Iraq needs weapons but can it keep them?
Congress plans to re-evaluate Iraq's request for several big-ticket items -- including Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles -- after withholding approval for several months because lawmakers worried that former Iraqi leader Nouri al-Maliki could use the weapons against his political opponents or that the arms could fall into the hands of the self-proclaimed Islamic […]Gopal Ratnam and Kate Brannen write for Foreign Policy:
Congress plans to re-evaluate Iraq's request for several big-ticket items -- including Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles -- after withholding approval for several months because lawmakers worried that former Iraqi leader Nouri al-Maliki could use the weapons against his political opponents or that the arms could fall into the hands of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, which captured equipment this summer after defeating Iraqi forces. With the new Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi -- a Shiite -- promising to run a more inclusive government offering roles for minority Sunnis and Kurds, the time is now right to reexamine Iraq's needs, a congressional aide told Foreign Policy.
The weapons' list includes as many as 175 M1A1 Abrams tanks; 146 Stryker anti-tank guided missile vehicles; 50 Stryker nuclear, biological, and chemical reconnaissance vehicles; and a number of Bradley fighting vehicles. The Pentagon and the State Department vetted Iraq's request before sending it to Congress early this year.
