Iraq diversifies arms imports after US withdrawal from Afghanistan
The US withdrawal may have spurred Iraq to consider purchases from Turkey and Pakistan, according to report by the Pentagon's Inspector General.
The United States and NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan this summer may have encouraged Iraq's government to consider weapons purchases from Turkey and Pakistan, according to an unclassified US military intelligence assessment.
Despite assurances by US officials that coalition troops would remain in Iraq (transitioning to an advising role by the end of this year), officials in Baghdad sought to obtain combat aircraft and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft from Ankara and Islamabad, a new Pentagon watchdog report revealed.
Those capabilities are currently provided to Iraqi security forces by the US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State (IS). The United States maintains some 2,500 troops in Iraq in the aftermath of the war against the jihadist group.
In September, Iraq and Pakistan reportedly reached an understanding for Baghdad to buy 12 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Islamabad. The purchase has yet to be completed.
