Lahur Talabani

Lahur Talabany (Kurdish: لاهور تاڵەبانی) born in 1976, is the Director of Zanyari Agency, one of two intelligence services in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq operating within the framework of the Kurdistan Region Security Council. Talabany is also a leading member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) Central Council.

Political and Military Career

From 1999 until 2001 Talabany served as the Special Representative of the PUK to Turkey. 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.

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.

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 seen as a leading figure amongst 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.

Zanyari Agency

In 2013 Talabany was appointed as the Director of the Zanyari Agency. Since this appointment, as well as continuing his post as the Director of CTG, 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.