Lower Oil Prices Put Iraq's Security Forces In Bind at Crucial Time

BAGHDAD — Reeling from a sharp drop in oil prices, Iraq’s security forces are trimming bloated payrolls and will be unable to purchase ships and aircraft that Iraqi officials had hoped would allow the country to develop a basic ability to fend off external threats by 2012, the United States’ projected withdrawal date, according to U.S. military officials.

The budget crunch is also preventing the Iraqi government from keeping billions of dollars worth of U.S.-donated equipment in working condition, representing a potentially colossal loss for a key American investment, U.S. officials say.

The squeeze is threatening the progress of Iraq’s security forces, already beset by ineffective management, corruption and political interference. As the U.S. military begins to withdraw from cities this summer, the Iraqis will be increasingly in the spotlight.

“The budget crisis is going to degrade the rate at which Iraqis will be able to develop their capabilities,” said Lt. Gen. Frank G. Helmick, who supervises the training and equipment of the Iraqi security forces. “We’re in a situation that the Iraqis have not had to face. They can’t pay for it, and we don’t have the money to pay for it. For the first time, the Iraqis will have to prioritize, and these will be tough choices.”

Washington Post