from Reuters via Alert5.
"We're still working our way through that, but I think they will be new ones" rather than refurbished F-16s, another option that has been under review, Army General Ray Odierno told reporters at the Pentagon on Friday.Kind of disappointing that the F/A-18 Super Hornet wasn't even considered. I wonder what block and how much tech will be included in it. Iraq might be an "ally" but I don't believe they will be a reliable one.
The U.S. Air Force has been quiet for months on the status of an assessment it carried out last year on Iraq's air defense needs and whether it would recommend the F-16 sale.
Under the U.S. government-to-government Foreign Military Sales program, a transfer of such weapons is subject to approvals by the departments of defense and state as well as by Congress.
Odierno said the United States would not meet Iraq's request before the scheduled completion of a phased U.S. troop withdrawal at the end of next year.
"This will be an evolving process over the next several years," said Odierno, a four-star general who commands all U.S. forces in Iraq.
The F-16 is a powerful symbol of political and military cooperation with the United States and a potential key to fostering post-withdrawal U.S. and Iraqi security ties
i am deeply concerned about the stability of Iraq, if it even stays a state or not. The government is still fighting after this election, turkey is itching to take on the Kurds in the north, Iran is linked to the Shiite dominated parties in the south. i wonder what will happen when we finally bow out of there.
ReplyDeleteit'll fragment like its designed to do. only a strongman like Sadaam could keep that basket case of a country together.
ReplyDeletethink about it...even the US is regionalized...the South, the West, the Mid West and the North East....a shared language and belief system are what keeps us together but imagine if we had dominate differences in each section...like religion or language? we'd be just as instable.
i see Turkey annexing Kurdistan....I see the Sunni's taking over central Iraq and i see the Shiites doing the same in the south. Iran will be trying to curry favor with whoever to accomplish whatever.
that's why this deal concerns us so much. i give it less than two years before it falls apart (after we leave of course).
well it was the brits who didnt take into consideration cultures when they drew the lines in the sand after they pulled out. they should have allowed the kurds to have their own state, the sunnis to have theirs and Shiites to have their part. although i think the Shiite part will become a vassal state of Iran.
ReplyDeleteThose are scenarios often considered. However, the Saudis (who are Sunni) would never allow a Shia state just north of their border. Which is why they are the major supporter of the Iraqi Sunnis.
ReplyDeleteThis will get interesting.
Let's give an unstable government, in a semi-state of civil war(with leanings toward Iran) F-16s. Makes perfect sense.
ReplyDeleteyou said it better than i did Drake1. i totally agree with you. it insanity but they're going to do it. i hope we have kill switches on everyone of them...
ReplyDeleteTell why Iran need F-16
ReplyDelete