Pentagon sending 1,000 anti-tank missiles to Iraq: Official
The Pentagon is sending 1,000 ant-tank missiles to Iraq to strengthen its forces against terrorist attacks, a top US official says.
According to the unnamed senior official, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi sealed the weapons systems deal, which ultimately helps fight car bombings, in his recent visit to Washington.
"We made the decision immediately while he was here to get 1,000 AT4 anti-tank systems to Iraqi security forces and those are going to be arriving fairly soon,” the State Department official, who asked not to be identified, told reporters.
Al-Abadi was in Washington with a large delegation last month and met with US President Barack Obama and other senior officials.
The latest revelation of US weapons being sold to Iraqis comes only days after the Iraqi city of Ramadi was taken by the ISIL terrorist group.
ISIL seized the city on Sunday, prompting the Iraqi government to take emergency measures to retake Ramadi.
"In terms of taking back Ramadi, we're going to help the Iraqis do it as soon as possible," the State Department official said.
However, he declined to give a specific time frame to when the much-needed weapons would arrive soon.
On Tuesday, Obama was briefed by his top national security advisers on the situation in Iraq and the plan to answer ISIL, according to the White House National Security Council.
Obama "reaffirmed the strong US support" for al-Abadi, for his efforts to lead the military to take back the city of Ramadi, the White House confirmed.
The meeting involved Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Ash Carter, and General Lloyd Austin of US Central Command, among the 25 advisers.
Baghdad has in the past complained about America’s aid would usually arrive late.
Baghdad has been fighting ISIL for years but the war escalated into an all-out one after the foreign-backed terrorist group took Iraq’s largest northern city, Mosul.
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