War Is Business - U.S. Looks To Make $2.7 Billion Selling Weapons In Iraq To Fuel Its Civil War
https://nigeriaafrica1.blogspot.com/2013/08/war-is-business-us-looks-to-make-27.html
The Pentagon has proposed the sale of $2.7 billion in air defense weapons and communications systems to Iraq.
The deal would include 681 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, 40 truck-mounted launchers and three Hawk anti-aircraft batteries with 216 Hawk missiles, Agence France Presse reports.
These weapons would reportedly be used to bolster a possible no-fly zone in Iraq in addition to cutting off Iranian supplies being sent to Syria through Iraqi air space.
“This capability will provide Iraq with the ability to contribute to regional air defenses and reduce its vulnerability to air attacks and also enhance interoperability between the government of Iraq, the US, and other allies,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
The Pentagon has been sending a series of weapons deals to Congress over the past two weeks, the combined value of which is estimated to be nearly $5 billion.
Congress has 30 days to block the arms sales. If they do not offer a response by that time, the deals will go through.
Some of the other weapons included in the proposed arms sales include transport helicopters, F-16 fighter planes and armored vehicles designed for nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical warfare.
Iraq was supposed to be getting most of these weapons from Russia as per a deal with Moscow last year to supply Iraq with $4.2 billion arms.
This deal reportedly fell through, however, due to suspicions of corruption.
As profitable as the Pentagon’s proposal is, selling weapons to Iraq might not be the best idea at the moment, considering the reports that the country is on the verge of a civil war.
Reuters reports that over 1,000 Iraqis were killed last month, the highest monthly death tool since 2008.
The tribal conflicts within the Syrian civil war have spread to Iraq, as the Kurds, Sunnis and Shi’ites are beginning to clash at the same levels of violence we saw back in 2006.
As Kim Kagan said in the Weekly Standard, “Some of the militia activity is occurring within sight of Iraqi Security Forces checkpoints,” suggesting Maliki, “is either tolerating it or has lost control over the escalation.”
These weapons would reportedly be used to bolster a possible no-fly zone in Iraq in addition to cutting off Iranian supplies being sent to Syria through Iraqi air space.
“This capability will provide Iraq with the ability to contribute to regional air defenses and reduce its vulnerability to air attacks and also enhance interoperability between the government of Iraq, the US, and other allies,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
The Pentagon has been sending a series of weapons deals to Congress over the past two weeks, the combined value of which is estimated to be nearly $5 billion.
Congress has 30 days to block the arms sales. If they do not offer a response by that time, the deals will go through.
Some of the other weapons included in the proposed arms sales include transport helicopters, F-16 fighter planes and armored vehicles designed for nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical warfare.
Iraq was supposed to be getting most of these weapons from Russia as per a deal with Moscow last year to supply Iraq with $4.2 billion arms.
This deal reportedly fell through, however, due to suspicions of corruption.
As profitable as the Pentagon’s proposal is, selling weapons to Iraq might not be the best idea at the moment, considering the reports that the country is on the verge of a civil war.
Reuters reports that over 1,000 Iraqis were killed last month, the highest monthly death tool since 2008.
The tribal conflicts within the Syrian civil war have spread to Iraq, as the Kurds, Sunnis and Shi’ites are beginning to clash at the same levels of violence we saw back in 2006.
As Kim Kagan said in the Weekly Standard, “Some of the militia activity is occurring within sight of Iraqi Security Forces checkpoints,” suggesting Maliki, “is either tolerating it or has lost control over the escalation.”
