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After serving as the military wing of a liberation movement and taking part in guerilla warfare, the Kurdistan Peshmerga Force evolved into a disciplined and experienced force that is entrusted with defending the Kurdish people and territory within the framework of a ministry of the Kurdistan Regional Government. The force has sacrificed its life in this regard and has fought against all forms of hostility and occupation against Kurdistan. Despite the existence of various educational programs and lectures in the Peshmerga training centers and military schools, in order to boost this force's legal awareness and bring it to international legal standards in the field of armed conflict law, a military law Manual was necessary to support this force's legal education. It is therefore essential that the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces and the parties involved with international humanitarian law, have access to this Manual, which is based on international humanitarian law and applicable legislation in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Thus, The Kurdistan Center for International Law (KCIL) is preparing this Manual for legal education on the laws of armed conflict, the project is funded by IFA (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen) via German Federal Foreign Office Fund.

In the preparation of this Manual for the Ministry of Peshmerga of Kurdistan, all applicable laws regarding military and armed conflict in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, as well as its changes from 1940 to 2017, were discussed, and the international treaties to which Iraq is a party and which the Kurdistan Region and Iraq are obliged to, have been considered. Moreover, intensive interviews have been conducted with a group of senior Peshmerga commanders in the ministry at various levels, positions, offices and directorates, and all of their views and remarks regarding the laws, strengths and weaknesses in the field of legal education and training on the laws of armed conflict in different situations and contexts are included in the guideline. In this regard, the Peshmerga Ministry's dignitaries, including the Training Department, Military Training Colleges, Legal Office, Military Court, secretaries, and senior field commanders, have all been incredibly cooperative and devoted. Also, to read and delve into legal sources, all common domestic and international treaty laws that Iraq and Kurdistan are obliged to, have been read and studied. Further, this guide was authored using the International Committee of the Red Cross's guidelines, a guide to the Law of Martial and the Laws of Armed Conflict of other countries.