Russia: October 11, 2004

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A CIA report, based on millions of captured Iraqi documents, names Russia and Syria and the main suppliers of illegal weapons to Iraq between 1991 and 2003. The weapons were smuggled in, usually across the Syrian border. Other nations that were the source of smuggled weapons were Jordan, Belarus, China, India, North Korea, South Korea, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Ukraine and France. In most cases, the material consisted of spare parts for aging Iraqi military equipment. In particular, Iraq was keen to keep its Russian and French made air defense system operational. Most of the weapons smuggled in by companies and private groups, not government organizations. But the large quantity of Russian military goods apparently did have approval from the Russian government.

 

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