The Fighter Controversy

TAPPED, “Iraqi Air Force Revisited”

Today, Robert Farley of TAPPED addresses the issue of the Iraqi Air Force. In his posting, Farley rebukes Noah Shachtman, another blogger, on his posting criticizing U.S. Air Force’s top commander for Iraqi operations, Lt. Gen. Gary North.

On January 15, 2008, North made a statement proposing that the Iraqi military have fighter planes by the year 2011. Shachtman contests that this idea is foolish, maintaining that while the Iraqi Air Force should be expanded to include more viable modern aircraft, fighter planes are absolutely unnecessary for fighting the insurgency against which the Air Force is currently employed: “Is winning dogfights really the priority here?”

Farley rebuts that doubtlessly, the United States cannot leave Iraq until the nation has a viable Air Force. He illustrates two excellent though concise arguments for the realization of North’s vision:
I. Jet fighters are symbols of modern, self-sufficient states.
II. Modern nations in conflict zones such as the Middle East require fighters where their potential enemies have fighter planes.

Essentially, Farley argues, notwithstanding his admitted skepticism that Iraq will receive fighter warplanes as long as their political situation remains unstable and their attitudes toward the United States’ other Middle Eastern allies, “as long as Iraq can't field a military capable of defending its borders (a project to which fighter aircraft are critical), it will always be a basket case and a quasi-colony.”

I frankly am not sure what to make of this entire situation. To be perfectly honest, I had not thought of the prospect of the Iraqi nation having a powerful Air Force, not even mentioning fighter jets. Have you see Osama bin Laden latest video warning “the great Satan and the treacherous Iraqi collaborators” about Al-Qaida’s powerful jet fighters? Neither have I. For that reason, I would initially fully oppose even the suggestion of giving the Iraqis jet fighters. Farley’s arguments, however, have definitely forced me to reflection and reconsideration. One thing remains certain in my mind, the United States should be very weary and cautious in providing any powerful weaponry to any foreign states until we can be certain to some degree that they will not simply turn around a few years later to use that weaponry against the ones who gave it to them.