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Tag: Hellfire Missiles

  • Hellfire Missiles: U.S. Delivers Ammunition to Iraq

    The United States delivered 100 Hellfire missiles, as well as ammunition and M4 rifles to Iraq as part of its anti-terrorism assistance to the country, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad said in a statement Sunday.

    According to the statement, the delivery was made earlier in March in an effort to help strengthen Iraq forces combating militant groups, including a breakaway Al-Quaida group known as the Islamic State of Iraq, and the Levant.

    The delivery came amid ongoing instability in Sunni Arab areas, particularly western Anbar province, where insurgents have held control of parts of the provincial capital, Ramadi. They have also maintained control of the city of Fallujah since January.

    The statement also noted the U.S. promised to send more weapons to Iraq in the coming weeks. It added that, since mid-January, Iraqi security forces received more than eleven million rounds of ammunition, as well as thousands of assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, and grenades.

    Iraq is grappling with its worst prolonged period of violence since it emerged from a sectarian war that left tens of thousands dead in 2006-07.

    More than 250 people have already been killed this month, according to an AFP tally.

    “It is essential that Iraqi Security Forces are equipped with modern and effective weaponry given the serious threat… the ISIL now poses to Iraq and the region,” said the statement.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Hellfire Missiles Sent to Iraq, U.S. Plans to Send Drones Next Year

    By request, dozens of Hellfire missiles were sent from the United States to Iraq last week. The Iraqi government also requested the delivery of 10 Scan Eagles surveillance drones by March of next year; thus, the U.S. plans to also send along F-16s and helicopters.

    The war devices will be of assistance to governmental forces in combating the outburst of violence occurring in both western Iraq and Syria territory.

    The United Nations has reported that the Baghdad government has ran out of Hellfire missiles and is struggling to prevent the violence of an extremists group by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

    The Islamic fighters from Syria alone have already slaughtered nearly 8,000 civilians.

    According to The Seattle Times “…the group has intimidated towns, assassinated local officials and, in an episode last week, used suicide bombers and hidden explosives to kill the commander of the Iraqi army’s 7th Division” at a training camp.

    On Sunday, State Department official Jen Psaki issued a warning statement that the Islamic state, an al Qaeda affiliate, was in pursuit to gain “control of territory inside the borders of Iraq.”

    Just this past Wednesday on Christmas day, al-Qaeda committed three bombings in Christian areas of Baghdad killing dozens of people.

    The fiery conflict in Iraq has become contradictory to the Obama administration’s claims years ago that Iraq was on the right track.

    This present request mirrors a similar request from Iraq months ago.

    The U.S disbursed over 2.7 billion in Foreign Military Sales to Iraq last July, which comprised of infantry carriers, ground-to-air rockets and 681 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.

    The Pentagon’s reasoning THEN was to “…provide Iraq with the ability to contribute to regional air defenses and reduce its vulnerability to air attacks and also enhance interoperability between the government of Iraq, the US, and other allies.”

    Evidently, the motive behind this recent assistance is still the same.

     

    Image via Wikimedia Commons