Iraq denies U.S. pressure in scrapping arms deal with RussiaNovember 13, 2012 - 19:34 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iraq denied on Tuesday, November 13 that its decision to suspend a $4.2-billion arms deal with Russia had been taken after consultations with the United States, RIA Novosti reported. “We are a sovereign state and we would not give into pressure,” a spokesman for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told RIA Novosti by telephone from Baghdad. "What's more, there was no pressure from Washington," added the spokesman, Ali Musawi. The landmark deal for Russia to supply attack helicopters and mobile air-defense systems to the Middle East country was announced after Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki met his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, in Moscow in early October. The deal was hailed by Kremlin-controlled media as the largest involving Moscow since 2006 and would have made Russia the biggest arms supplier to Iraq after the United States, which has sold Baghdad billions of dollars in weapons since the 2003 invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein. But the agreement was thrown into confusion on Saturday, when Maliki's office said the deal had been scrapped over concerns about corruption. A highly-placed Defense Ministry source told RIA Novosti after the Iraqi statement that the United States was “behind” Baghdad’s decision. Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport has declined to comment on the deal. “It’s only natural to expect that the Americans wouldn’t be happy about the deal,” said Saleh A. Jabar, head of the Beirut-based Iraq Institute for Strategic Studies think-tank. “They have strategic interests there and were looking forward to selling weapons to Iraq and training Iraqi soldiers.” The announcement of the deal in early October came as the United States warned Maliki to halt Iranian flights carrying weapons through Iraqi airspace to beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Maliki is a member of Islam’s minority faith, Shia, the state religion in Iran. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months A court in Azerbaijan has extended the arrest of former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan by five months. Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. |