U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday reiterated the United States demand Russia to conduct a "serious investigation" into reports Moscow gave Saddam Hussein on US war plans for Iraq in 2003.

Rice spoke via telephone to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier on Tuesday about the alleged intelligence-sharing between Russia and Iraq before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq three years ago, deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said.

"She asked him to look into this question about documents to the Iraqis and conduct a serious investigation," Ereli said.

Rice will raise the matter with Lavrov when they are due to meet Thursday in Berlin during international consultations on Iran 's nuclear program, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said on Monday.

In a report on Friday, the Pentagon alleged that in the early period of the Iraq war in 2003, Russia provided Saddam Hussein with information on U.S. military movements.

The allegation has prompted the U.S. anger over the Russians. " We would take very seriously any suggestion that this may have been done, maybe to the detriment of American forces," Rice said in an interview on Sunday.

Republican Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, vowed Sunday to investigate the matter.

Russia's foreign intelligence service has denied the Pentagon report. Lavrov called the charges "politically motivated."

Source: Xinhua