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
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
