MOSCOW. Aug 30 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's decision to partially lift the embargo on arms deliveries to Iraq is ill- timed and may result in a political backlash, Colonel General Leonid Ivashov, Vice President of the Geopolitical Problems Academy, believes.
"It is a vital decision, but it is ill-timed. The resulting political backslash may exceed the possible economic effect," he told Interfax-Military News Agency on Monday.
Ivashov said that on adopting this decision Moscow had demonstrated a double standards policy in the sphere of military technical cooperation with states, swept by internal conflicts. "Russia did not deliver arms to Iraq, headed by Saddam Hussein, or to Serbs, when they were bombed by NATO. At the present time, when Iraq is swept by a civil war, the decision to lift the embargo on exporting arms to the Iraqi Interim Government may result in a political backlash against Russia," he said.
Ivashov, who had previously headed the Defense Ministry's International Military Cooperation Directorate, said that the Iraqi Interim Government could not be considered a legitimate one, thus, the decision on supplying it with arms would put Russia at a conflict with one of the belligerent sides.
"In addition to that, the military technical cooperation between Russia and the Iraqi Interim Government will be limited to delivering spare parts for Soviet-vintage materiel, and ammunition, which will require presence of Russian experts in Iraq, which is quite dangerous," he said.
"It is worth mentioning that most Islamic states demand that occupational forces, which are the only support of the Iraqi Interim Government, be withdrawn. By cooperating with the regime, Russia may become an enemy for the Islamic community, while Islamic terrorists may attack Russia," Ivashov said.