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The US Department of Defense has suspended all weapon deliveries to Iraq, due to security concerns, USAF spokesman Brian Brackens told Inside Defense.
The deliveries that are halted include supply of Sidewinder missiles, Maverick missiles and other arms for Iraq’s F-16 fleet.
The U.S. would begin shipments again “when the environment in Iraq is safe enough to resume,” Brackens said.
According to Sara Sirota, an Inside Defense Air Force reporter, the last delivery was made on November 14th and it was part of a contract worth $1.8 billion concluded in 2016. It is unclear how many ships remained until its fulfillment.
The last shipment was made Nov 14. The $1.8 billion deal signed in May 2016 provided Sidewinder missiles, Maverick missiles & other weapons to Iraq. Unclear how many have been delivered and how many left to go. https://t.co/Bplv32Mi6L
— Sara Sirota (@SaraLSirota) January 27, 2020
The Iraqi armed forces were rebuilt around US weapons and doctrines after the 2003 invasion and occupation by the US-led coalition.
The Iraqi Armed Forces frequently use their F-16 fighter jets to attack ISIS pockets still remaining in the country.
#Breaking: Just in – Two Iraqi airforce members from have taken of from the Balad Airbase very early this morning, bombing a training camp of #ISIS in the Hamrin Mountains with 2 F-16 fighter jets. #Iraq #Terrorism pic.twitter.com/vqNyIgirdS
— Sotiri Dimpinoudis (@sotiridi) January 21, 2020
This move is obviously due to the increased tensions in the region, following the US assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, in addition to the deputy chief of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and other officials.
The situation was already tense, as on December 29th, 2019, the US carried out several airstrikes on Kata’ib Hezbollah positions and killed at least 25 of its members.
The group vowed a response, and the US Embassy in Baghdad was stormed by PMU supporters on December 31st.
In response to the recent US acts of aggression, the Iraqi parliament voted a non-binding resolution calling for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from the country. Some countries withdrew some of their troops, while the US maintained that it had no plans to withdraw any personnel.
In addition, US President Donald Trump repeatedly said that if Iraq wanted the troops removed it had to pay for the expensive facilities that the US constructed in the country to house those same troops.
“There are no plans by the US military to withdraw from Iraq,” Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Jonathan Rath Hoffman told reporters, adding that “the consensus in Iraq seems to be that the United States forces there are a force for good.”
According to reports, as of January 15th, the US and Iraqi armed forces resumed their anti-terrorism operations in the country, less than two weeks after it was suspended.
Washington has also threatened that it will impose sanctions on Iraq if the US forces are expelled. Meanwhile, when Iraqi President Barham Salih met with US President Donald Trump on January 22nd, the latter reiterated US’s support for stability in Iraq.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
- Trump’s Actions Against Iran Put US Forces In Iraq Into Grave Danger
- Iraqis Hold “Million-Strong” March Against US Military Presence In Country (Videos)
- United States ‘Likely’ To Deploy Patriot Systems To Protect Troops In Iraq From Iranian Missiles Strikes
- Pentagon Says It Won’t Withdraw Troops from Iraq
Another lesson for retarded US customers. They don’t deserve anything better since the fact that US can’t ever be trusted is quite well known to everybody. Now they will have to sell those F-16 at the end and buy Russian & Chinese…
They should permanently remove the salaries to all the Iraqi traitors politicians who supported and still support buying US crap (with strings attached) to compensate the losses. Or even better hang them on the 1st. lamp post for betrayal.
The US didn’t sell Egypt upgrades or long range weapons for their f16s. This kept them at an intention disadvantage to Israel.
There are always strings attached to every deal with the US
I would say almost always. If the customer is India for example.. (Country very important for U.S. “containment”plans for China) Than in that case ( as favor ) they can get sometimes few things with very loose strings if any at all. Because India is very careful with those details (since they were also victims of US “sanctions” in the past like many others)
“There are always strings attached to every deal with the US”
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lYB06AAgNQQ/TqX6iNsN7UI/AAAAAAAAB2k/B2vYT4AifTU/s1600/Manager%2Bpuppet%2Bon%2Ba%2Bstring.jpg
hahaha several of F-16 are serviced in Iran.
This is very good news.
The US and UK have spent many decades creating rifts between Middle East countries and religious groups with a strategy of Divide and Plunder, yet today we increasingly see these countries and religions groups uniting against the US and UK hegemon’s.
The sole reason for this reversal of US/UK policies of ‘Divide and Plunder’ , is that the Zionist greed as become too venal, and now a revolt against Zionism is gaining momentum.
Even the Saudi’s are getting pissed about being a Zionist Cash Cow.
“amerikans r troubled by an overwhelming insecurity”. G Gorer amerikan security is threatened—Iraquis want the US barbarians ejected….however the US happily gives weapons to the most despicable barbaric governments they ally with…from Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Ukraine and virtually all vicious corrupt nazi dictatorships imaginable
But you have to admit that it will be the ultimate irony if the Iranians shot down an Americunt plane using Iraqi F-16, now that would be some revenge :)
And rather funny as well :)
First you force someone to buy your weapons, and then you stop supplying when they want to exercise their freedom – now that is a clear signal that Iraq must have no independent freedom from US. A sign of a total vassal state. And their independence is “rebellion”, which must of course be punished! Suddenly an ally is the enemy!!! Also, when supplies to Ukraine stopped momentarily (without the Ukrainians even noticing) this is apparently grounds for impeaching the President of US. Now Pentagon is withholding weapons supplies from a strategic partner who is fighting IS (the declared enemy), how much worse is this? (Not that any of it makes sense, or is even intended to make sense!)
The US globalization strategy is to make countries dependent on them. If you stray from the path they cut off your access to banking, trade and weapons.
They even go so far as to shape the regional pecking order …. for example Egypt is allowed to have F-16’s but not the F-15 which only Israel and the Saudi’s are allowed to have. The USA went ballistic over Egypt talking to the Russians over buying SU-30 variants and air defences because it would negate Israeli air superiority.
That’s what all these sanctions are al about. They call it “Russian and Chinese meddeling” but really it’s about upsetting the US world order.
Exactly why Iraq needs MiG-29M/M2, MiG-35 or J-10.
Great, Russia, China and Iran will be more than happy to supply Iraq.