Were it my money, I'd be buying theHK416 instead. Nothing like replacing the gas tube with a short stroke piston to improve reliability!
Posted on 03/19/2007 2:35:34 PM PDT by jmc1969
The Bush administration has begun delivering more than $3 billion in U.S-made arms to Iraq in a new program to introduce American firepower into Iraq's aging Soviet-based arsenal.
When the Pentagon first began building the 320,000-strong Iraq Security Force in 2003, U.S. commanders decided to keep AK-47 rifles and other East Bloc gear. The theory was it would speed the training process since the Iraqis already knew how to use them.
Now, however, thinking has changed. Training Iraqis in American M-16 rifles, M-4 carbines and other weapons makes more sense if the U.S. wants to cement a long-lasting security cooperation.
"This is the first time they have actually started to buy our equipment in a big way," said retired Army Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, a military analyst. "This is a major buy of U.S. equipment over there."
Iraq is spending more than $3 billion in 2006 and 2007 contracts through a U.S. program known as Foreign Military Sales, according to a March 14 internal document produced by the Baghdad command and obtained by The Examiner.
Besides small arms, the money will buy armored Humvee multipurpose vehicles, 5-ton trucks, ammunition, air surveillance radars and radios, the documents show.
The big U.S. weapons package marks the end of an era. For more than two decades, Saddam Hussein bought virtually every weapon in the Soviet arsenal: tanks, air defense artillery, ballistic missiles and MiG jet fighters.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
They're buying it with what money? Is the 3 billion from the US taxpayer?
Iraq has a 10 billion dollar surplus this year from oil money.
And, that is after they spent 3 billion on US weapons.
Iraq makes 40 billion a year from oil.
Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! This is the best news I've heard on Iraq in a long time. Without taking any arrogant high-ground... that's also what I hoped to see for years. Iraq has to be incorporated into the broader American-Western defense and military system (not necessairly NATO itself). They should use our weapons, not Soviet/Chinese junk.
I think I heard somewhere that they have OIL!
Who cares? Should we give it to the spinach farmers?
Or is this an outdated assumption?
I don't think they've actually bought anything from Russia since 2003. It is mostly a matter of letting them use what they already have...in large quantities. We purposely didn't destroy a lot of weapons (including tanks and APCs) with the intent of resupplying the new Iraqi army when it was ready.
Yes, the Iraqis have done multi million dollar weapons sales with Russia since the war ended and they have done sales with lots of ex-Soviet counties in Eastern Europe.
What did they purchase?
ping
Mostly replacement equipment for their Warsaw pact junk.
Were it my money, I'd be buying theHK416 instead. Nothing like replacing the gas tube with a short stroke piston to improve reliability!
I like the Ak-47 round more than the M-16.
Sure, it's not as accurrate, long range.
It knocks people down, however, instead of going through them.
Opinions differ.
So it's their money that's buying our equipment?
Yes
Wonderful!
Its a bit suprising how many people forget that Iraq isn't a dirt poor third world country.
In 4-6 years they could be pumping more oil then Saudi Arabia.
Still, I would limit what we give them, otherwise 1979 all over again.
40 billion a year. If that's accurate I don't want to hear about 1 more penny of American taxpayer money going to anything but our own military period. If they've got 10 billion surplus let em build their own libraries and schools !!!
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