The official blog of the Libertarian Party
August 06, 2007
Weapons Missing in Iraq
Just last week, the United States announced a plan giving $20bn. worth of weapons to Middle Eastern countries in order to create an incentive for these countries to "isolate Iran" and to help foster regional stability. These countries include Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and others. Critics both in the United States and abroad were skeptical of how introducing new weaponry into a region constantly in a state of conflict would help with stability. After all, the regulation and tracking of this weaponry isn't exactly what one would call ''top-notch,' and the United States may find itself fighting against the same weapons it had just sold only a few years before.
It appears the concerns were valid.
According to an article published today in the Washington Post, nearly 30 percent of small arms given to Iraq are unaccounted for, and officials in the region are confident some are being used against American soldiers:
One senior Pentagon official acknowledged that some of the weapons probably are being used against U.S. forces. He cited the Iraqi brigade created at Fallujah that quickly dissolved in September 2004 and turned its weapons against the Americans.
But just how many weapons are unaccounted for? Approximately 110,000 AK-47s and 80,000 pistols are not documented. While these are small arms, insurgents use small arms fire to manipulate the route of convoys, often towards pre-planned positions where roadside bombs can be used.
The author of the report from the Government Accountability Office says U.S. military officials do not know what happened to 30 percent of the weapons the United States distributed to Iraqi forces from 2004 through early this year as part of an effort to train and equip the troops. The highest previous estimate of unaccounted-for weapons was 14,000, in a report issued last year by the inspector general for Iraq reconstruction.
Pentagon officials said their arms were tied, and there was no way to avoid such things. They claim many of these arms went to equip American-backed, Iraq army units going into battle.
But, the commander argued, "there was, frankly, not much of a choice early on: We had very little staff and could have held the weapons until every piece of the logistical and property accountability system was in place, or we could issue them, in bulk on some occasions, to the U.S. elements supporting Iraqi units who were needed in the battles of Najaf, Fallujah, Mosul, Samarra, etc."
Regardless of excuses, there is no doubt that these tax-payer purchased weapons are now being used against American troops in Iraq, and there seems to be little the United States can do. Additionally, more pressure is mounting on the United States to better equip Iraqi forces, especially as the U.S. wants to push for further independence of these forces from American support. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made such a request for more weapons this past January. But if the arms the United States is providing to Iraq are funneled to the insurgency, be it through corruption within the Iraqi government or plain negligence on the part of U.S. officials, then is this a good idea?
"They really have no idea where they are," said Rachel Stohl, a senior analyst at the Center for Defense Information who has studied small-arms trade and received Pentagon briefings on the issue. "It likely means that the United States is unintentionally providing weapons to bad actors."
Thus appears yet another Catch 22 of the current debacle we call the Iraqi invasion.
Posted by Andrew Davis at August 6, 2007 10:56 AM
Reader Comments:
Of course you can only "win the peace" by giving out a ton of weapons in the most haphazard fashion possible.
This tells really reveals the impotence and desperation of the administration.
I can't wait to hear Propaganda Minister Snow's spin on this!
Seems the administration is still 'learning' about the the middle east blow-back effect - by contributing to it more and more, over and over again. Naturally, the 'education' being generously funded with taxpayers money...
The key point buried in the story is that the general in command when all these weapons were so handed out so sloppily was indeed, drum-roll please, General David Petraeus - the public relations genius whose military successes are all smoke and mirrors and who will be explaining how Bush's "surge" is succeeding, even as it is an obvious failure.
LOL!.. I noticed Ron Paul outpolled stinking Nitwit Mitt Romney (2nd place) almost !!10 to 1!! on the ABC news online debate poll..
..yet their pictures were of the Nitwit towering over the others! (he's very tall, dark, and handsome, don't you know!)
..not one peep from the STINKING SCUM at ABC news about Paul hosing the rest of the field IN THEIR OWN MISERABLE online poll..
..That's what federal reserve token$ will do for ya! Maybe someday you Republicrat money dummies can/will learn a little about the origin, nature, etc. of these my$terious token$.. ('dollars' to most/all you Republicrat mule-lopers) ;o)
Clark, which mental hospital are you currently housed in? I'd like to send you a fruit basket.
As usual, we begin a discussion on the Middle East arms deal, and five posts later Captain Delusion is hammering out a dollar sign-laden diatribe from his drool-soaked keyboard about Jews, Republicrats, and (this is a new one for me) "mule-lopers".
Well done, Clark, well done. Keep spreading the word. We won't be satisfied until you've convinced the entire world that libertarians are a bunch of raving lunatics. You're a huge asset to the LP, and we thank you.
Mule-lopers. Wow.
Hey, Blogmaster. Why isn't there an ignore auther button? You won't answer this but I thought I'd ask anyway.
This just proves that Mid Easterners are very adept at hiding weapons (or mass destruction).
Take off the rose-colored glasses and put on some mirrored shades.
LOL! let's all listen to Cryin' Bryan, etcetercrats--apparent notwits without an honest clue as to the nature, origin, etc. of even one dollar--work their cupcake holes lamenting about the next election!..a spectacle controlled by those who possess/control said 'dollars!' (HA) ;o)
So what are you, Clark? The Khmer Rouge? Should all money be abolished?
>Tim wrote: This just proves that Mid Easterners are very adept at hiding weapons (or mass destruction).
>Take off the rose-colored glasses and put on some mirrored shades.
You neocons are funny. Still buying the lies.
Yeah, I'm pretty darn sick of this "war." You know, I would much rather have kept all the money we've wasted in Iraq...but here's the kicker, I would have rather spent it on some Democrat feel-good wealth redistribution instead of wasting it on war. Jeeze, that's the 2nd to last thing I want my money spent on (opressing ME would be the last).
Oh, and Clark, enough about your federal re$erve token$ already. We're not impressed. Maybe he's a rival plant meant to divide from within.
It has become apparent to me that many stooooopid Republicrats think the/some Floundering Fathers 'constitutionally authorized' them to play globo cop..world security cops for corp$eration$..to play 'put the puppet in-take the puppet out' around the planet..to sell arms to warring factions around the planet..to station mercenaries around the globe..spying..picking sides..etc. ad nausema
I hear it on the stinking 'Libertarian' Kneel Boor show too!..
(btw Coach Dim, learn a little about the nature, origin, etc. of 'a dollar' THEN maybe pop-off..ok goofus?) ;o)
Why don't you try explaining yourself coherently, Clark? You might not get blasted as much.
Michael: He can't. Trolls don't know how.
MICHAEL WROTE: "Why don't you try explaining yourself coherently, Clark? You might not get blasted as much." (END)
Gee-whiz Mike, it seems you have a problem with some of my many assertion$..this could be for many reasons..
But instead of merely vomitting, in essence, "na na na na na na, Clark, we don't like you..you're crazy, na na na na na na"..maybe ?you Republicrats, faux 'Libertarians,' etc. could merely copy and paste here any of my word$ with regard to "money," etc. with which you have a problem..
(It seems Republicrats, Boor "Libertarians," etcetercrats can be very thick and stubborn) ;o)
As to getting "blasted" by the likes of Republicrats, etcetercrats..I wear it as a badge of honor..And it's a blast!.. ;o)
Clark, if you wrote coherently we might be able to figure out what you are really trying to say about money. You say a lot but don't really make a real position, other than saying everyone else hasn't a clue.
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Of course you can only "win the peace" by giving out a ton of weapons in the most haphazard fashion possible.
Posted by: Michael at August 6, 2007 04:05 PMThis tells really reveals the impotence and desperation of the administration.
I can't wait to hear Propaganda Minister Snow's spin on this!