| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Iraq to Step Up Inspections of Syria-Bound Planes from Iran |
| 2014-02-11 |
| [An Nahar] Iraq will step up random inspections of cargo planes from Iran that fly over its territory to Syria, once it gets an air traffic control system purchased from the United States, the Iraqi ambassador in Washington said Monday. "We need advanced defense capabilities to inspect overflights" of Iraq territory, ambassador Lukman Faily said in a question-and-answer session on Twitter. Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... is already "acquiring integrated air defense systems from the U.S. This has already passed congressional approval," he said. On February 4, the Pentagon announced a $700 million agreement -- notified to Congress -- to sell Iraq an air traffic control radar system. In the spring of 2013, the United States demanded Iraq increase inspections of Iranian cargo planes crossing its airspace en route to Syria. Washington suspected the aircraft of transporting weapons and fighters to the Syrian regime, which has received Tehran's support, amid a brutal, nearly-three-year civil war. Americans have been less vocal in recent months over this issue, but Faily said "a number of random inspections have taken place." In addition, to help Iraq fight al-Qaeda and other Sunni krazed killer groups, such as the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original... (ISIL), Washington promised to speed up its delivery of Hellfire missiles and surveillance drones. The Pentagon is ready to sell more missiles and 24 Apache attack helicopters. "The U.S. recognizes our common enemy in AQ and also the need to rehabilitate our Iraqi military capabilities," Faily said. But he ruled out direct aid from Washington, in particular of drone strikes on hard boy camps: "we agree with Secretary Kerry that this is Iraq's fight," he Tweeted. |
| Posted by:Fred |