In testimony to the House Appropriations defense subcommittee on Jan.
29, Kicklighter said the Pentagon has improved control over the tens of
thousands of weapons and munitions delivered to Iraq. But he said many
weapons remained unaccounted.
"There still remains work to be accomplished," Kicklighter, directed to
investigate the weapons flow, said.
Officials said Ankara captured U.S.-issued weapons from PKK fighters as
early as April 2007. They said the PKK bought the weapons from the Iraqi
black market or intercepted supplies meant for the Iraqi military and
police.
In one case, a contractor for the U.S. military in Kuwait was believed
to have been bribed to divert weapons shipments. The weapons were to have
been supplied to the Iraqi police.
Congress has determined that hundreds of thousands of weapons meant for
Iraqi security forces have disappeared. A report by the Government
Accountability Office reported that most of the 185,000 Russian-origin AK-47
rifles, 170,000 pistols, 215,000 sets of body armor and 140,000 helmets for
Iraqi troops went missing.
Over the last few months, the Pentagon has sought to trace the missing
weapons. A team that includes the State Department, Justice Department and
the military's Central Command plans to visit Iraq in March 2008.
