Free Republic

Iraq has been examining a weapons offer by Pakistan. Officials said the Iraqi Defense Ministry has been briefed on a range of weapons and platforms from Islamabad. They said an Iraqi delegation has attended demonstrations of several platforms, including armored personnel carriers and main battle tanks. "We are seeking both weapons and the option of technology and coproduction," an official said. Officials said Islamabad has been marketing air and land platforms to the Iraqi military and security forces. They said this could include the Khalid MBT, air trainers and fighter-jets, including the Chinese-origin JF-17, marketed by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. Pakistan...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The only Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without U.S. support has been downgraded to a level requiring them to fight with American troops backing them up, the Pentagon said Friday. The battalion, made up of 700 to 800 Iraqi Army soldiers, has repeatedly been offered by the U.S. as an example of the growing independence of the Iraqi military. The competence of the Iraqi military has been cited as a key factor in when U.S. troops will be able to return home. "As we see more of these Iraqi forces in the lead, we will be able...