Iraq, Uganda May Import Weapons From Indonesia

In what could be a first for an ASEAN member nation, Indonesia may sell munitions and aircraft to Iraq and Uganda. “We are inviting Iraqi defense officials to attend a ceremony commemorating the 67th anniversary of the TNI [Indonesian Military] on Oct. 5,” Deputy Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said Friday. “We are inviting Iraqi officials so they can also observe our defense industries, which produce both weapons and other supplies such as bulletproof vests, helmets, boots and uniforms”. The statement comes following Sjafrie’s recent visit to Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. While meeting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, Sjafrie presented an SS-2 assault rifle and a model of an Anoa armored personnel carrier (APC) produced by PT Pindad. “The discussion to supply weapons to Iraq is part of our efforts to help rebuild the Iraqi armed forces after the [US] war,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony to inaugurate four Defense Ministry officials. “Other efforts include capacity building, territorial development, anti-terrorism and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief”. A MoD team is expected to visit Uganda in September to make their sales pitch. “We have been exporting our weapons and supplies to other countries, such as ASEAN countries, for a long time and now we want to expand the market and volume,” Sjafrie was quoted as saying.