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........The peshmerga's withdrawal from Sinjar left tens of thousands of ethnic Yezidis at the mercy of the Islamic State, which considers them devil worshippers, or stranded on a mountain with scant food and water.

Several Yezidis said they had begged the peshmerga to hand over their weapons before they withdrew so they could protect themselves, but were refused.

"There was categorically no order to withdraw from any front," said peshmerga spokesman Hikmat, dismissing statements by some Kurdish officials that the retreat was tactical. "There was negligence."

Hikmat said the field commanders responsible for the area were under investigation. It will take more, however, to restore confidence among Yezidis, who feel betrayed by the peshmerga.

"We used to feel safe, and that the peshmerga had our back," said 31-year-old Yezidi Firas, who fled Sinjar with his family and eventually made it to the Kurdish city of Duhok after escaping from the Mount Sinjar via Syria.

"We trusted them, but they withdrew and destroyed us. How can we trust them anymore?".......

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/08/13/uk-iraq-security-peshmerga-idUKKBN0GD1N820140813