1
          reprisals—like the tubby schoolteacher
          shaving In a village tea shop, a briefcase
          by his side and a revolver tucked Into hIs
          cummerbund.
          Butthere are also leftist urban guerrit.
          las who have escaped to the mountaIns. SI .
          len edandbuntedl then w Mime, the
          lefustsseeaguerr lll awarl l 1theK wdl sh
          regionasthelrlastçhance.
          Iranian Army deserters train Kurd guerrillas
          The Sun (183 7-1985); Sep 16, 1979; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Baltimore Sun, The (1837-1986)
          pg. A2
          Iranian Army deserters train Kurd guerrillas
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