State Department: US remains concerned about F-16 fighters delivered to Iraq
WASHINGTON DC – The United States remains concerned about F-16 fighter planes and other military equipment delivered to Iraq that could be seized by the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) group, the State Department said.
“Of course we’re concerned about the security situation on the ground, and not just with respect to aircraft but any other equipment that could be damaged or absconded with by ISIL,” State Department Spokesman John Kirby said on Monday.
“F-16 jets are a little bit different. I mean, that’s – ISIL has no air force and has no capability or ability to fly advanced fighter aircraft -- but the security situation, of course, remains a concern to us throughout Iraq,” he added.
Four F-16 jets landed at Iraq’s Balad air base on Monday, the first of 36 purchased by Baghdad.
“After years of preparation & training in the U.S., Iraqi pilots today landed the 1st squadron of Iraqi F16s in Iraq,” Brett McGurk, the US deputy special envoy for the coalition against ISIS said on his Twitter account shortly after the fighters arrived.
The delivery came just two weeks after the US said the handover of the aircraft was delayed due to the security situation in Iraq. Kirby said that the fighters will be used against ISIS and manned by Iraqis.
One of Iraq’s purchased F-16s crashed on a training mission in the United States last month, killing its Iraqi pilot.
Kurdish and Sunni leaders in Iraq have strongly opposed the delivery of the jets to Baghdad, arguing that the Shiite-led government could use them against both minorities.