Iraqi MP: Peshmerga getting only 10 percent of arms routed through Baghdad

ERBIL Kurdistan Region – Only 10 percent of international arms deliveries routed through Baghdad are reaching the Kurdish Peshmerga forces, which have been on the frontline of the fight with the Islamic State (ISIS), an Iraqi MP said.

Shakhawan Abdulla, a member of the parliament’s Defense and Security Committee, said that of the recent US arms deliveries to Baghdad, only a tenth had been given to the Peshmerga.

His committee announced of the 250 mine-resistant vehicles (MRAPs) recently delivered by Washington as part of a package that included missiles and other weapons, only 25 had reached Kurdish forces.

“We have talked to Iraq’s defense minister about the US assistance to Peshmerga forces through Baghdad. He assured us that this was the first stage of assistance and promised the Peshmerga will receive their share of any military assistance that will be delivered to Baghdad,” Abdulla said

Kurdish officials have repeatedly complained about Baghdad’s reluctance to deliver arms sent by coalition forces for the Peshmerga, which US and other Western defense officials have referred to as the most effective fighting force standing up to ISIS.

But the central government in Baghdad -- whose own forces collapsed before an ISIS onslaught in June and are still struggling to return to their feet -- fears that any strengthening of the Peshmerga would fuel ambitions of independence among the Kurds.

But as Kurdish authorities complain of arms shortages and delays, the Pentagon announced last week it had expedited some $18 million worth of armaments to the Iraqi government.

“The Defense Department has expedited $17.9 million in equipment and supplies –- some of which have already been delivered –- to the Iraqi government,” Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters in Washington.

He did not specify whether any of the weapons were for Kurdish Peshmerga forces that have been on the frontline of the war against the Islamic State (ISIS).

“It was an expedited delivery, which took 22 days from the time of signature -- a letter of authorization -- until delivery,” Warren added. “This is less than a quarter of the time it normally takes to execute these types of deliveries.”

The U.S. Department of Defense website quoted Warren as saying that more than 200 advanced Hellfire missiles and as many mine-resistant vehicles have already been delivered to the Iraqi Army, and other armaments in the contract were in the pipeline.

The US State Department reiterated earlier this month that arms for Peshmerga forces will continue to be routed through the central government in Baghdad.

Most countries helping in the war against ISIS, including the United States, deliver their military assistance to the Kurdistan Region through Baghdad. Germany, which has been supplying the Peshmerga directly, has been among the few exceptions.

Zana Rostayi, member of the legal committee of the Iraqi parliament, told Rudaw that according to an agreement between Baghdad and Washington, weapons deliveries to any side in Iraq must go through the central government.

As an example he said that the Shiite Popular Mobilization Forces, which are legally recognized as part of the Iraqi military, cannot receive arms directly from any country.

Meanwhile, Abdulla outlined the money given by Baghdad to the Shiite militia.

“Abu Mahdi, the head of the Shiite Popular Mobilization Forces, informed us that in less than a year, in two phases they have taken 649 million dinars and 500 billion dinars from Iraq’s revenues,” Abdulla said.

He added that 2.6 billion dinars were also given to the Shingal protection forces, which is a Kurdish force. “This was done without any coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government,” Abdulla said.

Abas Musa Zamli, head of the defense and security committee of the Iraqi parliament, has complained that public money is being wasted on entities such as the Popular Mobilization Forces.

“The defense and security committee has started investigation on the wastage of Iraq’s public revenue in the name of supporting security forces and the Shiite Popular Mobilization Forces,” Zamli told Rudaw.