Yasser Watout
US to halt military aid and maintenance for Iraq, says MP
BAGHDAD – Yasser Watout, a member of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, stated that the United States intends to halt military equipment supplies to Iraq and will suspend maintenance operations and training courses for aircraft, tanks, and other military hardware. According to a report by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, followed by 964media, this strategy is designed to exert pressure on Baghdad regarding the withdrawal of foreign troops.
Watout emphasized that the primary method the U.S. is using to influence Baghdad’s decision on the withdrawal of foreign forces is through military support. He noted the sensitivity of the armament issue for Iraq, acknowledging America’s awareness of Iraq’s dependence on its weapons and equipment.
He alleged that the U.S. has historically impeded the Iraqi army’s efforts to diversify its weapons sources to mitigate such pressure. Attempts were made to secure deals with Eastern and European countries, but, Watout claimed, the U.S. intervened to thwart these efforts, maintaining leverage to use in negotiations with the Iraqi government about the presence of U.S. forces.
He cautioned that the discontinuation of military equipment supplies, along with the halt of maintenance and training operations, would quickly render the weaponry ineffective. Watout argued that the Iraqi government should assert pressure on the U.S. to continue military cooperation based on existing agreements, aiming to remove this issue from the realm of coercion and threats.
Yasser Watout, an independent MP, is the son of Iskandar Watout, a prominent figure in the formation of the 2003 government and member of the State of Law coalition.
