U.S. moves to rearm Iraq.

• Author: Pappalardo, Joe

The U.S. government--following an extended delay--is aggressively moving to train and equip Iraqi security forces to provide for the internal and external defense of that war torn nation.

The U.S. government in Washington and on the ground in Iraq is distributing defense materials to the Iraqis and clearing the way for private sector-to-government sales. While the U.S. military giveaways are booming, sales are slowly building steam, said U.S. and Iraqi officials.

The lack of equipment is dire. Iraqi forces possess about 40 percent of the minimum quantities of weapons they need, less than one-third of the minimum number of vehicles, and roughly one-quarter of the necessary communications gear and body armor, according to data released by the Pentagon in June.

"You can't overestimate the importance of having a properly equipped military force," Iraqi Ambassador to the United States, Rend al-Rahim Francke, told National Defense. "We have suffered during the past year over a lack of equipment."

The United States is instrumental in dictating the size and make-up of the future Iraqi security forces, but Al-Rahim insists Iraqis are setting overall goals.

"The strategy and structuring of our own forces is being driven by the Iraqi government," Al-Rahim asserted. "We are relying on the United States and other countries in providing training."

That training includes supplying the Iraqis with a flood of equipment to stand up their forces. Iraqi troops currently are receiving materiel as part of the congressional supplemental dedicated to readying Iraq for stir-governance, with some additional funds for equipment provided by the Iraqis themselves, Al-Rahim said.

Iraqi police, border patrol, and other security forces started receiving shipments of military materiel in early August, the contents of which were subject to review by the State Department.

The Iraqi Ministry of Defense forces--the National Guard and Army troops--have received more than 2,500 vehicles, 600 radios, 55,000 weapons, and 25,000 pieces of body armor, including more than 8,000 small-arms protective insert plates, according to officials at the Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq. Police and border units have received more than 6,800 vehicles, 100,000 weapons and 46,000 pieces of body armor.

The training and equipping should be mostly finished by June 2005, said U.S. military officials.

In July, the Iraqi military received the first two of 16 surveillance aircraft from Jordan, for use in border and infrastructure protection.

"The Iraqi Air Force not only represents a real military capability and the foundation of a modern air force, but also indicates the reemergence of Iraq...