Washington to provide Iraqi forces, Peshmerga with air defense systems
US soldiers clearing rubble at Ain Al-Asad military airbase in the western Iraqi governorate of Anbar (Dec 2023). Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The US Congress and Senate approved a bill this week allowing Washington to provide Iraqi security forces and Peshmerga forces with air defense systems.
The 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) mentioned that the US Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall develop an action plan to equip and train Iraqi security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga forces to defend against attacks by missiles, rockets, and unmanned systems, Rudaw News reported.
The action plan must be developed before February 2024, according to the $886 billion defense policy bill.
The step comes after Iraqi armed groups backed by Iran claimed responsibility for many drone and missile attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria since October 17 in response to Washington’s support for Israel in its war in Gaza.
The attacks stopped during a recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas but resumed after the end of the truce.
The US Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone was attacked on December 7 with several missiles. The attack left no casualties.
Washington has deployed about 2,500 soldiers in Iraq within the framework of the international coalition to combat ISIS, which has been carrying out advisory missions since the end of 2021.
The United States also has about 900 soldiers in Syria.