Tula Works Refutes Arms Deliveries to Iraq

The Tula instrument-making centre (KBP) has issued an utter refutal of US allegations about KBP arms sales to Iraq. The KBP has never sold anything to Iraq and has no idea as to what the American authorities are accusing it of, said KBP first deputy director-general Alexey Butenko.

All contracts on arms deliveries for foreign clients contain a clause banning re-sale of KBP output to third persons, said Butenko. However, there is no way of our controlling them in practice, he added.

According to KBP foreign economic relations department chief Leonid Roshal, the Tula manufacturers are not trading with Iraq, Iran, Libya, North Korea and Syria. The chief buyers of their products are China, India and wealthy Arab emirates.

It is not for the first time that the USA accuses Tula's KBP of providing arms supplies to countries backing terrorism. Although sanctions against the Tula arms manufacturers were imposed by the USA in 2000 and last September, they were later lifted due to the lack of evidence.

Tula's instrument-building centre founded in 1927 is engaged in manufacturing fire-arms and arms complexes for the land forces, the aviation and the Navy. The KBP is now busy developing three areas, dominated by the development and production of anti-tank technology as well as the armour and modern guided missiles.