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| Iraq |
| Key House Republican pushing for military support to Iraqi Kurds fighting IS |
| 2014-11-21 |
| A key House Republican is pushing the Obama administration to expand U.S. military support to Kurdish peshmerga fighters in the battle against the Islamic State, calling for Washington to begin channeling heavy weaponry directly to Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government. Rep. Ed Royce of California, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, introduced legislation Thursday that would give the White House “temporary” authority to ship American “anti-tank and anti-armor weapons, armored vehicles, long-range artillery” and other equipment directly to the Kurds. The legislation would give the president “three years” to provide such weapons without having to seek reapproval from Congress. It would represent a significant change in course from the current U.S. policy of allowing officials in the central government in Baghdad to determine what American equipment gets shipped to the Kurds in northern Iraq. His legislation’s introduction comes a day after a suicide car bomb exploded in front of the Kurdish government’s provincial council building in the northern city of Irbil — a lethal attack believed to have been carried out by Islamic State extremists. It also comes a day after the Obama administration signaled openness to providing more support to the peshmerga. On Wednesday, State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke told reporters that President Obama “has pledged to expand our efforts to support the Iraqi forces, including the Iraqi Kurdish forces.” It was not immediately clear whether the administration will embrace Mr. Royce’s call for providing arms directly to the Kurds |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #3 First it would have to run contrary to the USAs current international posture. Second there is no direct way AFAIK to supply the Kurds; perhaps through the Black Sea but if that got our Turkey can play hell with the Hellespont. Arming Iraqi Kurds will involve Baghdad, one way or another. Iran would have an interest, too. Question: would it be more practical for the Kurds to seek weapons/training from Russia? Is an independent Kurdistan viable with current Russia posture? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2014-11-21 10:42 |
| #2 It won't be done because it represents a possible winning strategy. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-11-21 07:51 |
| #1 I seriously doubt anything will come of this. At least three reasons and there could be more; too many Christians involved in the Kurdish movement, far too much Turkish knowledge regarding past events in Benghazi, lastly, any heavy weapons arming of the Kurds would run counter to the regimes current diplomatic efforts with Iran. Once again, the brave Kurds lose. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-11-21 07:34 |