190,000 small arms given by US to Iraqis unaccounted for
Afp, Washington
The US government cannot account for more than half of all small arms given to Iraqis in the hope of bolstering their security forces, raising fears the weapons may have found their way to insurgent groups, according to a new congressional probe. The disclosure, made in a report released by the Government Accountability Office, comes ahead of a crucial review of US military operations that may pave the way for a reassessment of the US role in the violence-ravaged country. The top US military commander in the country, General David Petraeus, and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker are scheduled to report to Congress by mid-September on whether efforts to halt sectarian violence and return Iraq to viable self-governance were bearing fruit. Creating efficient security forces capable of taking over counterinsurgency operation from the United States has been a linchpin of this strategy. But in its damning report, the investigative arm of the US Congress said at least 190,000 small arms given by the Pentagon to these forces since 2003 in the hope of boosting their combat readiness were nowhere to be found. The United States has spent about 19.2 billion dollars since the beginning of the war to stand up Iraqi security forces that are supposed to gradually replace US troops in providing security for the country. This total, according to the GAO, included at least 2.8 billion used to purchase and transport weapons and other military equipment necessary to improve the Iraqi arsenal.
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