|
Iraq Plans to Double Planned F-16 Purchase
 Iraq will ask for future defense contracts to include provision for trainers, bypassing MPs to allow some U.S. soldiers to stay past a year-end pullout deadline, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said.Maliki also told reporters on July 30 that he had revived talks to purchase 36 U.S. F-16 fighter jets, rather than the originally mooted 18, in a multi-billion-dollar deal that has been on the cards for several months. "Training missions do not need the approval of parliament," the premier told a news conference. "The government will include in agreements to purchase weapons that there should be trainers to train Iraqi forces to use these weapons." How many trainers? Oh, about 10,000. Posted by: Eohippus Phater7165 2011-07-31 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=327213 |