Iraq has closed its airspace to four Syrian flights that were due to collect attack helicopters that had been serviced in Russia, according to a spokesman for Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. The action marks a diplomatic victory for the United States, which has been pressuring Iraq to take a more aggressive stance in blocking military aid to Syria, where fighting has been intensifying.
Two U.S. diplomatic officials expressed relief when informed of Baghdad’s decision to deny Syria’s overflight request for the helicopters. However, one of the officials noted that flights from Iran to Syria continue to pass through Iraqi airspace, and that the U.S. suspects these flights contain matériel. “The abuse of Iraq’s airspace remains a concern,” the official said. “We urge Iraq to either require these aircraft to land for inspection or deny overflight requests for these aircraft.”
ProPublica reported last week that the cargo plane expected to pick up the helicopters had not taken off or landed at the military airfield near Moscow as scheduled. The reason for the delay remains unknown.
On Tuesday, Ali al-Mousawi, the Prime Minister’s media adviser, informed ProPublica that the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority had denied Syria’s requests for overflight. In an email, al-Mousawi wrote that the government was firmly rejecting any transportation of military shipments through its airspace, to or from Syria.
Syria had been attempting to retrieve attack helicopters from Russia, but a cargo ship carrying them from Kaliningrad was turned back in June after the insurer withdrew coverage in response to sanctions. A second attempt by sea the following month also failed.
Flight records obtained by ProPublica revealed that the new plan was to fly an Ilyushin IL-76 cargo plane from Damascus to Ramenskoye Airport outside Moscow in late November and early December. The records described the cargo as an “old helicopter after overhaullling” and identified the model as an Mi-25 – a heavy combat helicopter that has been filmed firing at rebels. The four proposed flights were all scheduled to land at Ramenskoye Airport at 2:00 p.m. local time, but none of them arrived, according to a photographer hired by ProPublica to observe air traffic.
Iraq’s decision to block the flights and publicly acknowledge it could anger Moscow, according to one U.S. diplomatic official. The failure to deliver the helicopters could mean a delay in payment for the Russians, who have long been Syria’s main supplier of arms.
The U.S. Air Force had largely controlled Iraqi airspace until last year, but American officials have since transferred control to the Iraqis. President Obama has expressed support for the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, and the New York Times reported Sunday on the struggle of American officials to stop arms shipments from Iran. Iraq’s Foreign Minister promised Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in September that Iraq would inspect the flights from Iran, but only two planes have been inspected since then, including one that was returning from Syria.
