WITH MARINES IN OPERATION PROVIDE COMFORT                               65


Artillery),  and  small supply  and  reconnaissance detachments. A Spanish
expeditionary force and an Italian airborne brigade were also on the way and
were scheduled to land the following week.
   Despite the presence of multinational security forces, many Kurds were
unwilling to return to Iraq.   Kurdish elders reported that the Iraqi police
intimidated them during an exploratory visit to Zaicho and stated they would
return only if the Iraqis evacuated and an allied security force remained. General
Shalikashvili felt the problem was the continued presence of Iraqi troops in and
around Zakho. In addition to the "police," an infantry strongpoint was located
only two kilometers from the city and three artillery batteries were in the hills
south  of    Zakho. General   John  R.  Galvin  (CinCEur) directed General
Shalikashvili to begin planning for forcible removal of the Iraqis should it
become necessary. Concurrently, Colonel Naab and General Nashwan reached
an agreen~nt to defuse the situation.
   General Garner (CG, JTF-B) ordered Colonel Jones to occupy the town of
Zakho. During the evening of 25 April, BLT 2/8 cordoned off the northern,
eastern, and southern approaches to the city, the Dutch covered the west, and the
45th Commando cleared the city. This was a most appropriate task because the
British had just seen duty in Northern Ireland and were adept at low intensity
urban warfare. Calling on recent experience battling the illegal, underground
Irish Republican Army, the British used a unique combination of force and tact
                      ,,,, ,~,, , 7'    , , IL', ,- ,


                                                          Photograph by the author
A CH-46E Sea Knight medium hft transport helicopter at HSSB Silopi, Turkey, landing zone. The
Sea Knights were sometimes called `frogs"because of their squat appearance. Most had seen more
than 20 years of service.