.IraqU.S. to ship arms to Iraq; France to send arms to Kurds
The United States is planning to accelerate arms shipment to Iraq, especially as it becoming clear that divisive prime minister Nouri al-Maliki has accepted the fact that he would not continue in power. The U.S. shipments will include missiles, guns, and ammunition. The shipments will start when Haider al-Abadi officially becomes Iraq’s new prime minister. France has announced it is beginning to ship arms to the Kurds, while Spain and Italy said they would begin to do so shortly
The United States is planning to accelerate arms shipment to Iraq, especially as it becoming clear that divisive prime minister Nouri al-Maliki has accepted the fact that he would not continue in power. The U.S. shipments will include missiles, guns, and ammunition.
The shipments will start when Haider al-Abadi officially becomes Iraq’s new prime minister.
A State Department official said the administration has been “looking to see what we can accelerate,” adding that much depends on the composition of a new Iraqi government.
Since January, the Pentagon has been shipping Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, anti-tank rounds, small arms, and ammunition to Iraq under the Foreign Military Sales program.
Approximately 800 Hellfire missiles, which can be loaded onto the small Beechcraft and Cessna planes the Iraqi military possess, have been delivered since January, with 5,000 of them authorized for sale.
The Guardian reports that it is not likely that the first complement of F-16 fighter jets that the United States has long pledged to sell to Iraq will arrive in Iraq any time soon. Maliki visited Washington in November and delivered an unsuccessful plea to acquire the planes. The recent evacuation of U.S. contractor personnel from Balad air base in response to ISIS presence in the area has put the program on hold. In the interim, Russia and perhaps Iran have sent Su-25 Frogfoot jets to Iraq.
Earlier today, Yesterday, President Francois Hollande’s office said that France will supply arms “in the coming hours” in response to a request for Iraq’s Kurdish leadership. “To meet the urgent needs voiced by the Kurdish regional authorities, the head of state (Hollande) decided in liaison with Baghdad to ship arms in the coming hours,” said a statement by his office.
Yesterday, The European Union failed to agree on a joint position on supplying weapons to Iraqi Kurds battling ISIS militants, but said individual members could send arms in coordination with Baghdad. In addition to France, Italy and Spain have already indicated that they would do so.
