By David Dolan
DDolan.com
As American military forces continue to be withdrawn from Iraq after eight years in the Mideast Arab country, several US allies in the region are seeking to buy weapons used by them at discount prices. Among countries most interested in purchasing older American weapons is Israel, Washington's closest Mideast ally.
The Israeli Defense Ministry has confirmed that it’s holding talks with officials at the Pentagon to determine exactly what might be for sale and what the costs to Israel might be. Press reports say Israeli Defense Force commanders are particularly interested in acquiring more Humvee combat vehicles and surplus ammunition supplies from the Americans.
A Defense Ministry official said that for the Pentagon, it’s often more cost effective to sell some of its older weaponry to nearby allied countries, especially heavy vehicles, than it is to transport the items all the way back to the United States for storage.
Other regional countries said to be interested in purchasing some of the older American weaponry include Egypt and Saudi Arabia, who, like Israel, are already mainly equipped with US weaponry, as is NATO member Turkey due north of Iraq.
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