WASHINGTON DC – As Kurdish authorities complain of arms shortages and delays in US weapons routed through Baghdad, the Pentagon announced 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.
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.
Earlier this month, 232 Hellfire missiles were delivered, adding to the 1,572 sent in 2014. Last month 250 Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles (MRAPs) were delivered to the Iraqi government.
Warren said the MRAPs were “excess US vehicles.” Also last month, Iraq took delivery of thousands of Kevlar helmets and body armor, he added.
“We expect 10,000 M-16 rifles, along with 10,000 M-68 close-combat optical red-dot sights (and) 23,000 magazines to be delivered,” Warren was quoted as saying.
Kurdish officials have repeatedly complained about Baghdad’s reluctance to deliver arms sent by coalition forces for the Peshmerga. The central government fears that any strengthening of the Peshmerga would fuel ambitions of independence among the Kurds.
But the US State Department reiterated earlier this month that arms for Peshmerga forces will continue to be routed through the central government in Baghdad.
“Our policy remains that all arms transfers must be coordinated via the sovereign central Government of Iraq,” State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters a fortnight ago. “This is a legal requirement under US law,” she explained.
Psaki said that most of the 1,000 US airstrikes in Iraq have been in support of the Kurdish forces and that Washington has equipped them with the necessary arms.
However, several Republican senators have criticized the Obama administration for refusing to directly send military hardware to the Kurds.
Psaki said more than 3 million pounds of equipment in over 60 cargo flights had been sent for the Kurds. She added they included more than 15,000 hand grenades, nearly 40 million rounds of light and heavy machine gun ammunition, 18,000 assault rifles and 45,000 mortar rounds.
“We have coordinated a coalition effort, including the Germans, to provide weapons,” Psaki explained. “This includes heavy weapons and other equipment, including mortars, T-62 tank rounds for their over 100 existing tanks, vehicles and counter-IED equipment.”
But Germany, a coalition partner, has shown no hesitation in direct arms supplies to the Kurds.
The Pentagon’s latest announcement about expedited arms deliveries follows comments by the U.S. Central Command that airstrikes by coalition forces have seriously degraded ISIS, pushing the religious zealots on the defensive.
A Centcom official said last week that ISIS has lost territory in Iraq as well as the ability to govern and adequately regenerate forces.
“There is no organization in the world that can suffer those kinds of casualties and not have a tremendous impact on their ability to achieve their long-term aims,” the official said.
The Centcom official also said Iraqi forces have retaken at least 700 square kilometers of territory, but cautioned that the military campaign to defeat ISIS will take time.
Meanwhile, Iraqi officials expressed dismay this week at comments by a US military official predicting that an offensive to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from ISIS could begin in April or May.
A Centcom official said that “the mark on the wall we are still shooting for is the April-May timeframe.”
Iraq’s Defense Minister Khaled Obeidi expressed anger at the remarks, saying that such details should not be disclosed and that Baghdad called the shots in Iraq.
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