BAGHDAD, Iraq – As the Iraqi military battles Sunni insurgents in the west of the country and takes delivery of sophisticated weapons from the United States and Russia, ordinary Iraqis remain divided over the need for such massive arms acquisitions.
“There is a fear that such weapons will form a threat to regional security, neighboring countries or be used in suppressing Iraqis opposed to the government's policies," warned Abd al-Redha Salman, a retired major-general of the Iraqi army.
Such qualms are exacerbated in Iraq’s current climate, when the military is fighting Islamic insurgents and Sunni tribesmen in the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah in western Anbar province.
Sunni anger with the Shiite-led government in Baghdad has been on the boil since the military first launched an operation against the al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on December 23, then arrested powerful Sunni MP Ahmed al-Alwani and killed his brother, Ali, in Ramadi.
The last straw for Anbar’s Sunni tribes was drawn after Baghdad sent in troops last week to clear out protests in Ramadi that had continued for more than a year.
Iraq’s Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered the operations after several military commanders were killed in an ambush in Anbar.
Iraq’s parliamentary defense committee recently revealed that unmanned drone aircraft, purchased from the United States, are expected to arrive soon for the ongoing war against al-Qaeda insurgents.
Hoda Abd al-Rahman, a civil engineer in her 30s, questions the logic of spending billions of dollars on arms, when the ordinary Iraqis of a massively oil-rich country long for adequate electricity and other basic services.
“Since 2003, the government’s only obsession has become purchasing arms, fighting terrorism and armed groups while most Iraqis live in poverty, unemployment and a severe shortage of social services,” she said.
Last week, Baghdad took delivery of 28 Night Hunter helicopters under a $4.3 billion deal arms deal with Russia.
Iraq also has a multi-billion dollar arms agreement with Washington, which includes 36 F-16 fighter jets, 50 IAV Stryker vehicles, 12 Bell 412 helicopters. The Pentagon has informed the US Congress that Iraq intends to sign three new deals worth nearly US$2 billion.
Makki Muhammad Raddam, an economist in Baghdad, believes that the money spent on arms should be used toward rebuilding Iraq’s infrastructure, which was devastated in the 2003 US-led invasion.
“The country's resources could be devoted to spending on productive economic sectors and infrastructure development, which would help diversify the oil-based economy,” he said. He added that a portion of the money spent on arms should go to encouraging foreign investments.
Haider Hussein, a 45-year-old teacher in Baghdad believes that new weapons will change anything in the lives of ordinary Iraqis.
“What are the arms deals going to do and what are the impacts on the future?” he questioned.
“Today, Iraq needs to achieve sustainable economic development which requires the provision of integrated services, including roads, ports, railways, water and sanitation rather than heading toward reinforcing and building security systems,” he said.
But Abbas al-Bayati, from the parliament’s security and defense committee, told Rudaw that the weapons purchased from the US “are to defend citizens against terrorist elements. Iraq spends far less than what most countries spend on strengthening their security systems.”
He said that the military still needs more arms and equipment to improve capabilities.
“The army still needs a lot of equipment and supplies to boost its security networks, especially on the borders,” he said, while calling on the world, particularly the United States and Russia, to support the Iraqi army in its fierce fight against al-Qaeda.
Mohammad Shakir Rikabi, a 53-year-old lawyer, agreed that Iraq does need the arms it is buying, saying that the issue has been politicized.
“Some parties that oppose arming the Iraqi military talk about corruption in any arms deal, which are designed to eradicate terrorism,” he said. “These weapon deals ensure the improved effectiveness of the Iraqi armed forces against al-Qaeda activities."
