Iraqi Prime Minister al-Abadi Asks For Weapons

In his first visit to Washington, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi plans to seek further American aid in his country’s ongoing fight against Islamic State, according to an unnamed Iraqi official. Chief among the proposed aid are sales of weaponry and further air support. However, al-Abadi apparently wishes to defer payment for the purchase of advanced weaponry such as reconnaissance drone aircraft, Apache helicopter gunships, and ammunition and other assorted weaponry.

Iraq is predicted to run a 17 trillion dinar deficit (approximately $21 billion) this year, mainly due to the expenses of fighting Islamic State and the consequences of the petroleum market glut. Prime Minister al-Abadi also stated the need for strict border control to prevent foreign terrorists from joining Islamic State, and that an international effort is necessary to stop Islamic State’s oil and antiquities smuggling.

The Iraqi official hinted that Iraq was willing and able to deal with Iran to get what they needed if necessary, but that Prime Minister al-Abadi wished to find the United States a partner that he can rely on. Prime Minister al-Abadi has raised the specter of enlisting Iranian aid concerning air strikes should the US be unwilling to help. President Obama has imposed limits on the American role on the ground to merely training and advising Iraqi and Kurdish units, not wishing to get too involved in the conflict at this point. However, former US ambassador to Iraq James Jeffery has stated that the US needs to get Iraq away from relying on Iran-allied Shia militias.

With the upcoming offensive into the Sunni-heavy Anbar province, the heavy presence of Shia militias could create more problems than they solve. If the Iraqi army can successfully organize Sunni tribes against Islamic State as the US Marines did during Operation Iraqi Freedom, then Islamic State’s days in Anbar may be numbered. Of course, whether or not the Iraqi military is capable of fostering such trust is up to question. It may very well take direct American/NATO involvement to bring a second Sunni Awakening.

In contrast to his controversial predecessor, Nouri al-Maliki, Prime Minister al-Abadi has been openly hostile towards sectarianism in Iraq, going so far as to state that a sectarian war is what Islamic State wants in Iraq. Prime Minister al-Abadi’s established family ties, hailing from a prestigious background, also help him earn support from Kurds and Sunnis (al-Abadi is Shia, as are most Iraqis). Back in December, al-Abadi negotiated a deal with the Kurds over sharing the nation’s oil wealth and military resources. That said, Prime Minister al-Abadi’s relative inexperience in politics is seen as a potential problem when compared to the savvy al-Maliki.