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Thursday, September 25, 2008

Iraq military planners eye parity with Iran, Turkey by 2020

BAGHDAD — Iraq, with U.S. guidance, is developing a long-term military modernization plan.

Officials said the Defense Ministry has begun a procurement, recruitment and training effort to form a military that could stop any attack from Iraq's neighbors.

They said the plan envisioned Iraq as forming a military equal to that of Iran, Turkey or Syria by 2020.

"The United States and NATO are committed to supplying Iraq with sophisticated weaponry aimed at improving its defenses," Iraq Army Chief of Staff Gen. Babaker Zebari said.

Zebari said the plan called for the Iraqi military to develop capabilities to block any foreign attack. He said the effort would begin by 2011 after the military was deemed capable of counter-insurgency operations without help from the U.S.-led coalition.

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Under the next stage, Iraq would purchase fighter-jets, attack helicopters, air transports, warships, rockets, artillery and other advanced systems. Officials said suppliers would include the United States, Italy and other Western states.

"The interest of the United States over the medium term is to build an Iraqi army with tremendous regional capability and some quality offensive weapons, on condition that this capacity will not be used to intervene in a war between the Arab countries and Israel," said an Iraqi Defense Ministry report, quoted by the Gulf News, based in the United Arab Emirates. "The U.S. strategic goal is to build an Iraqi army on par and perhaps superior to Iran in the next 10 years."

Zebari said the plan also called for the enhancement of the Iraq Navy. He said Baghdad was preparing for the delivery of six fast patrol boats from Italy over the next year.

The chief of staff said the army contains 14 divisions with 263,000 soldiers. The United States had reported that the army contained 202,000 soldiers.

The Defense Ministry study said Shi'ites have been wary of the Iraqi military buildup. The study said the majority Shi'ite community was concerned that a powerful Iraqi military would target Iran.



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