EU allows member states to send arms to Iraq

World Today

The European Union has confirmed the arming of Iraqi Kurds will remain at the discretion of member states, with France having been asked by Kurdish authorities to help provide them with weapons.

It has caused some concern in neighboring countries that arming a regional government could have serious consequences in the long-term.

CCTV’s Jack Parrock reports.

EU allows individual member states to send arms

The European Union has confirmed the arming of Iraqi Kurds will remain at the discretion of member states, with France having been asked by Kurdish authorities to help provide them with weapons.

A meeting of EU ambassadors in the Political and Security Committee of the EU in Brussels decided the current EU policy makes it legal for individual member states to send arms to Iraq, despite the EU holding an arms embargo against the country.

The EU announced an extra five million euro in humanitarian aid money to support the 200,000 people displaced by the violence, but warns much of the aid isn’t reaching those who need it.

It is unclear exactly how far France will begin to arm the Pershmerga forces but an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss Iraq has been organized for Friday. They will be looking to find a common EU position on it all.