Russia Defends Self on Iraq Allegations

AP | 3/25/03 | JUDITH INGRAM

[kattracks]

Russia Defends Self on Iraq Allegations

By JUDITH INGRAM .c The Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) - Russia went on a media offensive Tuesday to repeat denials of American allegations that it is selling anti-tank guided missiles, jamming devices and night-vision goggles to Iraq. It hinted that Washington also had sold sensitive equipment to other nations.

The Kremlin, which usually issues its statements by fax or through the main Russian news agencies, took the unusual step of calling news organizations and dictating a statement publicizing its version of a conversation Monday between President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The White House said Bush had called Putin to complain about the alleged sales of military equipment, which could pose a danger to American troops.

Instead, Kremlin spokesman Alexei Gromov said Putin was the one who brought up the allegations, denied them and said that Russia respects the U.N. sanctions against Iraq.

``The president of Russia also notes that the discussion concerns unproved, public declarations that can damage the relations between the two countries,'' Gromov said.

Gromov hinted that Putin also mentioned past situations where the U.S. had sold military equipment to other countries. The official who dictated the statement declined to name the instances or the countries involved.

Washington and Moscow have disagreed recently over issues ranging from missile-defense plans to NATO expansion. Russia sided with France and Germany to block a Bush-backed U.N. resolution sanctioning military conflict to disarm Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

At a press conference Tuesday in the Russian nuclear weapons center of Sarov, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev accused some of the United States' ``closest allies'' of providing dangerous nuclear equipment to Iran - turning the tables on Washington, which has frequently accused Moscow of leaking nuclear and missile technologies to Tehran.

Rumyantsev said he was ``alarmed'' by press reports that an Anglo-Dutch consortium, Urenco, had provided centrifuges that could be used to enrich uranium for use in nuclear weapons, the Interfax-Military News Agency reported.

A spokesman for Urenco denied the allegation and invited Russia to produce proof. Urenco is owned by the British, German and Dutch governments and provides uranium-enrichment services for nuclear power plants.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Washington had ``credible evidence'' of the Russian sales and that intelligence reports indicated ongoing cooperation between a Russian company producing jamming equipment and the Iraqi military. Russian officials denied the charge.

The Washington Post reported that three Russian companies were involved in the sales. It identified two of them as KBP Tula and Aviaconversiya, a Moscow-based company, saying that KBP had supplied anti-tank guided missiles and Aviaconversiya provided the jamming devices.

U.S. officials allege that Russian technicians from a private company were in Iraq during the last few weeks to provide technical support for the GPS jammers.

03/25/03 09:20 EST

[kattracks]

Nevermind, Russia, we took care of it.

GPS Weapons Destroy Russia's GPS Jammers

[JohnHuang2]

'I did not have GPS relations with that man, Saddam!'

[Diogenesis]

Russia COULD HAVE BEEN higher in America's collective mind than France.

But with the found cruise missiles, GPS jammers, etc.
Putin and his KGB are now with France and Germany below slugs, snakes, and scorpions.

[JohnHuang2]

Couldn't agree with you more.

[Southern_Republican]

Chechnya could use some help....Stingers, or other equipment.

[Nucluside]

Everyone, apparently, was in the "arm our enemies for bucks" scams. Not to side with the commies, but what about the Clintons and Co. selling 10 years worth of nuclear technology to the Chinese communists for money to buy votes with? In so doing they also cut acres of red tape in order to allow private defense contractors harvest billions on technology paid for by US taxpayers. First the American taxpayers pay for the technologies that are sold to our enemies and then our troops and people pay in death and blood.
We should kick domestic as well as foreign asses for this kind of stuff!

[bushfamfan]

They'll share in the blame with these tyrants and the very serious nature of the technology they are giving them with obvious intentions. They've been caught aiding and abetting the enemy now and let them continue on. We'll know not only to send a response due to an attack on our country to the rogues Russia/China support, but to those nations as well and they may be wicked themselves but are they going to be suicidal too? St. Petersburg, Moscow, Shanghai, Beijing...

[ottersnot]

They are being stupid.
Their best move would have been to vehemently denounce
any transfers and clintonesquely promise to search
out and destroy such transfers.
Nope they use the La Franc method of blanket denial.
StOOO-pid.

[Mamzelle]

While it was useful to throw them on the defensive, I've suspected that the tech was never of any real threat, but the episode rather was a rhetorical stance, a gesture of warning. I approve, but it all went off so nice and neat that it looks like a feint. Release the news, wait, Russians suddenly defensive and probably likely to make a concession...sort of thing I really like to see, and smile over.

[hchutch]

Which paper reported that Bush complained about the night-vision goggles and GPS jammers?

[Grampa Dave]

I don't know, try a search or post the question as a vanity ?.

[hchutch]

Found it. It was Ron Fournier and the BBC...

Now, why would they want to stir up that hornet's nest?

[Grampa Dave]

Who knows why BBC does anything. BBC seems to have a split personality at times.

[hchutch]

Yep. And BBC and Ron Fournier are not exactly folks who I would consider reliable... unless one defines "reliable" in terms of "you can bet they're against Bush and anyone who sides with him and win every time."

The Americans and Brits have unleashed venom at France, but not Russia. That's a big key here. Russia's problems have been seen as pretty valid, and their request to determine the "legality" of the war does ave us from a nasty incident at the UN Security Council where there would probably be THREE vetoes against a resolution condemning us.

[Stavka2]

Don't worry, they already have them, along with the Taliban, the IRA and any other organization that decided to buy the thousands the Afghans got and sold off to every other terrorist organization with cash...another brilliant move by the CIA.

[Stavka2]

Can we get over the commie thing or do you still call the Germans Nazies? Hell, might as well call the Americans colonials.

[Nucluside]

OK, OK. Russia has made great strides towards personal freedom and a free market economy. I apologize for calling Russians commies, well most of them, anyway.
No, I don't still call Germans Nazis; I call them socialists, which, come to think of it, that is exactly what they were when we called them Nazis.
We kicked ass to become not colonials. Our Revolution proved the fact clearly that we are not anyones' bitches. Russians, Germans, and especially the French, still have some proving to do. The best bet for Russia and the previously-mentioned duo is that our coalition forces NOT find WMD evidence that would label them as nations that harbor and support terrorists. I know for a fact that we are going to find such evidence.
The US has done more than reasonable for those countries. Future help for Russia could be in serious doubt. I know that several portable nuclear devices were sold and smuggled out of Russia as observed by a former US elite forces member, whom sacrificed his career by making repeated entreaties to the Clinton administration to take action.
If one of the devices is used against the American people as an instrument of terrorism, all bets are off on future US/Russia relations, which are already in jeopardy.