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Iraqi agents have paid visits to British defense officials in recent months in an effort to determine what might be possible for them to obtain, unnamed sources close to U.K. Trade & Investment told the Financial Times.

One source told the newspaper, "It is a concerted effort to see what is available in the marketplace" and included inquiries about everything from advanced communications equipment to border protection technology.

Analysts said the Iraqi move is a sign the country is preparing for a post-occupation future in which the United States will no longer be responsible for Iraq's security. The Financial Times said Iraq has spent about $3 billion of its own resources for mostly U.S.-made weapons such as rifles, pistols and ammunition.

"The important thing is they are buying from Western powers which implies, if not alignment, at least some co-operation moving forward", Richard Aboulafia, a defense analyst with the Teal Group, told the newspaper. "You buy Russian or Chinese arms when you don't want to be dependent on Western manufacturers."

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