BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki called Sunday for the US to speed up the transfer of weapons to Iraq, which lacks the ability to defend its airspace or borders, six months after American troops withdrew.



The Iraqi premier also pointedly said during a meeting with General James Mattis, the visiting head of US Central Command, that only the central government would decide which arms purchases would be made, in an apparent swipe at Kurdish complaints over the acquisition of F-16 warplanes.



“His excellency called for the acceleration of equipping the army, in a way that makes it able to defend Iraq, and its sovereignty and independence,” a statement issued by the premier’s office said.



It quoted Maliki as saying that Iraq did “not want to transgress upon anyone, and we reject anyone transgressing upon us or infringing on our sovereignty.” Maliki added that “the policy of equipping should be federal and in accordance with what the federal government specifies is a priority and a need.” — AFP