Iraq doesn’t need to go to the local military surplus store for a great deal on old equipment. How about some weapons for free?
NATO is organizing the shipment to Iraq of thousands of AK-47 assault rifles, dozens of Soviet-designed tanks and other weapons as part of the alliance’s program to help train and equip the Iraqi military, officials said Wednesday.
Romania has offered 6,000 AK-47’s along with 500 machine guns, 300 sniper rifles and 100 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, while Estonia has offered 2,400 AK-47s and Denmark 104 pistols, alliance officials said.
NATO also is arranging the transport of 77 T-72 tanks from Hungary to Iraq, the officials said on condition of anonymity.
All arms and military hardware were being given as a donation.
The alliance agreed last year to help coordinate the supply of weapons to Iraq’s fledgling armed forces.
Several former Warsaw Pact nations that joined NATO last year have surpluses of Soviet-era equipment, which military experts say is ideal for the Iraqi military because it [sic] familiar with those weapons from the days of Saddam Hussein.
Okay, so they’re crappy tanks. They’re still tanks nevertheless, and the Iraqi government certainly cannot complain about the price. Besides, a bad tank is still pretty good against a terrorist packing a rifle.