9 erring body care centers shut in Riyadh    20,000 military emblems confiscated in Riyadh    Al-Samaani visits headquarters of Hague Conference on Private International Law    KSrelief provided over $7bln to support children around the world    Al-Jasser: Saudi Arabia to expand rail network to over 8,000 km    OMODA&JAECOO: Unstoppable global cumulative sales over 360,000 units    Saudi Arabia sees 73.7% rise in investment licenses in Q3 2024    Al Hilal doesn't need extra support to bring new players, CEO says    Rust premieres at low-key film festival three years after shooting    Fate of Gaetz ethics report uncertain after congressional panel deadlocked    Ukraine fires UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at Russia for first time    Netanyahu offers $5 million and safe passage out of Gaza to anyone returning a hostage    Indian billionaire Gautam Adani indicted in New York on fraud charges    Rafael Nadal: Farewell to the 'King of Clay'    Indonesia shocks Saudi Arabia with 2-0 victory in AFC Asian Qualifiers    Sitting too much linked to heart disease –– even if you work out    Yemeni Orchestra's captivating performances in Riyadh, showcasing shared cultural legacies    Future of Ronaldo's Al Nassr contract remains undecided, says Saudi Pro League CEO    GASTAT report: 45.1% of Saudis are overweight    Denmark's Victoria Kjær Theilvig wins Miss Universe 2024    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Iraq's PM to seek arms with deferred payment on US visit
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 14 - 04 - 2015

WASHINGTON — Iraq's prime minister will seek President Barack Obama's help to acquire billions of dollars in drones and other US arms to fight Daesh (the so-called IS) during a US visit next week, a senior Iraqi official said.
Facing a cash crunch due to a plunge in oil prices and a budget deficit of roughly $21 billion this year, Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi wants to defer payment for the purchases, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Abadi is grappling with an insurgency by militants from Daesh, an Al-Qaeda offshoot that emerged from the chaos in Iraq and neighboring Syria and seized much of northern and central Iraq last year.
Visiting Washington for the first time as prime minister, he hopes to convince a war-weary United States Iraq deserves more US manpower and arms three years after US troops withdrew from the country in December 2011, as his fledgling army confronts Daesh.
“ISIS (Daesh) is everybody's problem now,” said the Iraqi official. “You can't run away from the problem if it comes to Canada or goes to France,” he said in reference to attacks by people influenced by Daesh or Al-Qaeda in those countries.
The official hinted Baghdad could turn to Tehran if it did not get the aid it wants from Washington.
“If that's not available, we've already done it with the Iranians and others,” he said, saying that was not the first choice.
“The PM is committed to the US ... What he also wants to make sure is that he has a partner that he can rely on.”
Obama in August authorized the first US air strikes on Iraq since the US withdrawal and has deployed about 3,000 American military forces to help Iraq to battle the group.
But he has also imposed limits on the US military role on the ground to training and advising Iraqi and Kurdish forces.
The official said Abadi, who is to meet Obama on Tuesday, wanted to explore obtaining a series of advanced weapons, including unarmed drone aircraft, Apache attack helicopters manufactured by Boeing Co and ammunition. He will also seek permission to postpone payment for the weaponry.
“We're talking about billions here,” he said. “This is a new approach for us because of the scale of the challenge we have ahead. Mosul and Nineveh province and Anbar will cost us a lot.”
National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey said the United States will continue to consult Iraq's leaders to ensure they have what they need to fight Daesh.
“The United States is committed to providing essential equipment to Iraqi security forces, including Kurdish forces, as part of the Coalition fight against ISIL (Daesh),” he said.
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters on a visit to Hawaii he expected to meet Abadi in Washington.
Asked whether the United States would consider providing equipment including Apache helicopters on deferred payment, he replied:
“We will consider any request he makes we have been conducting all of our support to the counter-ISIL (Daesh) campaign in Iraq through the Iraqi government and that's the way we want to keep doing it.”
Aware of the time it takes to train pilots, one possibility that could also be explored during Abadi's visit would be the United States loaning Apaches to Iraq, along with the pilots to fly them.
Likely payment terms on those and the other arrangements for US arms were unclear. The Iraqi government on April 2 claimed victory over Daesh insurgents in Tikrit after a month-long battle for the city.
Seeking to gain momentum, Iraqi security forces on Wednesday launched a new offensive against Daesh in the Sunni Muslim heartland of Anbar.
They are eventually expected to move on to Nineveh and its capital Mosul, the group's stronghold. — Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.