Pentagon Seeks to Sell Drones to Iraq, Turkey
The Obama administration is pressing to change the rules on weapons exports despite objections from Congress, which is concerned about the spread of drone technology across the Middle East, writes Richard Sisk. In May, Iraq agreed to buy at least six unarmed US surveillance drones and Turkey is currently haggling for new drones.
Fleets of military drones are proliferating in the Middle East, potentially adding to tensions in the region, under a renewed push by the US Defense Department to lift restrictions on arms sales and boost profits for US manufacturers.
In May, Iraq agreed to buy at least six unarmed US surveillance drones despite the protests from Iran. Turkey currently is haggling with the US for the purchase of $4 million hunter-killer Predator or $30 million Reaper drones armed with Hellfire missiles and laser-guided bombs for use against the guerrillas of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party).
Israel already has a thriving UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) industry and sells drones, some the size of a Boeing 737 airliner, around the world. Israeli drones keep a constant watch over the Gaza Strip, where residents sometime refer to the buzz of the drones as “zenana” — Arabic slang for a nagging wife.
Iraq’s drone buy is intended to shield its booming oil exports and oil platforms in the Gulf. It is part of a $15 billion deal with the US that includes 36 F-16 fighter-attack aircraft, M1 Abrams tanks and armored personnel carriers to be used for “defensive purposes.”
