Iraq receives U.S. consent to buy arms supplies worth over $22 billion

Iraq receives U.S. consent to buy arms supplies worth over $22 billion

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Editorial Staff in Economy, Politics, Security
IA-407 helicopters are prepped to be shipped to Iraq
IA-407 helicopters are prepped to be shipped to Iraq, Apr 3, 2013. Photo: U.S Army/army.mil

WASHINGTON,— The Iraqi government has received the consent of the U.S. Department of State to buy American weapons in the form of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) worth more than $22 billion in a 12 year period.

The United States has been Iraq’s primary supplier since 2005 of which arms exports in 2016 included 146 M1A1 Main Battle Tanks, 36 F-16 fighter aircraft, 24 IA407 helicopters, and 9 C-130 cargo aircraft.

American arms exports to the Iraqi government last year also included an F-16 munitions package of short-range air-to-air missiles, laser-guided bombs, air-to-ground tactical missiles.

The Office of the Spokesperson at the U.S. State Department released a fact sheet on Wednesday saying Congress has provided Iraq with funding of over $2 billion in form of Foreign Military Financing (FMF) following the end of funding in 2012 by Department of Defense.

“These funds were originally intended to build up Iraq’s long-term sustainment and logistics capabilities, and for Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) professionalization and other essential training,” Department of Defense said.

“These funds were critical to the Iraqi effort to blunt IS’s advance while the Department of Defense’s ITEF Iraq Train and Equip Fund authority was being stood up, demonstrating the flexibility and speed of Department of State security assistance programs,” the department said.

The Iraqi government owes United States $250 million of a $2.7 billion loan that it was provided to pay for arms imports and needs to pay back over an eight-year period.

The United States has trained 18,000 Kurdish fighters with Iraq Train and Equip Funding (ITEF) in order to support the ongoing operation against Islamic State (IS) militants in the country, the State Department said.

The State Department’s statement said that along with the 18,000 trained, several hundred Kurdish fighters were also currently receiving training at the Erbil Building Partner Capacity site.

The Kurdish Peshmerga in Iraqi Kurdistan are not unified forces, and considered as militias loyal and taking orders from the two rival ruling parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP led by Massoud Barzani and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK.

IS militants launched their first attack on Mosul on June 4 when the Iraqi army withdrew from the city and left it to militants. The city fell nearly a week later on June 10, displacing tens of thousands of residents.

Peshmerga forces officially began fighting against IS in August 2014 after the IS jihadi militants captured Mosul, Sinjar, and territory in Kirkuk Governorate.

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