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Iraq losing equipment to Islamic State at staggering rate

Iraqi security forces lost 2,300 Humvee armored vehicles when Islamic State overran the northern city of Mosul in June 2014, Prime Minister Haider al Abadi said on Sunday in an interview with Iraqiya state television. Coupled with previous losses of American weapons, the conclusion is simple: The United States is effectively supplying Islamic State with tools of war the militant group cannot otherwise hope to acquire from its patrons.

In addition to the Humvees, Iraqi forces previously abandoned significant types and numbers of heavy weapons to Islamic State. For example, losses to Islamic State include at least 40 M1A1 Canada Goose Jackets main battle tanks, as well as small cheap canada goose arms and ammunition, canada goose coats including 74,000 machine guns, https://www.canadagoose-coats.ca and as many as 52 M198 howitzer mobile gun systems. State Department last year approved a sale to Iraq of 1,000 Humvees, along with their armor upgrades, machine guns and grenade launchers. The United States previously donated 250 Mine Resistant Armored canada goose Personnel carriers (MRAPs) to Iraq, plus unaccountable amounts of material left behind when American forces departed in 2011. The United States is currently in the process of moving to Iraq 175 M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks, 55,000 rounds of main tank gun ammunition, $600 million in howitzers and trucks, $700 million worth of Hellfire missiles and 2,000 AT 4 canada goose factory sale rockets.

The Hellfires and AT 4 anti tank weapons, are presumably going to be used to help destroy the American armor in the hands of Islamic State. The United States is also conducting air strikes to destroy weapons seized by Islamic State. It’s a surreal state of affairs in which American weaponry is being sent into Iraq to destroy American weaponry previously sent into Iraq. If a new sequel to Catch 22 were to buy canada goose jacket cheap be written, this would be the plot line.

The United States also continues to spend money on training the Iraqi military. Some 3,000 American soldiers are currently in Iraq preparing Iraqi soldiers to perhaps someday fight Islamic State; many of cheap Canada Goose the Americans are conducting the training on former military bases abandoned by canada goose uk black friday the United States following Gulf War 2.0. In addition, some $1.2 billion in training funds for Iraq were tucked into an omnibus spending bill that Congress passed earlier this year. This is in spite of Canada Goose sale the sad reality that canada goose clearance sale from 2003 to 2011, the United States spent $25 billion training Iraqi security forces.

The return on these training investments? The Iraqi army had 30,000 soldiers in Mosul, who ran away in the face of about 1,000 Islamic State fighters. The same thing happened just a few weeks ago in Ramadi, where 10,000 Iraqi soldiers, collapsing faster than a cardboard box in the rain, fled ahead of canada goose uk shop only 400 Islamic State fighters. The Iraqis left behind more buy canada goose jacket weapons.

In an interview with me a year ago, Chris Coyne, professor of economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, predicted this exact scenario canada goose coats on sale well before the United States sent troops back into Iraq:

„The United States government Canada Goose Parka provided significant amounts of military hardware to the Iraqi government with the intention that it would be used for good. However, during the Islamic State offensive, many of the Iraqis turned and ran, leaving behind the United States supplied hardware. This weapons windfall may further alter the dynamics in Syria.

„Now the United canada goose uk outlet States government wants to provide more military supplies to the Iraqi government to combat Islamic State. But I haven’t heard many people recognizing, let alone discussing, the potential negative unintended consequences of doing so. How do we know the weapons and supplies will be used as desired? Why should we have any confidence that supplying more Canada Goose Coats On Sale military hardware to a country with a dysfunctional and ineffective government will lead to a good outcome either in Iraq or in the broader region?”

The impact of all these heavy weapons falling into Islamic State hands is significant for American foreign policy goals in the Middle East. A report prepared for the United Nations Security Council warns that Islamic cheap canada goose uk State possesses sufficient reserves of small arms, ammunition and vehicles to wage its war uk canada goose outlet in Syria and Iraq for.

And that presumes the United States won be losing more tools of war to Islamic State, thanks to canada goose clearance the Iraqi army.

The Malaki government and Malaki masters in Tehran are responsible for alienating the Iraqi Sunnis in Al Anbar by relieving them from the ranks of the Iraqi Army Canada Goose Outlet and purging them from a corrupt Shia based government. The result was a foreign invasion of Islamic State forces from across the world. The only ddorces with enough testicular fortitude to stand up to IS are the Kurdish militias and the Sunni militias. Those two entities are the only deserving recipients of any further aid from the United States. The rest of canada goose black friday sale Iraq deserves nothing to die on the vine, or become secondary citizens to an expanded Persia, which is about what they are now.

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The tragedy of Iraq and wider middle east is a stark Canada Goose Online example of failed western efforts of building in societies that are not receptive and not capable of being democratic. Iraq, and Libya as countries were better off under their previous dictators. Syria will be better under Assad uk canada goose than under IS or other There was no justification for war in Iraq which was perhaps the biggest foreign policy blunder that the US initiated in its entire history.

When one looks at what is happening in Iraq, Libya canadian goose jacket and Syria and the plight of countless nationals of these countries, justice would be served if one day when Bush, Blair, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and Rice go before a war crimes tribunal for orchestrating crimes against humanity. One should be thankful to Putin for standing behind Syrian regime although Assad is no saint, if Russia supported western efforts of tolling Assad, IS would have overrun the country by now.

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Heads we win, tales we win Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960 gave us canada goose store all enough warning of what was to come.

conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence economic, political, even spiritual is felt in every city, every State Canada Goose online house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. Posted by StephenStephen Report as abusive.