>From: R <rhisiart at earthlink.net>
>Reply-To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
>To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com
>Subject: pootie-poot sends a message
>Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2002 19:36:47 -0700
>
>Blow for Bush as Russia agrees £27bn Iraq deal
>By David Rennie in Washington and Ben Aris in Moscow
>(Filed: 19/08/2002)
>http://www.news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/08/19/wruss19.xml
>
>Russia has dealt a potentially serious blow to American attempts to isolate
>Iraq after it announced a £27 billion trade agreement with Saddam Hussein.
>
>The agreement, which will have to be approved by the United Nations, wraps
>together dozens of separate deals involving oil, electrical energy,
>chemical products, irrigation, railroad construction and transport, over
>the next five years, officials in Moscow said yesterday.
>
>Russian companies already dominate Iraq's limited oil export trade under
>the UN oil-for-food programme.
>
>Oleg Buklemeshev, a senior deputy to President Putin, confirmed that "the
>document is being prepared", adding that it was "in line with current
>international agreements".
>
>The Bush administration shied away from public criticism of Moscow. A White
>House spokesman said: "We're confident Russia understands its obligations
>under UN Security Council resolutions and will abide by them."
>
>
>[but does the shrub administration?]
>
>continued
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