What is the position of Baghdad and Tehran regarding it?.. An American plan to arm the Kurdistan Reg

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[size=52]What is the position of Baghdad and Tehran regarding it?.. An American plan to arm the Kurdistan Region with air defense systems[/size]

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2023-12-17
The American magazine "Forbes" reported that the US Congress's decision to equip the Kurdish Peshmerga forces with air defense systems is welcomed, especially in light of Erbil International Airport being subjected to repeated attacks, attacks that were occurring even years before the current war between Israel and the "Hamas" movement.[/size]
[size=45]The American report explained that the “National Defense Authorization Act for 2024,” which was recently approved by Congress, includes a clause related to equipping the Peshmerga forces in the Kurdistan Region with air defenses, adding that such a step is welcomed in the region because it has been subjected to repeated attacks with missiles and drones from Iran and the supported militias. During the past years, they were attacks that had no defense against them.[/size]
[size=45]Erbil Airport[/size]
[size=45]The report continued that the item contained in the draft law, which was approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate on December 14, and is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden and the Ministers of Defense and State, stipulates “developing an action plan to equip and train the Iraqi security forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces to defend against any attack.” With missiles, missiles, and unmanned systems, by February 1, 2024, and implementing them within 90 days of their preparation.”[/size]
[size=45]The report indicated that since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas last October, American forces have been subjected to repeated attacks with missiles and drones in Iraq and Syria, targeting a base for American forces at Erbil International Airport, recalling that this airport was exposed years before The start of the current war in Gaza led to attacks, as the first missile attack occurred in September 2020.[/size]
[size=45]The report considered that many of these attacks aimed to show the United States the capabilities of these militias to strike their targets, even within the relatively safe borders of the Kurdistan Region, which directly exposes American forces to danger, as happened when a bomb-laden drone struck an American base at the airport on October 26. Last October 1, it could have led to human casualties and major damage if it had exploded.[/size]
[size=45]The report also mentioned another attack that occurred on February 14, 2021, targeting the airport with a barrage of 14 missiles on the base and an adjacent residential area, killing an American contractor at the base and seriously wounding a civilian, who died as a result of these injuries.[/size]
[size=45]Another attack occurred on December 8, when a bomb-laden plane crashed into an unfinished building. If it had been inhabited, there would have been a large number of casualties.[/size]
[size=45]the green Zone[/size]
[size=45]The report pointed out that, unlike the neighborhoods surrounding the Green Zone in the capital, Baghdad, which were also subjected to attacks by missiles and drones, the neighborhoods surrounding Erbil Airport include many high-rise buildings, and many of them are currently under construction.[/size]
[size=45]The report indicated that analysts said that American soldiers had previously avoided launching the “C-RAM” anti-missile system and artillery and mortar shells during the February 15, 2021 attack at Erbil airport, because they were afraid of accidentally hitting nearby high-rise civilian buildings.[/size]
[size=45]Iranian attacks[/size]
[size=45]In addition, the report recalled Iran’s missile attack on a residential building on March 12, 2022, which demonstrated Iran’s willingness to directly target civilian areas in Kurdistan, in addition to its targeting of Iranian Kurdish dissidents in the Koya area, which also demonstrated the accuracy of Iranian missiles and Tehran’s readiness. To attack opposition groups in the region in this way.[/size]
[size=45]The report considered that these Iranian attacks, and others, clearly demonstrated the weaknesses in the Kurdistan Region.[/size]
[size=45]Air defense systems[/size]
[size=45]The report continued that while the American force at Erbil Airport will continue to secure a defense point for its base using the Sea-RAM system, the Kurds need greater air defenses.[/size]
[size=45]He pointed out that any air defense systems that the United States agrees to supply to the Kurdistan Region will most likely not be as advanced as the famous and long-range MIM-104 Patriot system, noting that the most advanced ground air defense system currently in the Iraqi army is the “MAM-104 Patriot” system. Russia's short-range Pantsir-S1, but Baghdad would likely oppose Kurdistan getting any system more advanced than it has.[/size]
[size=45]Therefore, the report suggests that the United States will supply Kurdistan with short- to medium-range systems capable of confronting militia missile and drone attacks, which Kurdistan will undoubtedly possess for defensive purposes only, indicating that Iran will certainly protest, and it had already requested clarification on this issue when this appeared. The provision related to armament was initially introduced earlier this year, but it is unlikely that Tehran will view the region’s possession of these weapons as a strategic threat.[/size]
[size=45]The report concluded by saying that the Peshmerga’s possession of such systems, along with some shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles against drones that may be deployed by organizations such as ISIS, “would undoubtedly be much better than nothing, and it is a long-awaited situation.”[/size]
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