Russia's state arms trader denies links to Syria "illegal" cargo October 12, 2012 - 16:36 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia's state arms trader said on Friday, Oct 12, that it had no connection to the "illegal" military items removed from a Moscow-Damascus passenger airliner forced to land in Turkey, RIA Novosti reported. Turkish F-16 fighter jets forced down the Syrian Air Airbus A320 some three hours after it had taken off from Moscow's Vnukovo international airport late on Wednesday. Turkey eventually permitted the A320 to resume its flight after a five-hour inspection of the aircraft that resulted in the seizure of a number of items. "We have no information available about the contents or ownership of any cargo," Vyacheslav Davidenko, a spokesperson for state arms trader Rosoboronexport, told RIA Novosti. "All cargo transport operations by us involving military equipment are always made in accordance with international agreements and Russian law." Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has refused to comment on media reports that it is investigating a possible leak from a Russian agency, which led to the discovery of the Damascus-bound cargo. Russian business daily Kommersant reported on Friday the seized items were technical components for Syrian air defense radars which did not require special certification as military items. Partner news  Top stories Among its provisions are bans on child marriage and the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes. Jorge Rafael Videla, an austere former army commander, led Argentina during the bloodiest days of its Dirty War dictatorship. According to the United Nations, April was Iraq's bloodiest month for almost five years, with 712 people killed. Reports suggest the rebel fighters may have tried to blow up the walls of the prison, which holds some 4,000 inmates.   Partner news |  Latest news Brad Pitt’s “World War Z” to open Moscow Film Fest  The fest will feature retrospectives of films by Bernardo Bertolucci and Costa Gavras, as well as a program devoted to Dutch cinema.Wrekin Hill picks up John Malkovich’s “Siberian Education” Based on the novel by Nicolai Lilin, the film is set in the ghetto of Soviet Russia and follows 2 boys who are members of a gang of exiled Siberians.EU says concerned over human rights record in Russia The European Union said it would closely watch developments affecting non-governmental organizations in Russia.John Lennon’s guitar auctioned for $408,000 The custom-made instrument, built in 1966 by the VOX company, was bought by an unidentified U.S. buyer in New York. |
