Themes

Operation Haven

In the spring of 1991 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines spearheaded ‘Operation Haven’ – an international aid effort to help hundreds of thousands of Kurds who, persecuted by Iraqi Forces, had fled to the mountains on the Iraq/Turkey border.

The Iraqi treatment of the Kurds had begun to verge on ‘ethnic cleansing’. Kurdish civilians were suffering greatly from lack of food, medicine, hygiene and the extreme cold in their mountain settlements.

The United States led an international coalition comprising of forces from France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Germany, Canada, Holland, Australia, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom to halt the actions of the Iraqi Army and Secret Police.

4000 British personnel from the Royal Navy, Army and Air Force were involved including 2500 Royal Marines Commandos. The coalition formed a Joint Force Headquarters with HQ Commando Forces RM and 3 Commando Brigade RM at its heart with Major General R J Ross RM in overall command of the British Forces.

Operation Haven stands as a dramatic example of how the Marines have given 'aid to the civil power'.

Article highlights

• Operation Haven

• Arriving in Turkey

• Making ‘safe routes’

• Safe havens

• Food and medical supplies

• Re-establishing the Kurdish community - Zakho

• Re-establishing the Kurdish community -Quadish

• An end to the suffering