Iraq War Winners: Weapons Dealers

Tuesday, March 19, 2013
F-16s (photo: Jonathan Fowler, U.S. Air Force)

Arms manufacturers are enjoying the state of post-war Iraq, where the government is spending billions to rebuild its military.

 

Ten years ago this month, the United States invaded Iraq and effectively destroyed Saddam Hussein’s military force. The longtime dictator is no longer around, and neither are U.S. combat troops, leaving Baghdad officials to spend heavily to restore the nation’s fighting force.

 

American defense contractors are the biggest suppliers to Iraq these days, with orders completed or in process for everything from fighter planes to tanks. Among the many contracts in the works are 36 Lockheed Martin F-16IQ Block 52 fighter jets, 25 Bell attack helicopters armed with Lockheed Martin laser-guided AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, 140 upgraded Abrams main battle tanks built by General Dynamics Land Systems and 160 Guardian armored security vehicles manufactured by Textron Marine and Land Systems.

 

Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, in an attempt to lessen dependence on U.S. companies, has negotiated deals with Russian and Czech weapons makers.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

 

To Learn More:

Iraq A Major Arms Buyer Decade After Invasion (by W.G. Dunlop, Agence France-Presse)

Iraq's Illegal Arms Sales Boom While Security Remains Elusive (by Ali As-Saray, Al-Monitor)

Iraq Seen as Major Arms Buyer by 2020 (UPI)

War is Wonderful…If You’re a Weapons Maker (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Post-Occupation Iraq Turns into Bonanza for U.S. Weapons Makers (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Comments

Dim Poss 11 years ago
Is it any wonder at all that the biggest beneficiaries of war are those that make things for it? Would it really surprise anyone that these people are always in favour of the destruction it brings? Would it also surprise anyone that the people involved in the destruction also would want a financial piece of the re-building? As long as we allow WMD, from automatic hand weapons to pilot-less weapon-bearing drones, there is little hope the bulk of humanity will ever find any sort of relative peace.

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