Sale of F-16s to Iraq raises issues

As U.S. forces move toward for a gradual withdrawal from Iraq, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was in Baghdad Tuesday to discuss pressing security issues with government leaders, including the possible purchase of Lockheed Martin F-16 combat aircraft.

That's a highly sensitive issue. The Americans want to build up Iraq's military forces to take over their own security but rearming Iraq is fraught with pitfalls, given the sectarian divisions that plague the country and which has taken such a heavy human toll since the March 2003 invasion.

An effective military that can maintain internal security as well as protect against external threats -- and there are several of these -- is essential to any U.S. exit strategy.

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