Seventy-seven
tanks and four tank-recovery vehicles donated to the Iraqi Armed Forces by
Hungary arrived in Iraq and are now stationed at Taji, north of Baghdad, which
is the headquarters of the Iraqi 9th Division (Mechanized). The tanks were
transferred from Hungary by a combination of land and sea transport. They are
expected to be operational by mid-December. This donation of more modern, newly
refurbished tanks will enable the 9th Division to play an important role in
providing security to Iraqi citizens.
At the end of 2004,
the Government of Hungary pledged to contribute to the new Iraqi army
seventy-seven T-72 tanks, especially outfitted for the Iraqi forces. The tanks
were transported to the Taji Military Base in a
joint effort by several NATO allies.
The Iraqi Armed
Forces took possession of the tanks on November 12, 2005.
