Moscow Dismisses Washington's Accusations of Weapons Sales to Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, March 25, 2003

Moscow Dismisses Washington's Accusations of Weapons Sales to Iraq

Moscow on Monday criticized Washington for accusing it of allegedly selling weapons to Iraq.

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Moscow on Monday criticized Washington for accusing it of allegedly selling weapons to Iraq.

"Russia has been acting in strict compliance with all existing sanctions regimes," president's aide Sergei Yastrzhembsky told theEkho Moskvy radio station.

He noted that night-vision devices "are available in any hunting store in Moscow, as well as in Europe and the United States."

The US State Department has alleged that Russian companies soldsensitive military equipment to Iraq in the run-up to the US-led war against Iraq, saying that it had raised the issue with the Russian government a number of times. Such sales would violate UN sanctions, which have allowed Iraq only to import such goods approved by the so-called oil-for-food program.

Oleg Antonov, director of Russia's Aviakonversia Company, also told the Ekho Moskvy earlier Monday that his company has never sold arms equipment to Iraq.

"We have never delivered anything to Iraq, although we have plenty of clients all around the world. The Americans made the biggest purchases from us. They wanted to test their armaments against jamming created by our equipment," Antonov said.

Aviakonversia is one of the companies which the United States has alleged are selling sensitive military equipment to Iraq.

The reason for American accusations against Russia is that "they are trying to find a scapegoat and hold it responsible for everything that is going on," Antonov said.

Russian Foreign Ministry said it was expected to respond shortly to the US claims, but so far there are no comments from it.

Iraqi ambassador to Russia Abbas Halaf told the Interfax news agency that it was another American propaganda invention.

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