Iraqi government requested a mix of drones and manned aircraft that could be used for both surveillance and active missions. The US will help boost Iraq’s intelligence capabilities. At the same time, according to the State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki ,U.S. is sending about $12 million in humanitarian aid to help nearly a million Iraqis who have been forced from their homes by recent fighting. There were no calls for putting American troops back on the ground in Iraq. Congress is reviewing a $1 billion order of arms, including Humvee vehicles, to Iraq. What’s not in doubt is the stakes, which reach beyond Iraq. Bordering countries Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey are threatened in different ways by instability in Iraq.
