Iraq To Buy Arms From China

Deal disturbs US officials

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 4, 2007 10:53 AM CDT

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Iraq To Buy Arms From China — Dozens of Baghdad residents hold up their weapons during a protest in Firdous Square in central Baghdad, Iraq Wednesday, July 18, 2007, demanding the government improve security and public services. The demonstrators urged authorities to "stop mocking us" and to make its only goal "the protection of... (Associated Press)

The Iraqi government has ordered $100 million worth of weaponry from China, saying that US shipments have been too slow to supply Iraqi army and police forces, the Washington Post reports. Given that Iraq has already “lost” over 190,000 weapons, US officials aren’t happy about the deal, fearing the weapons will go to Shiite and Sunni militias.

Though US analysts say there are “piles of weapons floating around,” Iraq has long complained of scant supplies, noting the disparity between Iraq’s rag-tag police force and heavily armored US troops. US officials admit they don’t always have enough guns to fill billion-dollar Iraqi orders. “We’re working hard just to supply our own troops,” one said. (More Iraq stories.)

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