The presence of U.S. soldiers in Iraq may have dwindled, but American-made weaponry will still be quite visible, and in use, there for a long time to come.

 

The Obama administration is planning to sell nearly $11 billion in arms and training to the Iraqi government to help Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki rebuild his nation’s military force. Having already received body armor, helmets, ammunition trailers and sport utility vehicles, Iraq is preparing to gain F-16 fighter jets, M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks, cannons and armored personnel carriers.

 

Defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon stand to benefit from the expensive purchases.

 

Critics of the sales fear Maliki will use his nation’s newfound military strength to consolidate power and create a one-party Shiite-dominated state that excludes Sunnis from ever sharing authority. Supporters of the sales present the usual arguments…that they create jobs and that if U.S. companies don’t sell Maliki the weapons he seeks, he will buy them from someone else.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Weapons Sales to Iraq Move Ahead Despite U.S. Worries (by Michael Schmidt and Eric Schmitt, New York Times)

Majority of Pentagon Weapons Contracts Go Over Cost Estimates (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)