IRAN HAS TOLD THE US TO STAY OUT OF IRAQ, and is working with the Iraqi government to get planes into the air. The US has drones in Iraq but claim that they are there for the protection of the US personal at the US embassy. In the next breath, we are told that the drones also could be used for airstrikes if President Obama decides to take military action against ISIS targets — a possibility the White House is still contemplating. BAGHDAD — Frustrated with the pace of U.S. jet and attack helicopter deliveries, the Iraqi government has resorted to negotiating the return of decades-old planes from Iran as it desperately tries to cobble together air power to turn the tide against al-Qaeda-inspired insurgents. Iran has been “receptive” to the demands and is working on refurbishing an unspecified number of jets, Ammar Toma, a member of the Iraqi parliament’s defense and security committee said Friday. Government and military officials and two other lawmakers confirmed the negotiations. The planes are among more than 100 Iraqi jets, including Soviet-made Sukhoi bombers and MiGs, which were flown to Iran by fleeing Iraqi pilots during the 1991 Gulf War. If delivered, they would join secondhand fighters from Belarus and Russia to create a ragtag air force that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is hoping can help reverse insurgent gains. washingtonpost/world/2014/06/27/be172f43-cf98-4677-8e6d-4d64a5ae5e1d_story.html
Posted on: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 04:19:36 +0000
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