A possible U.S. Foreign Military Sale to Iraq of pilot and maintenance training and contractor support services has won approval from the State Department.

The possible sales deal is worth an estimated $1.06 billion, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency following its required notification to Congress.

"The proposed sale of training and support services will improve the Iraq's ability to train its pilots and maintenance technicians," the agency said in a press release. "By training its own pilots and maintenance technicians in-country, Iraq will decrease its overseas training requirements, significantly reduce its training costs, and will enhance its ability to take over the sustainment of its aircraft."

Iraq flies C-172, C-208, and T-6 aircraft. It seeks a five-year training and support deal that would include contractor aircraft modifications; repair and spare parts; base operation support, base life support, security, and construction.

The C-208 aircraft are used for training its Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance pilots, while the C-172s and T-6s are for the training of mobility and fighter attack personnel.

DSCA said Spartan College in Tulsa, Okla., would be the principal contractor for the proposed deal.

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Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr on Tuesday warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that he risked suffering the same fate as slain Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi if he did not step down. The maverick cleric had last week condemned the suspected deadly use of chemical weapons by Assad's forces against civilians, becoming a rare Shiite leader to openly challenge the Syrian president's legitimacy. ... read more

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