Lahur Talabany

Lahur Talabany, born 1976; (Kurdish: لاهور تاڵەبانی) also known as Lahur Sheikh Jangi Talabany[1] is Co-President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)[2] and the Former Director of the Zanyari Agency, one of two intelligence services in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq operating within the framework of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, and Former Director of the Counter Terrorism Group (CTG) special forces group. Known commonly as Sheikh Lahur, Talabany is a leading figure in the fight against terror[3] especially in the fight against ISIS.

Lahur Talabany
Lahur Sheikh Jangi
Co-President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
Assumed office
18 February 2020
Serving with Bafel Talabani
Preceded byKosrat Rasul Ali
Personal details
Born1976
CitizenshipIraqi and British
NationalityKurdish
Political party Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
RelativesPolad Talabani
(brother)
Aras Talabani
(brother)
Aso Talabani
(brother)
Ako Talabani
(brother)
Jalal Talabani (uncle)
Qubad Talabani (cousin)
Bafel Talabani (cousin)
OccupationCo-President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan

Political and Military Career

From 1999 to 2001 Talabany served as the Special Representative of the PUK to Turkey.[4] Having returned to the Kurdistan Region, he co-founded the Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG) in 2002, which was established with the support of the United States Military 10th Special Forces Group and the Central Intelligence Agency. Talabany continues to play an integral role in the fight against terrorism.[5] Talabany is a well respected and distinguished figure in the Iraqi political, military and intelligence communities. He has devoted his professional career to the Kurdish cause and is a leading figure among the new generation of PUK cadres and enjoys favorable standing throughout Kurdistan, Iraq and the wider region. A staunch ally of the United States and the West, Talabany continues to be an influential and crucial figure in the security and political fields in Kurdistan, Iraq and the wider region. Having established strong foundations with key figures in Kurdistan and Iraq, Talabany also maintains good relations with prominent Arab leaders and influential Western and Middle Eastern states.

Counter Terrorism Group

In response to the rise of extremist groups in the Hawraman area of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Talabany was instrumental in the creation of Kurdistan's first counter-terrorism elite special forces. Countering terrorism in relatively few numbers at the outset, the CTG forces have grown in number and are considered a well established rapid response unit. Highly trained and well equipped, the CTG forces under Talabany's leadership have repelled and eliminated countless terrorist threats to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

Ansar Al Islam and Operation Viking Hammer

In 2003 Talabany played a leading role in the decisive Operation Viking Hammer to oust the Ansar Al-Islam terrorist organization, which was recognized as a major threat to Kurdistan’s national security. The operation’s success led to the permanent expulsion of Ansar Al-Islam from the Kurdistan Region.

Co-President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan

In February 2020, he was elected to serve as the Co-President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) alongside Bafel Talabani.[2]

Zanyari Agency

In 2013, Talabany was appointed as the Director of the Zanyari Agency (the Intelligence Unit of the PUK).[4] Upon his appointment, one of Talabany's first actions was to incorporate the CTG into Zanyari Agency. The new framework adopted by the Agency was a historic shift as it was the first time in the Kurdistan Region that a military entity was integrated into an intelligence agency. Talabany has played a pivotal role in unifying the Kurdish intelligence apparatus as well as modernizing Zanyari to better combat evolving national and regional security threats. Upon becoming director, Talabany developed a strong strategic partnership with his counterparts in other services.

Personal life

Talabany is married and a father of three children, two sons, and a daughter. Talabany has five brothers and two sisters. He is fluent in Kurdish, English, Turkish, Arabic and Persian. Talabany is an avid football fan and supports Liverpool FC. He takes a keen interest in ancient history and enjoys painting. Lahur is the nephew of Jalal Talabani.[6] On 11 August 2020, Lahur tested positive for COVID-19.[7]

References
  1. Editorial Staff (2019-12-27). "Lahur Talabani the most popular across PUK party: results show". Kurd Net - Ekurd.net Daily News. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  2. "Bafel Talabani, Lahur Sheikh Jangi elected PUK co-leaders: party media". www.rudaw.net. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  3. "The British brothers fighting against Isis in Iraq". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  4. Dougherty, Beth K. (2019-06-15). Historical Dictionary of Iraq. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 740. ISBN 978-1-5381-2005-7.
  5. "After Mosul, jihadist threat to Iraq will grow: Kurdish intelligence official". 16 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017 – via Reuters.
  6. https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/11022020
  7. https://www.rudaw.net/arabic/kurdistan/110820201
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