Iraq’s insistence overcomes US veto to buy air defense system
Iraq’s insistence overcomes US veto to buy air defense system
9-25-2024
Information / Baghdad…
Despite the great wealth that Iraq possesses, and its ability to purchase the most advanced weapons in the world, it still cannot purchase advanced air defense systems capable of preserving the security and safety of its airspace, which is controlled by American aircraft.
Iraq asked Russia to buy the S-500 air defense system, the most advanced in the world, but the United States prevented this deal by threatening to impose sanctions on it that could destroy its economy.
America controls the movement of the dollar in Iraq, and seizes its money in its treasury.
However, Iraq is still determined to purchase an air defense system, and this is what the Iraqi Ministry of Defense announced about its contract with a South Korean company to purchase an air defense and ballistic missile system.
South Korea’s LIG Nex1 said Friday it had won a deal to export a Korean-made air and ballistic missile defense system to Iraq. It said it had signed a $2.78 billion deal with the Iraqi Ministry of Defense to export the Cheongung-2 system, also known as the South Korean M-SAM2 air defense system.
The Commander of the Air Defense, Major General Pilot Muhannad Ghaleb Al-Asadi, explained that “the recently contracted medium-range surface-to-air missile system (M-SAM) is considered very advanced, as Iraq reached an agreement based on the directives of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, with the Korean company Elagi and the government of the Republic of South Korea to purchase a number of them to protect Iraqi airspace. These batteries are scheduled to arrive in Iraq successively over the coming years, as the first missile battery will arrive next year to begin training Iraqi combat and technical cadres as engineers and technicians on them in the fourth or sixth month of next year in the Republic of South Korea at the manufacturing company.”
The head of the organizing body of the popular movement for the Belt and Road, Hussein Al-Karaawi, stressed that “the presence of the occupying American forces and their control over Iraqi airspace comes to serve the interests of the Zionist entity from any attacks that may be launched from Iraq or neighboring countries against the usurping entity, in addition to preventing the Iraqi air force and air defenses from acting freely, as well as preventing Iraq from possessing long-range missiles.”
He pointed out in a statement to Al-Maalouma Agency that “America is fabricating excuses in order to continue its presence on Iraqi territory, and stands against any party that demands the withdrawal of its forces from the country.”
For his part, the leader of the Fatah Alliance, Ali Al-Fatlawi, said, “The Americans’ failure to adhere to the terms of the Coordination Framework Agreement regarding the security aspect is intentional, in order for their forces to continue for a longer period inside Iraq.”
In a statement to Al-Maalouma Agency, he called on Iraq to act to obtain advanced defense systems in any way.
On the security front, retired Brigadier General Adnan Al-Kanani confirmed that “the Iraqi air defense is a failure and there is nothing by this name on the country’s territory, and the existing radars are simple and dilapidated and cannot detect airspace violations.”
He told Al-Maalouma Agency, “Former Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi sent the current head of the Popular Mobilization Authority, Faleh Al-Fayyadh, to Russia to contract for air defense systems, but America worked to thwart this project and bring down his government at the time.”
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