Russian Ambassador: U.S. Bribed Generals to Surrender

Wednesday, April 16, 2003 ^ | NewsMax Wires

[Nachum]

Did Americal military prowess and hi-tech weaponry give America an easy victory over Saddam Hussein's army? "Nyet", says Russian ambassador to Iraq.

The Ambassador, Vladimir Titirenko, told Moscow's NTV, "I am confident that the Iraqi generals entered into secret deal with the Americans to refrain from resistance in exchange for sparing their lives."

Titorenko also told NTV that it was "most probable" that Saddam and his top aides were killed during America's aerial bombardment of his many bunkers.

Le Monde also reported that Maher Sufyan, Commander of the Republican Guard, reached an agreement with American forces in which he ordered his forces to surrender in exchange for his transfer via an American Apache helicopter to an undisclosed safe haven.

Quoting anonymous sources, Le Monde's correspondent in Baghdad said that Sufyan ordered all Republican Guard forces to lay down their arms and go home.

Shortly thereafter an Apache helicopter escorted Sufyan from the Al Rashid camp, east of Baghdad, to an unknown location.

Maher Sufyan is not included on the infamous "deck of cards" created by US defense officials to highlight the most wanted individuals from the Saddam Hussein government.

Iraq's popular Information Minister, Mohammed Saeed Al Sahaf, Naji Sabri, Iraq's Foreign Minister and Oumid Medhat Mubarak, the minister of health are also not included on the list.

[swheats]

Just seems like a Duh! moment.

[Mr. Mojo]

And I thought the Arabs were consumed with envy; the Russians are giving the word new meaning these days.

[Godfollow]

"I am confident that the Iraqi generals entered into secret deal with the Americans to refrain from resistance in exchange for sparing their lives."

Duh? I only knew this before the bombs started dropping. What's he really saying... "they only won because they're smarter"... whada friggin idiot!

[jlogajan]

I hope they keep believing this stuff. Some in Russia are angling for a reform of their armed forces. I hope these idiots who are in favor of maintaining the current doctrine keep the upper hand.

Well, there are certainly some of the old guard in Russia trying to CYA. But this is merely a public face saving. It is hard to say who in Russia will have the upper hand. But if the leadership there has a clue, they will simpy make the worst cast assessment that superior coalition tactics were the cause of the rout, and they will redesign their military accordingly.

I don't know which faction will win the day. And since I really don't see Russia in an imperialist role in the foreseeable future, I'm not sure it matters that much one way or the other, as far as we are concerned.

[xrp]

Well, $100,000,000 is a far cry cheaper than the $80,000,000,000 some claim the war cost us! Talk about volume discounting!

[Cold Heat]

this story is likely totally true.

Unlikely, if we paid anyone, it was for information.

The Republican Guard generals knew they could not win, but they could not surrender!

They lost! How hard is that to understand.

Russia is not going to say we won fairly. They want it to look like we cheated so that all the technical assistance and aid that they gave/sold the Iraqi's did not work. this way they save face.

The pukes!

[Go Gordon]

Well, there are certainly some of the old guard in Russia trying to CYA.

It started by taking Afghanistan in a month, when Russia couldn't do it in 10 years. Then Baghdad gets taken in three weeks and Iraq used Russian military hardware. Russia is trying to cover up for the fact that they are no longer militarily relevent (aside from WMDs)

[Reeses]

Keep in mind we can buy out the entire Russian army if we want to. The soldiers are paid $3/month. Russia's entire defense spending is $10 billion. They can't afford a big army and socialist spending at the same time, especially with a declining and aging population. I'm surprised the USSR lasted as long as it did.

[oceanview]

there were several RGs divisions that apparently "vanished". we kept hearing about them, but never engaged and destroyed them like we did to the Medina division and the others which Centcom clearly enumerated as being engaged and destroyed. where did they go? now we know, and Col Hunt confirmed it.

[EaglesUpForever]

Surely you can understand, we were threatened with the most powerful military minds on the planet - retired Russian generals. So we had to bribe the Iraqis, or their overwhelming military might would have just crushed us flat. At least that's how the Russians see it.

I couldn't believe how www.iraqwar.ru had such an enthusiastic following for their war coverage, which when you analyze it was literally what Baghdad Bob would say. What could have possibly gotten us out of that Airport ambush? We must have bribed our way out, that's the ticket...

[oceanview]

mind you, not that we couldn't have routed them had they not been paid off. in fact you could make a case that we should have just engaged and destroyed them. but when you consider the risks of WMDs, we must have paid off some generals who controlled (and didn't launch) some of the longer range missiles, it was a safe plan.

[Cold Heat]

Don't you recall what happened in 91!

They surrendered then as well. They layed down their arms and left.

Bush accepted most all the surrenders as immigrants so they would not have to return and be killed by Saddams goons. Thousands of them!

The regular army people will not commit suicide. Without leadership, or in Saddams case intimidation, they did the right thing. they did not need to be paid to save their own asses.

Yes, the Medina div. was devastated from the air. We used a few of those big ones on them as well. Five friggin carrier groups, 1,500 cruise missles and the 52s, B-1s and B2s.

They never had a chance. We did not need to pay them to quit.

[Carolinamom]

Rumsfeld warned us not to believe 1st reports because they usually turn out to be untrue. I won't believe this one until it is verified by OUR administration.

[Guillermo]

I thought we were bogged in a guagmire...

[RS]

"Shortly thereafter an Apache helicopter escorted Sufyan from the Al Rashid camp"

What did they do ? Strap him onto a weapons pod ?

[aristeides]

Iraq's popular Information Minister, Mohammed Saeed Al Sahaf, Naji Sabri, Iraq's Foreign Minister and Oumid Medhat Mubarak, the minister of health are also not included on the list.

Hmmm, the minister of health probably knows all about the bioweapons.

[aristeides]

The Rashid Airfield in southeast Baghdad was taken by the Marines a couple of days after Baghdad International Airport was taken.

[Billthedrill]

I hope we tried - "if it saves even one life..." as the antigunners bleat...but you have to realize that Saddam fully expected and guarded against betrayal, and was very, very good at that. Outright bribery would more likely end its recipient up taking a nitric acid bubble bath than win a war. If the CIA or whoever did manage it, my hat's off to them.

[RS]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think an Apache has passenger accomodations. -- Kind of like Bush flying to Washington on an SR-71

[ETERNAL WARMING]

....And this is supposed to be a bad thing?

Exactly. This move also spares American soldiers lives.