US Weapons Pour Into Iraq Ahead of Mosul Invasion

10,000 M-16 Rifles, Hundreds of Missiles Shipped to Iraq

10,000 M-16 rifles, 100,000 ammunition magazines, hundreds of Hellfire missiles: US weaponry is pouring into Iraq at a rate not seen in years, as the Obama Administration attempts to arm the Iraqis for an invasion of Mosul.

The US provided a huge amount of weaponry to Iraq’s military over the course of its previous occupation, turning them into one of the best armed militaries in the region. It didn’t last.

When ISIS made their push into Mosul, Iraqi troops turned tail and ran, leaving much of their best weaponry behind for ISIS to loot. Iraq is now seeking a new set of arms to build a new army, and the US is once again lining up to provide it.

The latest influx comes as the Pentagon is openly talking about 25,000 Iraqi troops invading Mosul, the largest ISIS-held city, in an offensive that will begin in April or May. US ground troops are expected to play a combat role in this, likely for the first time in the current war.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.