The United States intends to exempt Iraq from sanctions on Russian weapons
A press report revealed the possibility of issuing a decision from the United States to exempt Iraq from the sanctions imposed on Russia regarding military industries, pointing out that this requires the intervention of US President Joe Biden, noting that Baghdad is currently conducting negotiations on the armament file with other countries, some of which are Arab such as Saudi Arabia. And the Emirates, in addition to France, but it is still in its infancy.
A report by The National news website, translated by Al-Mada, stated that “US sanctions against Russia may cause great damage to the arms industry sector in the country whose annual arms exports amount to $15 billion, including arms exports to the Iraqi army, which is still fighting a war against Remnants of the terrorist organization ISIS.
US exemption from sanctions
The report quoted a US official, who requested not to be named, saying, “Washington is seeking to impose its sanctions in a comprehensive manner, but it may grant exceptions to some countries from these sanctions, such as Iraq, according to very specific cases based on national security exceptions.”
He pointed out that “Baghdad had submitted a request to Russia in 2017 to obtain Russian tanks worth 1 billion dollars, and was considering buying Russian anti-aircraft air defense systems with several billions of dollars, including the S-300 and S-400 air defense systems.” He pointed out that “many of the Iraqi army’s armored vehicles are of Russian manufacture.”
He noted that “the sanctions imposed on Russian arms manufacturers have increased in severity over recent years.”
And the report added, “A round of sanctions had affected Russian arms manufacturers, including Kalashnikov, after the annexation of the Crimea to Russia in 2014, while another law issued in 2017 placed every American company dealing with Russian companies in a dangerous position and subjected them to the so-called secondary sanctions. “.
And he stressed, “The US president has the authority to take exemption measures from the sanctions for major allies, and he has done so previously in the interest of Egypt and India.”
According to the report, in 2020, Washington imposed sanctions on several Turkish defense officials in accordance with this law, after Turkey purchased the Russian S-400 air defense system.
Ukrainian war
And the report continues, “Donald Law, a US State Department official, said recently, after the invasion of Ukraine, in remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that dealing with Russian defense companies was considered risky.” He explained, “Exceptions require the approval of US President Joe Biden, but after ensuring that these countries will refrain in the future from importing any weapons from Russia.” The report noted that “Bilal Wahhab, a researcher specializing in Iraqi affairs from the Washington Institute for Near East Studies, said that Baghdad is trying to balance its various interests in its stance on the war.” The report quotes Wahab as saying, “Iraq refrained from denouncing the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the United Nations General Assembly in an attempt to keep the door open for lasting ties with Russia, especially since the Iraqis feel that the United States has begun to move away from them significantly, and that Russian military cooperation is not It is still necessary for Iraq in the absence of American options.”
Wahhab stated, according to the report, that “the Iranian missile attacks on Erbil necessitate that Iraq focus on developing its air and missile defense systems, and with the slowdown in the supply of American Patriot missile systems and there is an urgent need for them in Europe, Baghdad may reactivate its discussions with Moscow on The possibility of purchasing the Russian S-300 defense system.”
The report also stated, “Since 2018, Iraq had proposed the idea of purchasing the Russian S-300 defense system and the most advanced S-400 system.”
The report stressed that “the Central Bank of Iraq proposed to the government to stop signing contracts with Russia, in order to protect the Iraqi financial system from Western sanctions.”
Expensive American equipment
And he indicated, “Since 2003, the United States of America had provided Iraq with military equipment worth tens of billions of dollars, and while some of the equipment had been provided by the United States as a grant to Iraq, the vast majority of them had been purchased, especially the fleet of F-16 fighter planes, in a deal Its value reached $4.3 billion, accompanied by other maintenance and follow-up contracts. He added, “The United States also gave Iraq a $3 billion credit line to purchase American weapons during the war against ISIS.”
And the report continued, “A section of experts say that the Iraqis prefer Russian equipment, which made up the majority of the Iraqi weapons arsenal during the rule of the former regime, as well as after 2003.”
He pointed out that “the maintenance of US military equipment is expensive and prone to failure in the absence of specialized trained technicians.” The report emphasized that “Iraq borrowed $2.7 billion during the height of the war against ISIS, and amid the collapse of oil prices, to maintain and rehabilitate expensive American weapons.” And he went on, that “Iraq, instead of more complex American systems, increased its purchase of Russian tanks, including the T-90 tank manufactured by the Russian Uralvakonzavod company.”
The report spoke of “Iraq currently possessing a fleet of 73 T-90 tanks and is forming a new brigade of armored vehicles.”
He revealed many requests made by Baghdad to purchase Russian BMP-3 armored combat vehicles manufactured by the Russian company Kurganmashzadov, which was included in the US sanctions list in March.
Iraqi weapons sources
The report quotes a senior military official that “Iraqi military leaders have plans to avoid any relevant consequences.”
He added, “Our armament sources are widely varied and numerous, as we have many agreements, understandings, good relations and coordination with many countries in this field, in addition to the United States, part of our weapons come from European countries as well as from Ukraine, China, South Korea and other countries.” ” The military official stressed that “Iraq can rely on other countries, especially Eastern European countries, which still produce Russian weapons and even spare parts.” He disclosed that the Iraqi government has held talks with countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and France to enhance security cooperation with them, but it is still in its early stages. The Iraqi military official pointed out that “the country is working to expand its own military industry, and it has revived this industry after 2014 with ammunition production lines.”
Sotaliraq.com
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