Like all good former enemies of the US, once they get over the loss — which generally starts as soon as hostilities cease, and thus may be a bit premature, although perhaps very prescient — here's what the Iraqis are trying to buy these days.
(Y'know, you gotta think. Why the hell didn't the Viets just lose? They'd have been much better off!)
This is from Defense Industry Daily.
"On July 31/08, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced [PDF] Iraq’s formal request to buy M1 Abrams tanks, [as] well as the associated vehicles, equipment and services required to keep them in the field. The tanks will apparently be new-build, not transferred from American stocks. With this purchase, Iraq would become the [fourth] M1 Abrams operator in the region, joining Egypt (M1A1s), Kuwait (M1A2), and Saudi Arabia (M1A2-SEP variant).
"Defense-related order requests from Iraq over the last 2 weeks of July totaled over $10.9 billion, and include tanks, wheeled LAV wheeled APCs, wheeled M1117 armored cars, armed reconnaissance helicopters, C-130J transport aircraft, and major infrastructure build-outs. December 2008 additions include coastal patrol boats, 56 trainers and light attack aircraft, command & control equipment, and small arms. Once a DSCA request is made, the rule is that Congress has 30 days to pass a blockage of the sale, or contracts may be negotiated and the sale can go through."
Can we assume the assholes we elect to Congress passed this, or did/ will they opt to fuck another financial transaction up?
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