THE DIPLOMAT SAID IT WAS POSSIBLE THE US WAS NOW LEVELLING THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST RUSSIA IN ORDER TO PRESSURE MOSCOW TO MAKE CONCESSIONS IN THE ISSUE OF IMPOSING SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN IN THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAMME. THE REPORTS IN MOSCOW SAID THE US STUDY HAD PINPOINTED VLADIMIR TITORENKO, MOSCOW'S AMBASSADOR TO BAGHDAD AT THE TIME, AS HAVING CONVEYED RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION TO THE SADDAM REGIME ABOUT US TROOP MOVEMENTS. WHEN TITORENKO WAS LEAVING BAGHDAD ON APRIL 8, 2003, THE CONVOY CAME UNDER FIRE, WITH RUSSIA AT THAT TIME ACCUSING THE US ARMY OF HAVING FIRED AT HIS VEHICLE AND OF AN ACCOMPANYING VEHICLE. THE DAILY NESAVISSIMAYA GAZETA HAD REPORTED AT THE TIME THAT THE AMERICANS HAD TRIED TO STOP TITORENKO'S CONVOY BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED THE RUSSIAN VEHICLES WERE SMUGGLING OUT SADDAM'S SECRET ARCHIVES WHICH INCLUDED DOCUMENTS OF POSSIBLE ILLEGAL WEAPONS CONTRACTS BETWEEN MOSCOW AND BAGHDAD. MOSCOW STEADFASTLY DENIED ANY SUCH DEALS. SATURDAY'S REPORTS IN MOSCOW OF THE RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE DENYING IT GAVE INFORMATION TO SADDAM CAME ON THE HEELS OF A DECLASSIFIED PENTAGON STUDY ON FRIDAY ASSERTING THAT RUSSIA HAD PROVIDED BAGHDAD WITH INFORMATION ABOUT US TROOP MOVEMENTS EARLY IN THE WAR. THE PENTAGON REPORT, CALLED 'IRAQ PERSPECTIVES PROJECT,' IS A US MILITARY STUDY ASSESSING THE STRATEGY EMPLOYED BY SADDAM HUSSEIN AND HIS TOP MILITARY OFFICIALS ON HOW TO DEFEND THE COUNTRY. THE PENTAGON STUDY, BASED ON SEIZED DOCUMENTS AND INTERVIEWS WITH TOP IRAQ REGIME OFFICIALS, PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO HOW SADDAM SOUGHT TO PROTECT HIS REIGN AS US FORCES PREPARED TO INVADE. THERE WAS NO OTHER SOURCE IN THE STUDY TO CORROBORATE THE IRAQI DOCUMENTS, WHICH WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THE US STRATEGY TO BYPASS THE CITIES ON THE US THRUST TO BAGHDAD. --SP 15 20 LOCAL TIME 12 20 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/348334