U.S. leaves large amount of military gear to Iraq

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military is donating passenger vehicles, generators and other equipment worth tens of millions of U.S. dollars to the Iraqi government.

U.S. commanders in Iraq may now donate to the Iraqis up to 30 million dollars worth of equipment from each facility they leave, up from the 2-million-dollar cap in 2005, the Washington Post quoted Pentagon sources as saying on Monday.

The new cap applies at scores of posts that the U.S. military is expected to leave in coming months as it scales back its presence from about 280 facilities to six large bases and a few small ones by the end of next summer.

Some of the items that U.S. commanders may now leave behind, including passenger vehicles and generators, are among what commanders in Afghanistan need most urgently, according to Pentagon memos.

The approach to leave large amount of U.S. military gear to Iraq has triggered arguments in the Pentagon over whether the effort to leave Iraqis adequately equipped is hurting the buildup in Afghanistan.

U.S. President Barack Obama announced in January that the U.S. combat mission in Iraq will end by August 31, 2010.

All U.S. troops will leave Iraq by the end of 2011 according to an agreement reached by the two countries last year.