"Now ambassador, don't tell me that you lost another submarine?
Posted on 04/08/2003 6:21:29 PM PDT by struwwelpeter
The US completely rejects the statement of the Russian ambassador to Baghdad Vladimir Titorenko, that American servicemen in Iraq intentionally fired on the Russian convoy. This was stated by American ambassador to Moscow, Aleksandr Vershbou.
"There are many versions of what occurred. We are trying to ascertain the facts concerning this situation. But I can say that we completely reject the statement of ambassador Titorenko, that our forces intentionally fired the column of Russian diplomats," Vershbou said in an interview with a Moscow radio station, according to Interfaks.
Let us recall that on Monday, when Russian diplomats reached Syria, Vladimir Titorenko stated to journalists that the column was intentionally fired upon by Americans. He noted that bullet holes were found in four of the six motor vehicles, all of which came from American M16 rifles.
Vershbou stated that at this time it is not known whose forces were responsible for the incident, and called for all to "find out all the facts and limit blame until all has been cleared up."
According to him, it has already been established that the Russian ambassador selected a route different from that which was proposed by Americans, and instead followed the advise of the Iraqis.
"We do not know why this was done, possibly, there (on the initial route) there was a skirmish", stated Vershbou.
He assured (Russia) that the Americans would share any information obtained in the course of the incident's investigation. But the ambassador found it difficult to say how long it would take to explain the circumstances of what occurred.
Vershbou stated that American representatives in Iraq did everything in their power to decrease the risk to the movement of the Russian convoy.
According to him, the circumstances of incident were discussed in the course of the visit to Moscow by assistant to the US president on national security Condoliza Rice.
The US wants to collaborate with Russia in postwar reconstruction of Iraq
In the interview Vershbou also commented on the report that the US House of Representatives voted on a bill which forbids budgeting for the purchases of goods produced by companies from Russia, Germany, France and Syria. The ambassador stated that the US administration does not support this bill and wants to examine ways of collaborating with Russia in the postwar reconstruction of Iraq.
In his opinion, the project (by the US congress) reflects "a certain disappointment by the American people with Russia's position on the Iraq problem of the last few weeks."
"If our governments would work together in this direction, then opportunities will be created simultaneously for collaboration in the private sector," said the ambassador.
Just what was going thru my mind.
American soldiers fired indiscriminately at the automobile convoy of Russian diplomats and journalists, driver Muhammed az-Zubeydi stated to Jordan information agency Petra. "The Americans did not even attempt to find out if the automobiles belonged to the Russian diplomatic mission", said the chauffeur, who drove an automobile for Russian journalists.
In the region where the column was stopped he counted about 50 American tanks. Two fuel tanker trucks were also located there. Soldiers forced all the passengers to lie down on the ground and "opened fire on anyone who attempted to get up", said the Jordanian. Muhammed az-Zubeydi stated that witnessed the shooting of the Russian diplomats, one of whom with it was injured in the stomach, and another in the arm. He rendered aid to the injured up until their delivery to the hospital, Itar-TASS reports.
Let us recall, a column of motor vehicles with Russian diplomats being sent to Syria was fired upon last Sunday upon leaving Baghdad. Bullet holes from American automatic M16 rifles are discovered in four of six motor vehicles. In the vehicle of Russian ambassador Vladimir Titorenko were three bullet holes. He was lightly injured in the hand during the shooting. An aircraft from the Russian emergency ministry with the Russian diplomats will leave Damascus this morning. It is expected that they will arrive at Ramenskoye airport (Moscow region) about 17:00 Moscow time.
"Now ambassador, don't tell me that you lost another submarine?
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"...one can only conjecture what role the Soviet generals have played in preparing the Iraqi army for the war. That their role was important is proved at least by the fact that both Achalov and Maltsev, as Gazeta.Ru has learnt, have visited Iraq no less than 20 times in the past 5-6 years.
Given such a schedule (3-4 trips a year), it is almost beyond doubt that Achalov and Maltsev, as well as, possibly, other retired Soviet and highly placed Russian military personnel were giving advice to Iraq as it prepared its army for imminent war."
Ninel Maltseva was Saddam's bug-maker, and I know an Oksana Maltseva, so it was easy to remember that surname.
Also according to gazeta.ru:
18:14 Russian ambassador to Baghdad returns to Iraq
The Emergencies Ministry flight carrying a group of Russian diplomats and journalists left Damascus without Russia’s ambassador to Baghdad Vladimir Titorenko. He has stayed behind to oversee the evacuation of more embassy staff, in particular an injured driver and another employee currently in a Feluja hospital. According to the RIA-Novosti news agency, Titorenko has re-entered Iraqi territory. //Gazeta.Ru
because the secret communications equipment was being taken out.Via what - string?This equipment uses encryption that connects with the Russian equivalent of NSA.
ANY radio transmissons would stand out like SORE THUMBS for the ELINT boys to pick up ...
Iraqis were attempting to see if the US could intercept their underground communicationsWhat - smoke signals through the sewer system?
Gimme a break - 'underground communications'?
Get real - they're either using radios (PROBABLY un-encrypted at this point), telephones or human couriers -
- the simple playing of a 'tape' on one end of a give and take exchange would like kinda contrived - don't you think?
On the one hand, he says:
With regard to the latest bomb on Saddam Loftus said it was a sting operation again carried out by a Russian advisor. Iraqis were attempting to see if the US could intercept their underground communications so they played an old tape with Saddam arranging with his sons to meet at a restaurant.
The US fell for the sting and bombed the restaurant.
On the other hand, we have this:
Loftus still maintains Saddam was killed on the first night.
Isn't Loftus suggesting in this latter statement that the U.S. knows that Saddam was killed at the beginning of the war (I guess the theory is that we know this via ear dimensions or other biometrics)? But if that were the case, how could we have been fooled by a sting that was based on the premise that Saddam was still alive?
Until they actually have seen the corpse
or have got a DNA sample
there always is a 1% chance
that he might have survived a blast
whose shock waves would have sent his intestines
out through his mouth
(as Loftus so graphically described it).
I guess they felt
it was better to be safe than sorry.
Few people have pointed out
how ridiculously grotesque is the idea
that Saddam and his sons would go to a restaurant
when US tanks were rummaging
through the streets of Baghdad.
The story about an old tape being played
does have a ring of truth to it.
The story about the communications equipment
also has a ring of truth.
Surely it was no accident
that US forces engaged in a 30 minute gun battle
with the Russian convoy.
That couldn't have been a simple case
of mistaken identity
there had to be a reason
and Loftus' explanation is plausible.
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