Posted on 03/30/2012 6:50:21 PM PDT by U-238
Iraq is acquiring an array of missiles and other sophisticated systems for the 36 Lockheed Martin F-16s it's buying to build an air force but Washington is reluctant to provide Baghdad with the most advanced U.S. weapons.
U.S. officials say they are worried that a strong Iraqi air force with offensive weapons systems would alarm Iraq's neighbors. Saddam Hussein invaded Iran in 1980 and Kuwait a decade later.
Even nine years after Saddam was toppled in the 2003 U.S. invasion, Saudi Arabia and its Sunni Muslim allies in the Persian Gulf remain deeply suspicious of Shiite-majority Iraq and its Shiite leader, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
As it is, even Iraq's rebellious Kurds, whom Saddam massacred with genocidal ferocity for decades, have deep concerns about the weaponry Baghdad seeks.
Rampant official corruption in Iraq, particularly when it comes to big-ticket defense contracts, and the continuing threat of sectarian bloodletting are other factors behind American wariness in giving Iraq state-of-the art weaponry.
But even so, Baghdad's air force shopping list is good news for potential U.S. contractors that include BAE Advanced Systems of Greenlawn, N.Y., the Boeing Corp. of Seattle, Northrop-Grumman Electro-Optical Systems of Garland, Texas, and its Electronic Systems division of Baltimore, General Electric Aircraft Engines of Cincinnati, and Raytheon Co. of Lexington, Mass., and Goleta, Texas.
Giving Iraq these advanced missile systems will be giving them to Iran. I’m sure Obama will get behind this.
We can fix this....LOL....spit...
Do NOT trust the Iraqis.
Obama will get them directly to Iran as a part of a bone-us deal.
From personal experience ... don’t trust any muslam.
No doubt.
“I’m sure Obama will get behind this.”
Me, too. But the simple truth is that the US should leave nothing behind but water guns.
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