Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Iraq's PM Is In Washington Seeking Weapons, Money, And A Greater U.S. Role In The War Against The Islamic State



New York Times: Iraqi Prime Minister, in Washington, Seeks Billions to Overcome Deficit

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of Iraq is using his first official visit to Washington this week to pursue billions of dollars in loans and international assistance as his government struggles with plunging oil prices and a yawning budget deficit.

Mr. Abadi, who arrived here on Monday night, has a full agenda, including a meeting on Tuesday with President Obama. But a major priority is laying the groundwork for financial support to help the Iraqi government as it struggles to take back territory from the Islamic State.



More News On Iraq's PM Visit To Washington

Islamic State conflict: Iraq PM to seek weapons on US visit -- BBC
Iraqi prime minister making an in-person appeal to Obama for more help fighting Islamic State -- USA Today/AP
Islamic State battle to dominate US-Iraq White House talks -- AFP
Obama, Iraq's Abadi to discuss Islamic State fight in White House meeting -- Reuters
Iraqi leader will seek continued U.S. help in ISIL fight -- USA Today
Iraq's Abadi To Seek More U.S. Support As IS Loses More Ground -- Radio Free Europe
Obama to discuss fight against Isis with Iraqi prime minister -- The Guardian
Iraqi PM to Ask Obama for More Military Aid -- VOA

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Eff him.

Arming the Shia will only create disgruntled Sunni. some of them will become terrorists and hit us for siding with a brutal Shia regime.

The rest of the goodwill we earned during the Sunni Awakening will be squandered if we arm the Shia regime.

We watched for 7 years as the Shia PMs went after one Sunni politician after another. By sitting on our hand we have earned ill will.

There has been ethnic cleansing in Diyala. Any other time the Left in America would be up in arms. But what the hey, when there is a Democrat president want are a few massacres?

Eff them. Let their big brother Iran save them.

James said...

I think it's another sign the Irani coordinated offense (Tikrit, Mosul, etc) has run out of gas. Things may not be going that well for Iran as it seems, but fear not, there is still time for us to bail them out!

Unknown said...

WTF?

(1) The Iraqi Army, Shia, militias and Iran have the manpower.

(2) They have oil. Refining might be a problem. Iran cannot refine much of its' oil and Iraq may not either, Especially with Baiji being contested and Kirkuk really not willing to share since they have been treated so well by the Shia dominated government.

Maybe if the government allowed the Kurds decent weapons, the Kurds might ship them refined POL or oil.

Still the has to be some refining capacity in the south.

Question is if the Iraqi government does not want to put Iraq on a wartime footing, why should we help?

(3) There are other logistic besides POL.

If the Iranians dick around too long, they incur further losses in Syria.

How many guys did ISIS have in Tikrit? Rule of thumb is that the attacker usually need 3 to 1 odds. ISIS dud bug out, but how much punishment did they inflict before hand and how much punishment have IEDs inflicted? Maybe the militias do not have the will or the training.

April is not too bad, but May is when you get the convection oven going.

If ISIS is still earning millions of dollars a day then they will also be getting volunteers to replace losses.
Small groups of volunteers could infiltrate form Jordan and who knows what kind of game Turkey is playing still?

Unknown said...

James,

Is that comment about gas meant literally, figuratively, or both?

James said...

Both. You noticed!