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BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is expected to visit Russia to sign a $5 billion deal to procure weapons for the Iraqi military.
A member of Iraqi parliament’s committee of defense and security told Rudaw that Maliki is planning to ask the Russians to deliver 20 to 40 helicopters and a number of missiles to penetrate into mountainous areas.
Maliki’s first visit to Russia as Iraq’s prime minister has sparked different reactions across the country. Many Iraqis, especially Kurds, have voiced concern about Maliki’s plans and are alarmed by what they describe as his “unilateral” and “autocratic” style.
Shwan Taha, a Kurdish member of Iraqi Parliament, said, “The arming policy is random and affected by corruption.”
Taha said that, despite billions of dollars spent on arming the Iraqi military, “Iraq’s weapon needs have not been met yet.”
Baqer Jabir Zubaidi, an Iraqi MP who was finance minister in the previous cabinet, said the country has so far purchased around $50 billion worth of weapons.
Hassan Jihad, a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) MP in Iraqi Parliament, said parliament can review the weapon deals.
“Iraq is at the beginning of the process of purchasing weapons and needs them. But if we feel more weapons than necessary are being bought, everyone will speak out about it and the Kurds will not accept it,” said Jihad.
Taha said Iraq is now trying to buy weapons from counties that “do not impose conditions on the use of weapons.” Iraq is said to have shown interest in procuring weapons from the Czech Republic as well.
Iraq has also signed a deal with the U.S. to purchase F-16 fighter jets and Abrams tanks. It will receive two jet fighters in September 2013.
The effort to buy weapons coincides with calls from the government for former officers of the Iraqi Army, who lost their jobs with the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, to return to the military’s ranks.
Saddun Dulaimi, Iraq’s acting minister of defense, said so far 200 officers from Nineveh province have been allowed to rejoin the military. Rudaw has learned that in Diyala province, 950 officers have registered their names to return to military service.
The Iraqi military’s chief of staff, Babakir Zebari, earlier said that the country has a 266,000-strong military across 14 divisions. Only around 8 percent are Kurdish -- far below the 17 percent share Kurds are supposed to have according to population divisions.
Taha objected to the efforts to bring back expelled officers, saying they had to have been loyalists of Saddam’s Baath Party to have gained senior positions.
“We want their return to be conditional, but the condition cannot be loyalty to Maliki,” said Taha.
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A member of Iraqi parliament’s committee of defense and security told Rudaw that Maliki is planning to ask the Russians to deliver 20 to 40 helicopters and a number of missiles to penetrate into mountainous areas.
Maliki’s first visit to Russia as Iraq’s prime minister has sparked different reactions across the country. Many Iraqis, especially Kurds, have voiced concern about Maliki’s plans and are alarmed by what they describe as his “unilateral” and “autocratic” style.
Shwan Taha, a Kurdish member of Iraqi Parliament, said, “The arming policy is random and affected by corruption.”
Taha said that, despite billions of dollars spent on arming the Iraqi military, “Iraq’s weapon needs have not been met yet.”
Baqer Jabir Zubaidi, an Iraqi MP who was finance minister in the previous cabinet, said the country has so far purchased around $50 billion worth of weapons.
Hassan Jihad, a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) MP in Iraqi Parliament, said parliament can review the weapon deals.
“Iraq is at the beginning of the process of purchasing weapons and needs them. But if we feel more weapons than necessary are being bought, everyone will speak out about it and the Kurds will not accept it,” said Jihad.
Taha said Iraq is now trying to buy weapons from counties that “do not impose conditions on the use of weapons.” Iraq is said to have shown interest in procuring weapons from the Czech Republic as well.
Iraq has also signed a deal with the U.S. to purchase F-16 fighter jets and Abrams tanks. It will receive two jet fighters in September 2013.
The effort to buy weapons coincides with calls from the government for former officers of the Iraqi Army, who lost their jobs with the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, to return to the military’s ranks.
Saddun Dulaimi, Iraq’s acting minister of defense, said so far 200 officers from Nineveh province have been allowed to rejoin the military. Rudaw has learned that in Diyala province, 950 officers have registered their names to return to military service.
The Iraqi military’s chief of staff, Babakir Zebari, earlier said that the country has a 266,000-strong military across 14 divisions. Only around 8 percent are Kurdish -- far below the 17 percent share Kurds are supposed to have according to population divisions.
Taha objected to the efforts to bring back expelled officers, saying they had to have been loyalists of Saddam’s Baath Party to have gained senior positions.
“We want their return to be conditional, but the condition cannot be loyalty to Maliki,” said Taha.
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