Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States has acted to accelerate arms deliveries to Iraq in an effort stop the Al Qaida takeover.

Officials said the administration of President Barack Obama approved the acceleration of defense exports to Iraq. They said the Iraqi military would acquire unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles in early 2014.

“These missiles are one small element of a more holistic strategy,” Defense Department spokesman Steven Warren said.

In a briefing on Jan. 6, Warren said the Iraqi military would acquire more than 100 AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles in an effort to quell the Sunni revolt in the Iraqi province of Anbar. The spokesman said the United States would export at least 10 ScanEagle UAVs, with an endurance of 24 hours. Both assets were produced by Boeing.

But officials said the Pentagon would not provide troops or advisers for the Iraqi military campaign. The United States has up to 200 soldiers in Baghdad.

“We’re not doing tactical work with the Iraqis,” Warren said.

In 2013, officials said, Iraq delivered six C-130 air transports an Avenger surface-to-air missile battery, 27 helicopters and 12 P301 patrol boats. In all, the Pentagon was overseeing more than $14 billion worth of U.S. arms deals, including the F-16 multi-role fighters.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said the United States would also
supply 48 Raven tactical UAVs to Iraq. Carney said Baghdad has already been
absorbing armed helicopters and aerostats.

“In addition to those Hellfire missiles, through our FMS [Foreign
Military Sales] program we will also be providing 10 ScanEagle surveillance
UAVs in the upcoming weeks and 48 Raven surveillance UAVs later this year,”
Carney said. “These UAVs will help the Iraqis track terrorist elements
operating within the country. We also provided Aerostat surveillance
balloons to the government of Iraq in September of last year, and delivered
three additional Bell IA-407 helicopters in December, just last month,
bringing the total purchase purchase buy and delivered to Iraq to 30.”

  AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, C-130 air transports, drones to Iraq, F-16 multi-role fighters, Jay Carney, Obama administration rushes shipments of missiles, Steven Warren