US Delivers Missiles, Ammunition to Iraq

Embassy Promises More Arms in Weeks to Come

The Obama Administration has been rush shipping weapons to the Iraqi government since the loss of much of the Anbar Province to al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), and made the first major delivery today.

Today’s shipment included some 100 Hellfire missiles as well as assault rifles and large amounts of ammunition. The Iraqi Air Force is constantly firing missiles against Fallujah and other targets in Anbar.

The military was moving against Anbar even before AQI’s takeover, as major protests were growing across the Sunni-dominated province. It was amid this unrest that AQI took over Fallujah and other parts of the province.

The US Embassy suggested that today’s shipment was only the beginning of a new round of the US throwing arms at the country, saying more missiles and weapons could be expected in the weeks to come.

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.