By KUNA,
Baghdad : Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army General Babaker Zebari has said that his government spent some USD 2.6 billion on armament in the last six months and will spend another USD 595 million by the end of 2008.
As part of the US Foreign Military Sale to Iraq (FMS), the government signed USD 2.6 billion worth of arms’ deals to supply the Iraqi army with the necessary trucks, vehicles, trailers, and associated military equipment and services, he disclosed.
Zebari made the remarks in a joint press conference Thursday with Legal Advisor of the Multi-National Force-Iraq General Robin P. Swan here.
An additional USD 595 million will be channelled to the armament programme in the coming six months, he added, pointing out that the FMS was a global programme covering 145 countries.
The Iraqi Defence Ministry prefers importing arms and military equipment from one country to cut red tape and save funds, he asserted.
In the framework of preparations for the planned handover of power from the MNF to the Iraqi authorities, the ministry started forming two military divisions assigned for the task, Zebari added.