Russia: September 18, 2003

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The US accused Russia of selling high tech weapons to Iran, and says that it has been going on for over a year. Among the weapons provided were laser guided artillery shells (similar to the US Copperhead), night vision equipment, anti-tank missiles and GPS jammers. All of these nations have been marked aggressively in the international arms market, with sales also made to India,  Syria and others. Russian arms firms, having lost most of their business with the former Soviet union and the many Soviet satellite and client states, must now export  to survive. The Russian government does not want its arms firms to wither away, and supports the export activity any way it can.