The United States plans on shipping 10,000 M16 rifles and 12,000 sets of body armor, Kevlar helmets, medical kits, and counter-IED equipment to Iraq within weeks.
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Stuart Jones said that counter-IED technology, particularly Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles sent to the region in December, will play an important role in stemming the tide of the Islamic terror organization, Defense News reported Tuesday.
“The number one threat to the Iraqi security forces are roadside bombs and vehicle-borne bombs,” Amb. Jones said Tuesday, the newspaper reported. “These MRAP vehicles provide increased ballistic and counter mine protection for Iraqi security forces.”
The U.S. has roughly 2,100 troops training Iraqi security forces. That number is expected to reach 3,000 due to orders announced Nov. 7 by President Obama. Airstrikes against the Islamic State group have also been ongoing since Aug. 8, 2014.
Defense News reported that airstrikes against the radical Sunni terror group have cost roughly $1.2 billion.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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