The United States is working to smooth the path to Foreign Military Sales (FMS) as the government of Iraq works to procure weapons for its national forces, according to a top U.S. official.
“We do very much want to see the most efficient functioning of FMS sales for Iraq possible,” Amb. David Satterfield, senior adviser, Coordinator for Iraq, Department of State, told the Defense Writers’ Group yesterday.
The Defense Department is focused in this area, he said.
The FMS process is fairly new for Iraq, merely a year old, he said. Questions come up: “we want trucks, what kind of trucks? Big trucks. What kind of big truck? Literally, it’s a generic request that has to be…brought down to very specifics details.”
It’s been a learning experience for the Iraqi side, he said, on “how one takes a very generic desire for things, and brings them down to specific requests for a thing, in specific quantify, with a specific set of characteristics.”
It appears to be successful as the two governments work through the process. Iraq has become acquainted with what needs to be done and the speed with which they need to do it. The United States can’t provide equipment unless it knows what equipment is being sought and have requests for it.
For the United States, “we have worked to accelerate the procurement process from the defense base,” Satterfield said.
“I think we’re doing a much better job on both sides on getting the request in so we have the ability to process them and in our ability to procure and send out,” he said.
In late September, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a potential $2.25 billion FMS to Iraq of vehicles, small arms ammunition, explosives, and communications equipment as well as associated equipment and services.
While published reports earlier this month said Iraq could be buying as much as $100 million in light weapons from China for its law enforcement personnel, Satterfield was clear: “We are not concerned at the procurement position of the Iraqi government.”