Iraq Seeks F-16 Fighters

The Iraqi government is seeking to buy 36 advanced F-16 fighters from the U.S., say American military officials familiar with the request, a move that could help reduce its reliance on U.S. air power and potentially allow more American forces to withdraw from the country than had been proposed.

If it clears hurdles in Washington, the multibillion-dollar deal would give the Iraqi government a powerful new weapon to use against the country's Shiite and Sunni insurgents.

But the rapid rebuilding of Iraq's military forces with U.S. equipment such as F-16s could also be viewed with concern by other countries in the region, because of the placement of advanced weaponry in the hands of a nascent government of a country still struggling for stability.

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