MOSCOW CRITICIZES U.S., U.K ON IRAQ RAIDS. The Russian
Foreign Ministry on 23 February issued a statement
criticizing recent American and British air raids on Baghdad
and calling for a political settlement of all problems, ITAR-
TASS reported. Meanwhile, members of the Duma began forming a
Russian-Iraqi interparliamentary commission on bilateral
cooperation. These moves came as Iraq sought to put pressure
on Moscow to end the sanctions regime by threatening to
cancel a contract with Lukoil for the development of Iraqi
fields and pointing out that Baghdad can pay off its debts to
Moscow more readily if the sanctions regime is dropped,
Russian and Western agencies reported. PG
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