US eyes up to 750 mln dollars in military sales to Iraq

WASHINGTON, Sep 20 (Reuters) The Pentagon has notified US lawmakers about the possible sale to Iraq of up to 500 million dollars in helicopters, weapons and vehicles and up to 250 million dollars in logistics support for those systems.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign arms sales, said if completed the sales would help improve the security of Iraq, ''offering hope for a more stable and peaceful West Asia." It said the modernization plan would help give the Iraqi military more capable equipment, including helicopters to rapidly move troops into position and evacuate casualties.

On Monday, Iraq said it would take over security control of a second of its 18 provinces this week in the relatively calm British and Italian-patrolled South.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has said he hopes to receive the security portfolio for most of Iraq's provinces by the end of this year.

The United States and Britain hope to reduce the size of the over-stretched foreign presence as Iraq's 300,000-strong security forces assume a leading role in battling a Sunni insurgency and quelling communal violence.

Congress has 30 days to block the proposed weapons sale, although such actions are rare.

The Pentagon has spent some 227 billion dollars for US military operations in Iraq in fiscal years 2003 through 2006 and US assistance for Iraqi security forces and law enforcement totaled 13.7 billion dollars by June 2006, according to the Government Accountability Office.

GAO earlier this month urged lawmakers to investigate the cost of developing Iraqi security forces, specifically how much had been spent on the effort to date and how much would be needed in the future.

Contractors for Iraq's long wish list of equipment had not yet been identified, DSCA said.

Iraq's requests included over 10,000 M17 9 mm glock pistols; more than 50,000 M16A2 rifles; more than 1,200 night vision goggles; 600 infantry light armored personnel carriers; and 20 Russian-built Mi-17 troop transport helicopters, the agency said.

Currently, it noted the Iraqi military had an assortment of antiquated vehicles with some new vehicles provided under the Multi-National Security Transition Command. It was costly and difficult to maintain multiple makes of antiquated vehicles.

The logistics contract, valued at up to 250 million dollars if all options were exercised, included on-the-job training, supply and maintenance support, software upgrades and spare and repair parts, DSCA said.

The Pentagon gave no details on how Iraq would pay for the weapons, and a spokesman for DSCA could not be reached for comment.

REUTERS DKS BST0546