The Associated Press has learned that Iraqi government officials were involved in the deal, apparently without the knowledge of the U.S. Baghdad command — a departure from the usual pattern of U.S.-overseen arms purchases.Why these officials resorted to "black" channels and where the weapons were headed is unclear.
The purchase would merely have been the most spectacular example of how Iraq has become a magnet for arms traffickers and a place of vanishing weapons stockpiles and uncontrolled gun markets since the 2003 U.S. invasion and the onset of civil war.
We've done so much for that country.
Meanwhile, the planned replacement of the army's AK-47s with U.S.-made M-16s may throw more assault rifles onto the black market. And the weapons free-for-all apparently is spilling over borders: Turkey and Iran complain U.S.-supplied guns are flowing from Iraq to anti-government militants on their soil.
Meanwhile, we accuse Iran of supplying arms to the Iraqi fiasco.
"It seems strange that a pro-Western government, supported by the U.S. Army and other NATO countries on its own territory, would seek Russian or Chinese weapons through questionable channels," the anti-Mafia prosecutor wrote in seeking the arrest warrant that short-circuited the complex deal.
Doesn't it just?
Iraqi middlemen in the Italian deal, in intercepted e-mails, claimed the arrangement had official American approval. A U.S. spokesman in Baghdad denied that.
At this point, I wouldn't be surprised to find that to be true. Whether by inexcusable incompetence or by design, we seem to be arming all sides in Iraq. Good business for the arms manufacturers, eh George? Although, to be fair, in this instance, the Iraqis insisted on buying Russian-made weapons. Does the Carlyle Group have stock in Russian arms companies?
The arms broker in this case, al-Handal, turns out to have also been a front company in the food for oil scheme under Saddam Hussein's reign. They obviously weren't put out of business when Saddam was captured. (Of course, the Sunni militias are back in business now, with U.S. backing, too. Apparently, Saddam and Sons are the only ones out of business.)
Citing the names of "friends" in top U.S. military ranks in Iraq, al-Handal said his company has fulfilled scores of supply and service contracts for the U.S. occupation. Asked why he claimed U.S. approval for the abortive Italian weapons purchase, he said he had a document from the U.S. Army "that says, 'We allow al-Thuraya Group to do all kinds of business.'"
All kinds.
....hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated. There may be some delay before your comment is published. It all depends on how much time M has in the day. But please comment!