President Vladimir Putin plans to market Russia's newly-reformed arms industry during his upcoming trip to the Middle East.
Russian officials said Putin would be accompanied by a large delegation in his visit to such countries as Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in early February. They said the delegation would include senior officials from the state-owned arms export agency Rosoboronexport, which has come under direct presidential control. "Putin scored a huge success in Algeria in 2006 and wants to market Russian weapons to other countries as well," an official said. "The president has clearly been the most effective salesman for our arms industry."
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Iran has been subverting the Baghdad government as part of a plan to gain total control over neighboring Iraq.
A new report by the Jamestown Foundation said Iran has expanded its subversion efforts and intends to fragment Iraq. Authored by U.S. Army analyst Mounir Elkhamri, the report said Teheran plans to annex the Iraq's Shi'ite areas and oil fields.
"Iran has now moved covertly and overtly onto Iraq to subvert Iraqi institutions and eventually to assume total control," the report said. "Iran has now entered a wider and more dangerous game by subverting the Iraqi police and armed forces into a 'greater Shia' cause, which Iran hopes will lead to the fragmentation of Iraq and the incorporation of oil-rich Shia lands into Iran."
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