USA main reason for cancelling Russian arms deal with Iraq, official

BAGHDAD/ Aswat al-Iraq: Senior Russian official disclosed today that USA was the main element in cancelling Russian arms deal with Iraq.

As reported by Novosti news agency, the Russian official added that "Iraqi rejection of the deal was due to the pressures exerted by the United States".

No official Russian comment was made on the matter till now.

Documents prepared by the Russian side denoted that Iraq and Russia "signed in the second mid of this year a number of contracts with the amount of 4.2 billion dollars before Premier Nouri al-Maliki's visit to Moscow".

During the period from April to Augustus 2012, a number of Iraqi military delegations visited Russia and discussed the financial aspects of the contracts.

On the other hand, Maliki's advisor Ali al-Mussawi stated that "the Russian arms deal was not cancelled, but future contacts will determine its position, either to continue or to be abrogated".

He told Russia Today Network that "even if the deal is cancelled, Iraq still needs Russia for more arms.

Earlier, AFP quoted Mussawi that the deal was 'cancelled" due to some suspicions of corruption.

 Mussawi pointed out that "Iraq did not pay anything till now".