Syria, Iraq sign military agreement

LONDON, March 14 (JTA) — Syria has secretly agreed to supply military equipment to Iraq, according to Middle East intelligence sources quoted in the London Times. The deal between the Syrian and Iraqi intelligence services will involve military equipment worth some $100 million, the sources said. Under the agreement, Syrian spare parts for military equipment would be converted for use by the Iraqi army, the sources said. The parts would include engines for Russian-made tanks and tracks for armored fighting vehicles. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has faced a severe shortage of spare parts for his army as a result of the international arms embargo imposed after the 1991 Gulf War. Syria is also expected to supply equipment for anti-aircraft radar facilities — hit by recent U.S. and British bombing — as well as trucks, aircraft, helicopters and ammunition. Relations between Syria and Iraq, once considered regional arch-rivals, are reported to have improved significantly in recent months. The two countries have already agreed to develop political and economic ties.